2022, Château de La Dauphine, FRONSAC

Bordeaux Blend: Cabernet Franc, Merlot. 

Richly concentrated dark berry fruits with crushed stones and slate minerality on the nose. Supple, generous and bright, this is so smooth and sleek, excellently weighted in the mouth with quite a sharp, almost sour tang to the fruit that gives a buzz to the palate while the crushed stone, slate, graphite and pencil lead give the salty undercurrent. Liquorice and clove join towards the finish giving a spiced angle all adding to quite a complex whole. Lovely purity of fruit, still tense and focussed but sculpted and well worked retaining a sense of finesse and restraint as well as the terroir markers. 3.5pH. HVE3 certified. Ageing in separate lots for 12 months with 30% new wood, amphora and foudres. Julien Viaud consultant. 93/100 Georgina Hindle, Decanter.

The 2022 Château de la Dauphine has a very ripe and generous bouquet with iodine-infused blue fruit, showy and opulent but retains sufficient delineation and freshness. The palate is medium-bodied with a saline entry, fine acidity and gentle grip. There's a classically styled tobacco and black pepper-tinged finish. Commendable in terms of substance and length, this should age with style. 91-93 Neal Martin, Vinous.

Drinking Window: 2024 - 2036