Extraordinairy vintage 2022 Bordeaux tasting at MacArthur Beverages in Washington DC with Phil Bernstein
and his team. Phil presented 10 different wines at 3 different tables.
The retail prices of the 10 wines poured ranged from $109
(Pavie Macquin) to $755 (Mouton Rothschild) per bottle. All wines were
bold, big wines. I found the most approachable now were the Rouzan
Segla, Palmer and Pichon Baron. An outstanding event!
Invitation: 2022 Bordeaux tasting event
Thursday December 4th. 7:00-8:30 PM
Cost $150 per person
We are proud of our vast Bordeaux selection which is not only the
best in town but one of the best in the USA. With all the hype
surrounding the outstanding 2022 Bordeaux vintage we thought it would be
fun to taste through some of the top wines of the vintage here at the
shop. So please join us for some after hours “research” Thursday
December 4th from 7:00-8:30. This will be a paid/ticketed event limited to 25 people. In addition Chef Rod is planning on making a snack or 2 to accompany the wines.
How’s this for a lineup? :
Rauzan Segla
La Mission Haut Brion
Mouton
Palmer
Calon Segur
Lynch Bages
Pichon Baron
Pavie Macquin
Clos Fourtet
L’Evangile
2022 Vintage in Bordeaux
The
2022 Bordeaux vintage is widely hailed as exceptional, even the "best
of the century," defying hot, dry conditions with wines of remarkable
balance, freshness, power, and finesse, offering both immediate pleasure
and long-term aging potential, with standout appellations like
Pauillac, St-Julien, and St-Emilion producing opulent, fruity, and
surprisingly balanced reds
. Key characteristics include deep
color, dense flavors from concentrated berries, plush tannins, and a
harmonious blend of intensity and elegance, making it a highly
recommended, resilient vintage.
Tasting
Table 1
La Mission Haut Brion US$375
The 2022 La Mission Haut-Brion is a total stunner, just as it was en
primeur. An archetype of nesse. Dark and explosive, with no hard
edges, the 2022 is captivating right out of the gate. Vibrant red fruit,
blood orange, new leather and exotic spice notes are all beautifully
alive in the glass. The 2022 is seamless and resonant, with magnicent
balance and tons of pure class. I would be thrilled to own it. In a word:
dazzling.
Antonio Galloni - Vinous Media (100)
Pavie Macquin US$109
Blackcurrants,
blue fruits, crushed stone, chocolate, and massive amounts of
minerality all emerge from the 2022 Château Pavie Macquin, a more burly,
incredibly concentrated Pavie Macquin that has a lively, vibrant
mouthfeel, ripe, building, substantial tannins, and a gorgeous finish.
Based on the normal 80% Merlot, 19% Cabernet Franc, and 1% Cabernet
Sauvignon, it's a riveting, powerful 2022 that's built for the cellar.
Hide bottles for a solid decade if you can, and it will have 40 years of
overall longevity.
Jeb Dunnuck - Jeb Dunnuck (98+)
Clos Fourtet US$135
The 2022 Clos Fourtet is every bit as compelling as it was en primeur,
maybe even a bit more so. Vertical and explosive, the 2022 oers a
captivating mix of textural opulence and classic structure. The blend is
90% Merlot, 7% Cabernet Sauvignon and 3% Cabernet Franc. One of
the key signatures of Clos Fourtet is the presence of Cabernet
Sauvignon, which is rarely seen on the Saint-Émilion plateau but seems
to add weight and gravitas here. Dark blue fruits, new leather, spice,
menthol and espresso stain the palate as the 2022 gradually reveals its
considerable pedigree. The 2022 was raised in a mix of 58% once-used
barrels, 40% new oak and 2% amphora. More importantly, it is without
question one of the wines of the vintage
Antonio Galloni - Vinous Media (99)
L’Evangile US$285
The 2022 L'Évangile is stellar. Soft, racy and succulent to the core,
L'Évangile is a major success for the vintage, not only because of the
challenges of the year but because L'Évangile is a very young vineyard
that was therefore especially vulnerable. Supple contours wrap around
a core of black cherry, plum, chocolate and new leather. Harvest
started on August 29, ahead of a heat wave that was forecast for early
September. When I taste the 2022, what I mostly think about is what
wines this site will produce when the vines are older.
Antonio Galloni - Vinous Media (96)
Rauzan Segla US$119
A deep, complex wine, the 2016
Rauzan-S?gla is built to deliver pleasure for many decades to come. This
is stunning, multi-dimensional wine of the highest level. Wow!
Lisa Perrotti-Brown - Wine Advocate (97+)
Palmer US390
The 2022 Palmer is all class. Blackberry, mocha, spice, leather and
espresso all meld together in a seamless, elegant Palmer that
impresses with its sublime balance. All the elements are impeccably
put together throughout. The only thing this is missing is perhaps a
touch more energy. Even so, the 2022 is an exceptional Palmer. Yields
were a minuscule 22 hectoliters per hectare. Small berries yielded a
deep wine that needs time to fully emerge. As has been the case for a
few years now, both Palmer and Alter Ego spend a year in small barrel
and a second year in wood, a majority of that (65%) in cask.
Antonio Galloni - Vinous Media (98)
Calon Segur US$145
A
wine that's going to flirt with perfection, the 2022 Château Calon
Ségur is a blend of 70% Cabernet Sauvignon, 24% Merlot, and the rest
Cabernet Franc and Petit Verdot, harvested between September 12 and 26,
from yields of 40 hectoliters per hectare. Its deep purple hue is
followed by a heavenly bouquet of cassis, smoke tobacco, flowery
incense, and toasted spices. This ripe, sexy, full-bodied beauty has
ultra-fine tannins, a layered, multi-dimensional mouthfeel, and a great
finish. Its tannins, as well as its overall balance and purity, are just
about off the charts, and this remarkable effort shows how successful
the northern part of the Médoc was in 2022. Bravo!
Jeb Dunnuck - Jeb Dunnuck (97-99)
Table 3
Mouton US$755
Bottled
in June of 2024, the 2022 Château Mouton Rothschild checks in as
classic blend of 92% Cabernet Sauvignon and 8% Merlot that was raised
all in new barrels. Incredibly concentrated yet light on its feet and
graceful, this inky-hued beauty has sensational notes of cassis,
graphite, crushed stone, and chocolate that are to die for. It shows the
ripe, opulent style of the vintage yet brings sensational purity, loads
of tannins, and a gorgeous finish. For the tech geeks out there, this
hit 14% alcohol, a pH of 3.86, and an IPT (tannins) of 76. It has the
depth of fruit and texture to offer incredible pleasure even today, yet
it deserves a decade of bottle age and will evolve for 50-60 years. It
reminds me of a mix of the 2009 and 2010.
Jeb Dunnuck - Jeb Dunnuck (100)
Lynch Bages US$149
The
2022 Château Lynch-Bages is based on 66% Cabernet Sauvignon, 28%
Merlot, and 3% each of Cabernet Franc and Petit Verdot. Its inky purple
hue is followed by a sensational Pauillac that has a blockbuster (and
classic Lynch-Bages) style in its darker currants, smoke tobacco, lead
pencil, and crushed stone-driven aromatics. These carry to a
full-bodied, powerful, massively concentrated 2022 that has a dense,
layered mid-palate, velvety tannins, flawless balance, and a rare mix of
power and elegance. This is a château that’s clearly firing on all
cylinders, and this magical beauty will need a decade (or more) to hit
the early stages of its prime drinking window. Don't miss it!
Jeb Dunnuck - Jeb Dunnuck (99)
Pichon Baron US209
The 2022 Pichon Baron is one of the most elegant, polished wines I
have ever tasted here. Silky and rened, the 2022 is super-impressive
right out of the gate. The aromatics alone are mesmerizing. Blood
orange, herbs and oral notes lend notable delineation to a core of
Cabernet Sauvignon fruit. As I did en primeur, I nd the wine's balance
nothing short of exquisite. There's more freshness and vibrancy here
than in the past, along with a noticeably lower oak imprint and more
sensual tannins that lend notable sophistication throughout. The
Grand Vin spent 16 months in French oak barrels, 70% new, and then
two months in wood vats prior to bottling.
Antonio Galloni - Vinous Media (98)
One for the Road at Et Voila!
No comments:
Post a Comment