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Tasting notes
The 2022 L'Hetre has opened up beautifully since we last tasted it in October last year. This was the first vintage made in the property's new cellar, undoubtedly benefitting from the greater precision offered. The nose is perfumed with graphite and pure, vibrant dark berry fruit. There's a sweet lift to the wine, with perfumed, floral tones alongside the black cherry and blackberry. Despite the hot, dry vintage, this is a wine of beautiful freshness, vibrant and long with a core of sweet fruit. Thewe's a pleasing grip of tannins framing the fruit, while the bright acidity drives through the mouth-watering finish which is long, savoury and saline. It's a superb wine that will only improve in bottle and offers unbeatable value from the makers of Le Pin. Aged in 30% new oak. Blend: 95% Merlot, 5% Cabernet Franc
Deep, rich ruby red with violet tinges, 2022 l'Hetre is made with 95% Merlot and 5% Cabernet Franc. Intensely fresh on the nose, it offers vibrant notes of mint and freshly picked blueberries mingling with the darker, more brooding scents of damson and blackcurrant. On the palate, the wine reveals a remarkable structure, with mouth-coating tannins that lend a sense of both power and elegance with the delicate use of 30% new French oak. The dark fruit profile continues to evolve, with layers of blackberry, sloe, and an array of other wild hedgerow fruits, offering both richness and brightness. A generous hit of coffee and clove closes out the deeply savoury finish. This 2022 is a superb rendition of l'Hetre, still a baby but reaching another milestone in precision and quality, it will easily compete with the 2020 for the "Best ever" rank!
Critic scores
Average Score
Antonio Galloni, Vinous
Neal Martin, Vinous
More reviews and scores
Tasted blind. Firm wine with a very dry finish that would probably show better NOT after a run of Sauternes! (JR)
The grand vin from this estate is 95% Merlot and 5% Cabernet Franc, aged in 30% new oak and 70% used barrels. This is based on older vines, aged 45 years, taking fruit from the plateau. A very fresh and perfumed style, the aromatics all roses and currants, and the palate builds on this message, with an elegant composition of fragrant fruit with a rich wrapping of tannins. A very bright and fresh interpretation of Castillon, which Maxime Thienpont puts down to the ‘hands off’ winemaking, with just a little remontage and no pigeage. It has a fine sense of harmony despite that robust tannic backbone, and given four or five years to integrate I can see this drinking very well. The alcohol is 14.5% on the label.
Aromas of crème de cassis, pencil shavings and licorice introduce the 2022 L'Hêtre, with a medium to full-bodied, dense and concentrated palate built around lively acids and concluding with a discreetly carnal finish. It's a blend of 95% Merlot and 5% Cabernet Franc.
About the producer
Jacques Thienpont – owner of one of Bordeaux’s most celebrated estates, Le Pin – fell in love with the view from L’Hêtre when he first visited the property. He purchased the Côtes de Castillon estate, which offers a brilliant introduction to the Thienpont stable at an affordable pricepoint.