Vinous – Antonio Galloni – 93-95/100
The 2022 d’Issan is shaping up to be terrific. Dark and pliant, the 2022
captures all the intensity of the year in its super-concentrated Issan that
has a ton of fruit intensity, but also the tannic spine to support it.
Blue/purplish fruit, lavender, dried herbs and spice infuse the 2022 with
tons of depth and pedigree.

Robert Parker The Wine Advocate – 93-95/100
The 2022 D’Issan is a lovely wine that will delight Médoc purists, wafting from the glass with aromas of sweet berries, burning embers, violets and loamy soil. Medium to full-bodied, fleshy and layered, with velvety tannins and a deep core of vibrant fruit, it’s a blend of 55% Cabernet Sauvignon, 30% Merlot and the balance Cabernet Franc, Malbec and Petit Verdot. The estate is now equipped with a battery of 20-hectoliter tanks, permitting sub-plot by sub-plot harvesting this year.

Vinous – Antonio Galloni – 90-92/100
The 2022 du Tertre is packed with inky black fruit, gravel, incense, tobacco,
licorice and chocolate. Opulent and intense to the core, the 2022 packs a
serious punch. That comes through in tannins that are also pretty
imposing.

Robert Parker The Wine Advocate – 92-94+/100
The 2022 du Tertre unwinds in the glass with aromas of dark berries, plums, licorice, vine smoke and petals, followed by a medium to full-bodied, deep and layered palate of uncommon depth and concentration that nevertheless retains all the estate’s signature elegance. Polished and supple, it’s a blend of 57% Cabernet Sauvignon, 23% Cabernet Franc, 15% Merlot and 5% Petit Verdot, which more or less represents this estate’s varietal breakdown after its extensive replanting program is complete. This looks likely to emerge as the finest du Tertre in several decades, and it is sure to be one of the better values of the en primeur campaign.

Vinous – Antonio Galloni – 93-95/100
The 2022 Alter Ego is a total pleasure bomb. Ripe and sensual, with
caressing tannins, the 2022 is exceptionally beautiful. Floral and spice top
notes lend tons of aromatic presence. More than anything, though, I am so
impressed with the wine’s exceptional balance. Especially the tannins.
Nothing in particular stands out, as the wine’s balance is nothing short of
magnificent. The 2022 is pure and total sensuality.

Robert Parker The Wine Advocate – 91-93/100
A blend of 51% Cabernet Sauvignon, 43% Merlot and 6% Petit Verdot, the 2022 Alter Ego de Palmer offers up aromas of cherries, wild berries and plums mingled with vine smoke and rose petals. Medium to full-bodied, deep and brooding, with a layered core of fruit, lively acids and rich, powdery tannins, it’s a gourmand, voluptuous wine that will offer a broad drinking window.

Eigendom van de Familie Pagès. Romige, ronde en zachte Médoc. Soepele tannines en volfruitige smaak.

Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot en Petit Verdot. Prijs kwaliteit een mooie wijn met een subtiel boeket van rood fruit en zachte aromatische intensiteit, in harmonie met de neus (zwart fruit). Mooi schoolvoorbeeld binnen de Médoc regio met mooi geraffineerde tannines.

Vinous – Neil Martin – 88-90/100
The 2023 Noaillac doesn’t quite deliver the complexity I noted in recent vintages, though there is pleasant tertiary black fruit with a light estuarine influence. The palate is medium-bodied with fine tannins. It’s nicely balanced with flavors of blackcurrant and black plum, with just a touch of piquancy on the finish. This should be fine once bottled.

James Suckling – 90-91/100

Vinous – Neil Martin – 92-94/100
The 2022 La Lagune really takes a while to settle in the glass. It eventually
sheds its veneer of oak to reveal attractive blackberry, sous-bois and
pencil box aromas, and an exotic element loitering just off-stage. The
palate is medium-bodied with ripe tannins that lacquer the mouth. Quite
dense and muscular, yet it retains definition and plenty of freshness on
the finish. It will require bottle age, but it should evolve into a fine La
Lagune.

Robert Parker The Wine Advocate – 93-95/100
Reminding me, like the 2019, of a modern-day version of the lovely 1990, the 2022 La Lagune bursts with aromas of dark berries, cassis, licorice and violets. Medium to full-bodied, supple and fleshy, it’s a broad, sensual wine with velvety tannins and a suave, charming profile. With 13.8% alcohol, it remains classically proportioned, with a rather high pH of over 3.8 likely contributing to its open, giving style this year.

Vinous – Antonio Galloni – 91-93/100
The 2022 Les Grands Chênes is plump, juicy and wonderfully expressive
right out of the gate. Succulent red cherry, plum, leather, rose petal and
sweet spice are beautifully amplified in this racy, engaging red from
Bernard Magrez. Sweet floral and spice notes reappear on the finish. The
2022 is an absolute delight. Tasted two times.

Robert Parker The Wine Advocate – 91-93/100
As usual, Stephane Dief has produced a captivating wine from this over-performing estate nestled far in the northern Médoc, “where the busses don’t run”. The 2022 Clos Manou is a blend of 52% Merlot, 42% Cabernet Sauvignon, 3.5% Petit Verdot and a smattering of Cabernet Franc. It stands out for its aromas of cassis, dark berries and plums mingled with peonies, violets and a subtle hint of cigar box. On the palate, it’s medium to full-bodied, with a seamless, fleshy mouthfeel girdled by racy acids, concluding with a long, vibrant finish.

Vinous – Antonio Galloni – 91-93/100
The 2023 Potensac is a seriously beautiful wine that shows just how complex and nuanced wines from this property can be. Crushed flowers, spice, red/purplish fruit, rose petal and mint are some of the notes that lift from the glass. Bright saline tones underpin the mid-palate and finish. This is one of the most complete young Potensacs I can recall tasting.

Vinous – Antonio Galloni – 88-90/100
The 2022 Beaumont is a bold Haut-Médoc Cru Bourgeois Supérior. A burst
of dark cherry, plum, gravel and incense gives the 2022 its hearty
personality. The 2022 is an unusual blend that features more Cabernet
Sauvignon than the norm. Yields are down to 28 hectoliters per hectare
instead of the more typical or so through a combination of frost, hail and
dehydration, which adds to the wine’s punchy, explosive feel.

James Suckling – 92-93/100

Vinous – Antonio Galloni – 90-92/100
The 2022 Madame de Beaucaillou is a very typical wine for the year.
Plump, juicy and forward, the 2022 is charming right out of the gate.
Succulent red cherry fruit, spice, rose petal and lavender notes are front
and center. Plush, silky tannins wrap it all together. Bruno Borie’s HautMédoc is flat-out delicious.

Robert Parker The Wine Advocate – 89-91/100
The 2022 Madame de Beaucaillou offers up aromas of dark berries, plums and pencil shavings, followed by a medium to full-bodied, deep and fleshy palate that’s quite rich and concentrated, with a juicy core of fruit framed by youthfully chewy tannins. It’s a blend of 66% Merlot, 23% Cabernet Sauvignon and 11% Petit Verdot.

Vinous – Antonio Galloni – 91-93/100
The 2022 La Tour Carnet is packed with dark cherry, plum, chocolate,
leather, licorice and espresso. Potent and heady, with tons of tannin, the
2022 is shaping up to be one of the under the radar wines of the year.
Tasted two times.

Vinous – Antonio Galloni – 89-91/100
The 2022 Maucaillou is deep, savory and super-complex. Dried herbs,
leather, licorice, tobacco, incense and dried flowers give this heady Moulis
tons of nuance to complement its intense, resonant fruit. Maucaillou packs
a tremendous punch.

Vinous – Neil Martin – 91-93/100
The 2022 Sociando-Mallet was picked 7-23 September at just 22hL/ha. This
is very concentrated and quite opulent on the nose, bit of a bravura
bouquet, layers of black cherry, Christmas cake and light undergrowth
scents. The palate is medium-bodied with fine tannins. Quite fresh, grippy
in the mouth, my only quibble is that it feels a tad abrupt on the finish.
Barrel maturation should address that.

Robert Parker The Wine Advocate – 92-94/100
Aromas of dark berries and plums mingled with hints of mint, violets and licorice introduce the 2022 Sociando-Mallet, a medium to full-bodied, supple and lively wine that’s deep, fleshy and seamless, with powdery tannins that assert themselves with promising youthful grip on the finish. It’s a blend of 63% Merlot, 35% Cabernet Sauvignon and 2% Cabernet Franc. Readers who remember how this estate acquitted itself in years such as 2003 and 1990 will not be surprised by its quality in 2022.