2022 Beausejour

The 2022 Château Haut-Beauséjour is rock-solid and has a vivid semi-opaque ruby hue as well as attractive aromatics of ripe black cherries, mulberries, leafy herbs, and cedarwood. More medium-bodied on the palate, with nicely integrated acidity and light tannins, it actually reminds me of the 2015. It will have 10-12 years of prime drinking.

Medium bodied, fresh acidities, earthy, there are ripe black fruits here but alongside it is bitter dark chocolate, cloves and grilled tar. It has lost some of its En Primeur easy appeal, at least for now, and those tannins need to soften further.

Deep plum red, a little heavy on the oak, with clear cloves and black pepper. It opens up rather beautifully though, showing a sinewy character to the tanninns, and this will soften over ageing. Think lobganberry, blackberry, hedegrow, pomegranate, crab apple, enjoyable.