One of the standouts of the year- a wonderful wine with so much to like. Coffee, tobacco, liquorice, dark chocolate, blackcurrants and floral scents on the nose. Smooth, succulent and velvety, this is amazing, juicy and so bright and vibrant. Pure and so effortless, tannins are filling but fine and delicate and this has excellent clarity and purity of fruit. They really didn't try too hard but have still delivered a powerful wine with concentration and intensity yet brightness and such generosity of fruit and acidity which makes this so joyful. Simply wonderful.

So aromatic with blackcurrant, blueberry and violet aromas that follow through to a medium body with ultrafine tannins that are extremely integrated and refined and go on for minutes. Some lead pencil and stone at the end. Very complex and subtle for the vintage. 74% cabernet sauvignon, 23% merlot, 1% cabernet franc, 1% petit verdot and 1% carmenere.

The 2022 Brane-Cantenac is every bit as impressive as it was en primeur. What a wine. Fresh, brisk and wonderfully vibrant in the glass, the 2022 soars with striking Cabernet Sauvignon aromatics. Graphite, menthol, sage, mint, licorice, dried flowers and a kiss of well-judged oak all meld together in the glass. Great wine is the result of many small decisions taken together, some of which may seem inconsequential on their own. The team led by Technical Director Christophe Capdeville nailed it in 2022. This is a magnificent Margaux that overachieves big time. The 2022 is one of the most finessed wines of the vintage.

A blend of 74% Cabernet Sauvignon, 23% Merlot and the balance Cabernet Franc, Carmenere and Petit Verdot, the 2022 Brane-Cantenac unwinds in the glass with aromas of dark berries, creme de cassis, black truffles, loamy soil, burning embers and violets. Medium to full-bodied, deep and velvety, with a fleshy core of fruit, terrific concentration and lively acids, it concludes with a long, perfumed finish. This is a terrific 2022 that may rival or even surpass the 2019 if it realizes all its potential in bottle.

Another beautifully rendered expression of the vintage, this marries lush boysenberry and blackberry fruit with fresh violet and iris notes, then stitches it all up gently with warm earth on the stylish, lengthy finish. It's hard to lay off already, but cellaring is warranted. Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot.