Chateau Puyblanquet 2022

Shows juicy energy amid its core of steeped blackberry and boysenberry fruit. Streaks of apple wood and anise add cut, and there's a flash of violet on the finish. A solid example of the vintage profile. Merlot and Cabernet Franc. Drink now through 2036. 2,500 cases made, 500 cases imported.

90-92 Barrel sample. This wine comes with a fine structure that features rich tannins as well as a strong Merlot character and succulent acidity. It is a full-bodied ripe wine full of black-currant fruitiness, plus a core of tannins that will allow it to age.

This shows spiced cherries and berries as well as a twist of chalk and peppercorns. Juicy on the structured, medium-bodied palate with firm tannins framing the bright red fruit. Long and pretty well-dissolved at the end. Fresh and solid. Drink or hold.

From clay and limestone soils, the 2022 Château Puyblanquet (80/20 Merlot and Cabernet Franc) is a powerful wine, offering darker cherries, earth, chocolate, and violets. Beautifully integrated oak, chalky minerality, and fine tannins all give it plenty of structure, and it should evolve nicely for 15+ years. Total production: 3,333 cases.

Inky purple colour, clear austerity here, showing edges of blackcurrant, black chocolate, saffron and slate. Located near to Châteaux Boutisse and Pressac, on cooler clay-limestone soils, enjoyable.

An intriguing nose where black fruits meet the delicate scent of iris, before evolving toward a more fleshy register, lifted by peppery notes and paprika. The palate is sumptuous and supple, like purple silk, yet it remains fresh and taut thanks to a fine dose of acidity and its mineral flavors.

Logo on the cork: DIAM10 Deep, intense, youthful color. Very aromatic nose, fine, fruity, pure and subtle. Notes of blackberry, spices and elegant oak when the glass is swirled. Precise on the attack, very aromatic on the mid-palate, with a refined texture, the wine builds to a sappy, fragrant finish with finely grained, noble tannins. It’s impossible to spit out. At no point does its high alcohol level interfere with the tasting, as the freshness is perfectly preserved. A pure pleasure, whether decanted or not.