Chateau Carlmagnus 2023

Floral notes, red berries, cola; fresh attack, medium body, well-judged tannins, sour cherries on the finish. Uncomplicated, harmonious.

The 2023 Carlmagnus offers dusky black fruit on the nose, dark chocolate and espresso scents from the oak that is a little vocal. The palate is medium-bodied with pliant tannins, fine acidity, segueing into more red fruit toward the finish. Early drinking, but afford it a few months to assimilate the wood.

Fresh acidities, but it closes down quickly on the palate with concentrated, intense tannic grip and grilled oak. There are autumnal fruits here and a limestone scrape; it needs a little time to reveal the joy.

Score: 87–89. The powdery scent of iris and violet accompanies juicy dark fruit (ripe damson) on a rich, generous nose. The palate is very gourmand, with powerful, tangy fruit like a blackcurrant candy, and a hint of almond-kernel bitterness. The tannins return on the finish to take center stage.