Château La Fleur Pétrus 2022

En primeur I was completely won over, and in bottle this bouquet is just as captivating: complex, floral, with spicy notes, tea, cherries, plums, caramel—something you can really sink into; a supple attack, sweet fruit, full-bodied, the finest tannins, showing power, depth, charm and great length; it doesn’t deny the warmth of the vintage and lingers with an almost endless finish.

This is nicely loaded, with warmed raspberry compote, boysenberry pâte de fruit and damson plum coulis notes in the mix, along with streaks of tobacco leaf, chestnut leaf and graphite. The long finish shows a great underlying tug of warm earth. Merlot, Cabernet Franc and Petit Verdot. Best from 2027 through 2042. 2,500 cases made, 226 cases imported.

At the heart of Pomerol, this wine is spicy, smoky and rich. It has a powerful, rounded character and solid tannins. Black fruits, a dark coffee aroma and structure have combined to give a dense wine. It will be ready from 2028.

Fragrant and softly sweet notes on the nose with strawberries, vanilla cream and dried herbs. A glorious celebration of silky smooth tannins, red berry fruit, crystalline minerality and soft spices. The tannins feel almost weightless, with the focus on the intense fruit flavours and searing freshness. A shot of sweet red cherry and mouthwatering acidity gives a sense of fun before turning to black chocolate, tobacco, slate, aniseed and cinnamon towards the finish. A beauty.

A very opulent and extravagant red with dark plums, spices and lifted cedar. The palate is full-bodied yet very tight with endless tannins that are integrated and polished, bringing form and verve to this young wine. 96.5% merlot, 3% cabernet franc and 0.5% petit verdot. Try after 2030.

Mid crimson. A little bit of damp fur on the nose but not oxidised. Very sweet. Not the most refreshing. (JR)

The 2022 La Fleur-Pétrus is a heady, explosive wine that very much reflects the personality of the year. Inky dark fruit, truffle, cloves, licorice and blood orange are some of the many notes that infuse the palate with tremendous depth all around. A light exotic touch informs the long finish. The 2022 is very much an extrovert. There's no doubt about it. This is a very complete and delicious Pomerol from the Moueix family.

Already showcasing its stunning display of flowers, truffles, wild cherries, licorice, chocolate, and plums in the nose, it’s clear this will be a showstopper. Texturally, the sensuous palate, with its waves of velvet-covered fruits, steals the spotlight. The perfectly ripe, deep fruits offer length, lift, and complexity, with a lingering finish that keeps you wanting more. The wine blends 96.5% Merlot, 3% Cabernet Franc, and .05 Petit Verdot. Drink from 2027-2055.

Deep dark ruby in colour with an opaque core, purple reflections, and subtle brightening on the rim. On the nose, aromas of fine cherry fruit, sweet plum, a touch of nougat, pleasant herbal spices, and fine oak in the background. The palate is firm with a salty-mineral texture, fleshy fruit, and fine freshness, with red berry fruit on the persistent finish which shows great finesse. Certain ageing potential.

Awesome aromatics of black cherries, saddle leather, savory flowers, and incense emerge from the 2022 Château La Fleur-Petrus, another riveting wine in the vintage that brings incredible intensity while at the same time staying elegant, seamless, and flawlessly balanced. A blend of 97% Merlot and 3% Petit Verdot, this full-bodied, seamless Pomerol has fine yet building tannins, beautiful mid-palate depth, and a great finish. It picks up more and more classic La Fleur Petrus floral and spicy nuances with time in the glass, and it will have three decades of prime drinking ahead of it. It will be fun to compare this with the 2020 over the coming decades.

96.5% Merlot, 3% Cabernet Franc, 0.5% Petit Verdot. A soothing bouquet with a delicate cassis spice, sour cherry, graphite, light tobacco, Sichuan pepper and redcurrant. On the palate, complex and well-toned, with a silky texture, powdery extract, a tight, cocoa-like tannic framework and a refined mineral core. A focused finish of red cherries, dark minerality and regal astringency. This rough diamond from Pomerol requires a great deal of patience.

This is beautiful, totally captures the hedonism of Pomerol, luscious, deep and rather glorious in character. Bitter tinged fennel shot through with cocoa bean and cocoa dusting, pomegranate, orange peel, mandarin, just the most gorgeous balance of opulent and bitter. Great stuff, loaded with black fruits. 18.7ha, harvest September 1 to 19, deep gravel and clay on iron-rich subsoil.

A deep, composed bouquet, effortlessly expressive, blending ripe and candied fruit with notes of liquorice, followed by a bold touch reminiscent of the heat of an engine still humming. On the palate, spectacular black and purple fruit, bursting with generosity and shot through with electrifying energy. The texture, irresistibly succulent, makes its mark with immaculate precision.

What beauty, expression and fullness in this bouquet—both enchanting and compelling. Notes of raspberry, paired with Sichuan pepper and blackcurrant, create a symbiosis that is genuinely authentic, if not unique. Dense on the attack, the wine shows an astonishing serenity. It relies on a well-contained, radiant power that delivers freshness and energy in equal measure. A Lafleur-Pétrus that makes you dream and reminds us that greatness cannot be reduced to exuberance or power alone. Subtlety, charm, finesse and vitality form a symbiosis that is, in itself, the hallmark of greatness.

The nose is elegant, subtle, intense and delicate all at once, with striking depth and harmonious complexity. It reveals notes of vibrant blackcurrant and violet, and, more discreetly, a refined mineral edge. These aromas are joined by touches of bright red berries, along with hints of liquorice stick, bourbon vanilla and a subtle note of nutmeg. On the palate, the wine is elegant, supple and sumptuous, with delicacy and an airy freshness. Its depth and creaminess unfold with finesse and freshness, while a lovely, light, melodious character develops. Notes of boysenberry, creamy blackcurrant, violet and blueberry emerge, accompanied by touches of cornflower and lilac, as well as hints of liquorice stick, graphene, and discreet nuances of toast and caramel. A touch of vanilla is also present. What a mouthfeel! A velvety texture, both creamy and airy, with great freshness and beautiful fruit brightness. The tannins are creamy and luscious. Sumptuous.

Intense, very dark colour. Highly aromatic nose, refined, fruity, subtle and complex. Creamy nuances with hints of orange zest and truffle. Supple on the attack, velvety and rich through the mid-palate, the wine unfolds with both volume and a melting texture, extremely aromatic. Very long, complex finish, with no loss of richness. Long, deep, vibrant and magnificent.

In bottle, the 2022 La Fleur-Pétrus is broad and unctuous, offering up aromas of Agen prunes, dark berries and cherries mingled with notions of sweet spices, licorice and raisin fruitcake. Full-bodied, rich and chocolaty, it's ripe and heady, with an ample core of fruit and a sweet, lingering finish. The warmth and sunshine of the vintage is on full display.