Chateau Berliquet Grand Cru Classe, Saint-Emilion Grand Cru 2022

A richer, darker-fruited wine than its big brother Canon, the 2022 Château Berliquet comes from slightly more clay soils and is always a bigger, broader wine, especially when compared to Canon and its neighbors on the upper plateau. It offers more currant and black cherry fruit as well as scorched earth, chocolate, and truffly aromas and flavors that gain persistence and intensity with time in the glass. These carry to a rich, full-bodied Saint-Emilion that has a beautifully layered mouthfeel, plenty of mid-palate depth, and a great finish. The level of purity and precision here is exceptional. The 2022 is 65% Merlot and 35% Cabernet Franc, from a mix of clay and limestone soils on the upper plateau, that spent 16 months in 44% new French oak, with 8% in amphora. It will evolve nicely over the coming 20-25 years.

The 2022 Berliquet has a composed bouquet, a melange of red and black fruit, cedar and briar, gently unfolding. Real class. The palate is framed by silky-smooth tannins, fresh and vibrant, closing down a little towards the finish but retaining focus and delineation. There is a precision here that will see it through and eventually become a very classy Saint-Émilion '22. Tasted blind at the Southwold tasting in London.

The 2022 Berliquet offers up lovely aromas of raspberries, cherries, violets and pencil shaving, followed by a medium to full-bodied, lively and seamless palate that's dense and muscular, with rich tannin and a mineral finish. As readers will remember, this is an estate on the rise, with changes including opting to retain higher canopies, which means that the fruiting zone of rows planted along the slope are now shaded, preserving freshness.

A small 7.5ha vineyard with limestone cellars underneath, on plateau overlooking the valley below. Investment from owners Chanel over last few years is beginning to make its presence felt. This is really tasty, love the sense of lift and chalkiness to the structure that gives a cushion to the fruit, a great quality Berliquet, delivers on En Primeur promise. 44% new oak barrels, 8 amphoras, the rest in one year old barrel, 45hl/h yield. In organic conversion.

The 2022 Berliquet is brilliant, bursting with aromas of plums, wild berries and lilac, followed by a medium to full-bodied, concentrated and vibrant palate that's deep and mineral. It's likely to be another of the vintage's more attractive en primeur proportions. This estate just goes from strength to strength—and that's before its new winery has been constructed! One of the most significant changes has been opting to retain higher canopies, which means that the fruiting zone of rows planted along the slope are now shaded, preserving freshness.

The 2022 Berliquet, 65% Merlot and 35% Cabernet Franc with a yield of 45 hl/ha, is aging in 44% new oak barrels. Deep garnet-purple in color, it flies out of the glass with notes of lilacs, red roses, and Sichuan pepper, leading to a core of redcurrant jelly, black raspberries, and wild blueberries plus a waft of truffles. The full-bodied palate is rich and opulent, with loads of bright red berry sparks and a lively backbone, finishing on a lingering mineral note. pH 3.55.

Lots of dark and crushed stones with blackberries and black olives. Dark earth. Full-bodied and more concentrated with very intense fruit and chewy tannins. Velvety and slightly rough, but all there.

The 2022 Berliquet is super-concentrated, dark and ripe, but also without the forbidding tannins of the past. Succulent plum fruit, mocha, licorice and dried herbs are some of the many notes that grace this gorgeous Saint-Émilion. It will be interesting to see where the 2022 ends up post élevage. Today it is full-bodied and quite opulent. Tasted four times.

Drink 2028-2042