Château Soutard 2022

The 2022 Soutard has turned out beautifully, unfurling in the glass with aromas of sweet dark berries, licorice, mint and bay leaf. Medium to full-bodied, cool and layered, it's velvety and enveloping, with bright acids, sweet tannins and a long, polished finish. This estate on the edge of Saint-Emilion's limestone plateau is enjoying a notable renaissance, and this is a wine to seek out.

Lots of prune and ripe cherry notes on the nose. Juicy, with a raisined edge showing the heat and warmth of the vintage in terms of fruit expression. Tannins are fine and there are some blueberry accents that give bite and grip, with liquorice, tobacco and tar on the finish. Streamlined and straight in overall focus with tension. This has subtle muscle and feels confident without trying too hard. Not the most complex but no harshness, a little pent up still which should settle with time.

Pronounced dark plum and berry character with bark and dark chocolate. It’s medium-bodied with an integrated tannin structure and a wet earth, violet and berry finish. Drink in three or four years. Try after 2028.

76% Merlot, 10% Cabernet Franc, 8% Cabernet Sauvignon, 6% Malbec. Cask sample. Discreet red- and dark-berry aromas with a chalky edge. Fresh and juicy on the palate, the limestone terroir apparent. Tannins powerful but polished and refined. Persistent finish. Representative of the terroir. (JL)

The 2022 Soutard is fabulous. Blue-toned fruit, lavender, licorice, mocha and a kiss of French oak meld together in the glass, all wrapped in silky tannins. A wine of elegance and understated depth, the 2022 is very, very pretty. Red-toned fruit, blood orange, chalk and white pepper build into the taut, chiseled finish.

I love the flowers, spice, licorice, and roasted fruits that open the perfume. On the palate, the wine is refined, supple, lively, and creamy with a gorgeous sweetness, as well as a finish packed with layers of chocolate-covered black cherries and plums. This could be the finest vintage of Soutard ever produced! 76% Merlot, 10% Cabernet Franc, 8% Cabernet Sauvignon, and 6% whole-bunch, fermented Malbec make the blend. Drink from 2026-2047.

Deep ruby colour, opaque core, purple reflections, subtle brightening on the rim. Fresh wild berries, hints of cherry and nougat, fine herbal savouriness. On the palate juicy with good fruit expression, ripe berries, fine acidity, good balance and length. A textured food wine with certain ageing potential.

Opulent blueberry bouquet, fresh blackberry purée, heather and violets. On the generous palate, creamy in texture, with lively tension and a firmly aligned structure. Focused finish with blueberry, cooled fruit tea and finely sandy astringency.

Fresh and airy on the nose, driven by pink fruits and floral notes, then on the palate ultra-fresh and tangy, with a fairly long finish.

Subtle nuances of cherry and raspberry in Soutard’s bouquet, brimming with energy, brightness, and depth. The promises of the bouquet are well absorbed by the palate. The latter reveals a linear, precise wine with excellent definition, forging a link between elegance, freshness, and vigor. A detailed and persistent Soutard.

Dark red and purple color. Intense, fine, fruity, pure, and subtle nose. Nuances of flowers and ink. Meticulous on the attack, aromatic mid-palate, with a refined touch; the wine unfolds slender, long, and sapid on the finish. Tannins are very well wrapped. Blend: 76% merlot, 10% cabernet franc, 8% cabernet sauvignon, 6% malbec.

Unusual to have Malbec on the Right Bank, reflected in the depth of colour here, with a rich plum purple, edged with violet, fragrant on the opening more white pepper than black, with red cherry and damson fruit, good quality, plenty of lift. 60% new oak for ageing.