Cotes de Castillon

PLEASE BE AWARE, THIS IS A PRE-ARRIVAL WINE - YOU WILL NOT BE CHARGED SHIPPING FEES UNTIL THE WINE(S) ARRIVE

94 Points! Rich and intense nose, concentrated with dark bramble fruits. A shot of sharp intense strawberry and raspberry fruit hits the palate, super succulent and instantly mouthwatering, quite lean and linear though there is a nice expansion of fruit flavours while the tannins stay quite firm and straight. Touching on austere and severe but the softly plump juiciness keeps this enjoyable and there is layering of elements. Acidity is on the prominent side but this is quite captivating with crunchy, bright, just-ripe red fruits and chalky texture on the finish. Yield: 35 hl/ha. 30% new oak barrels. - Georgina Hindle, Decanter.com

93-94 Points! Lots of fruit and structure to this d'Aiguilhe with plenty of fine tannins and a long and flavorful finish. Some chalkiness. Salty. - James Suckling

93-95 Points! Dark pit fruits, blackberries, flowers, and cocoa create the nose. The wine is medium-bodied, soft, sweet, polished and fresh. On the medium-bodied palate, the fruits are ripe, sweet and long, leaving you with a touch of salty chalk on the back end of the creamy finish. The wine is made from 90% Merlot and 10% Cabernet Franc. 14.3% ABV. Drink from 2025-2038. - Jeff Leve, The Wine Cellar Insider

92-94 Points! Another killer Castillon in the vintage, the 2022 Château D'Aiguilhe is loaded with notions of black raspberries, ripe cherries, spicy oak, and chalky minerality. It tastes like a great Saint-Emilion and is medium to full-bodied, has fine tannins, and terrific overall balance. - Jeb Dunnuck

91-93 Points! The 2022 d'Aiguilhe is composed of 90% Merlot and 10% Cabernet Franc, aging in 30% new oak. It has a pH of 3.4 and yields were 35 hl/ha. Deep garnet-purple in color, it comes bounding out of the glass with eager to please scents of black cherries, warm blackberries, and raspberry coulis, followed by hints of licorice, crushed rocks and iron ore. The medium to full-bodied palate delivers amazing tension with nice ripe rounded tannins to support the generous fruit, finishing long and chalky. - Lisa Perrotti-Brown, The Wine Independent

PLEASE BE AWARE, THIS IS A PRE-ARRIVAL WINE - YOU WILL NOT BE CHARGED SHIPPING FEES UNTIL THE WINE(S) ARRIVE

93-94 Points! Sea salt and grilled sea weed. Dark fruit, but so umami. Medium to full body with fine and chewy tannins. Crunchy. - James Suckling

93 Points! Focussed and so fine, the tannins are beautifully detailed and so well integrated giving this bite and cool freshness straight away with a crushed stone flavour and texture on the palate. Feels crisp and fresh, blue fruits, mint and slate. Delicate and very fine, almost weightless with such a silky overall texture. Maybe missing a tad more density and plushness but there’s no faulting the cool aspects and well worked tannins. A nice easy juicy expression, really very approachable still with terroir markers and a sense of charm now. I love this, smooth, easy, refined. Classy and elegant. Ageing in 50% new oak. Harvest 8 September - 23 September. - Georgina Hindle, Decanter.com

92-94 Points! A blend of 75% Merlot, 20% Cabernet Franc, and 5% Cabernet Sauvignon, the 2022 Montlandrie has a deep garnet-purple color. It comes bounding out with eager-to-please notes of wild blueberries, kirsch, and violets, leading to hints of wet slate, tilled soil, and mossy tree bark. Medium to full-bodied, the palate is generous and juicy with ripe, rounded tannins and bags of freshness, finishing with a spicy kick. - Lisa Perrotti-Brown, The Wine Independent

92-94 Points! The 2022 Montlandrie is a powerful, driving wine. Beams of tannin and acid run through a core of bright red-toned fruit, lending notable energy and tension throughout. A wine of size and volume, Montlandrie offers tremendous intensity as well as vibrancy. Gorgeous. Drinking window : 2025-2037 - Antonio Galloni, Vinous Media

92-94 Points! Flowers, truffles, black and blue fruit, cocoa and licorice open the nose. The medium-bodied palate is round, creamy and fresh, with supple, sweet, ripe fruits and a drizzle of chocolate in the mid-palate and finish. The wine blends 75% Merlot, 20% Cabernet Franc and 5% Cabernet Sauvignon, 14.5% ABV, 3.85 pH. Harvesting took place September 8 - September 23. Drink from 2025-2038. - Jeff Leve, The Wine Cellar Insider

91-93 Points! Based on 75% Merlot, 20% Cabernet Franc, and the rest Cabernet Sauvignon, the 2022 Château Montlandrie has lots of ripe red and black fruits supported by notions of loamy soil, savory spices, and leafy herbs. It's concentrated, medium to full-bodied, has building yet beautiful tannins, and a great finish. 91-93+ - Jeb Dunnuck

PLEASE BE AWARE, THIS IS A PRE-ARRIVAL WINE - YOU WILL NOT BE CHARGED SHIPPING FEES UNTIL THE WINE(S) ARRIVE

94-95 Points! Really spicy wine with slate and cloves. Redcurrants. Medium body. Velvety tannins. Energetic. Super salty. Crushed chalk. Contrasty. - James Suckling

93-95 Points! Dark chocolate, black cherries, blackberries, smoke, wet earth and forest leaf aromas show in the nose. The wine is rich, dense, opulent and mineral-driven, so you find a strong, oceanic-influence that comes along with the plums, black cherries and cocoa. The low pH provides ample lift and energy in the tense finish that is perfect for its wealth of fruit. The wine was made from blending 80% Merlot, 10% Cabernet Sauvignon and 10% Cabernet Franc, 14.63% ABV, 3.57 pH. Drink from 2025-2040. - Jeff Leve, The Wine Cellar Insider

93-95 Points! The 2022 Clos Lunelles checks in as 80% Merlot and 10% each of Cabernet Franc and Cabernet Sauvignon brought up in 50% new French oak, with the balance in once-used oak. Classic Castillon black raspberry, graphite, chalky minerality and floral notes all emerge on the nose, and it's medium to full-bodied, with a dense, concentrated mid-palate and ripe tannins. This is great Castillon turned up to 11! - Jeb Dunnuck

93-95 Points! The 2022 Clos Lunelles is a blend of 80% Merlot, 10% Cabernet Franc, and 10% Cabernet Sauvignon with 3.57 pH. Deep garnet-purple in color, it pops from the glass with vibrant wild blueberries, kirsch, and red currant jelly scents, followed by hints of rose oil, crushed rocks, and graphite. The full-bodied palate delivers electrically charged red and black fruits, supported by a racy backbone and super-fine-grained tannins, finishing long and chalky. Yields were 35 hl/ha. - Lisa Perrotti-Brown, The Wine Independent

91-93 Points! The 2022 Clos Lunelles is packed with inky dark fruit, creme de cassis, bittersweet chocolate, licorice, sweet spice and lavender. This unctuous, flamboyant Cotes de Castillon packs a serious punch. Even with all of its exuberance, Clos Lunelles is marked by strong mineral veins that are typical of these soils rich in limestone. - Antonio Galloni, Vinous Media

94 Points! L’Hetre 2020 is a blend of 85% Merlot and 15% Cabernet Franc, grown organically on 30 hectares in Castillon by Maxime Thienpont, the nephew of Jacques, with Axel Marchal as their consultant. The wine has been produced since 2016. The 2020 is deep garnet-purple in color and shoots from the glass with vibrant notes of wild blueberries, chocolate-covered cherries, and mulberries, leading to suggestions of star anise, black olives, and crushed rocks. Medium to full-bodied, the palate is completely coated with powerful black fruit and earthy flavors, framed by firm, grainy tannins and bright freshness, finishing long and minerally. - Lisa Perrotti-Brown, The Wine Independent

95 Points! I was blown away by the quality of the 2020 L'Hetre, and this estate, as well as the entire Castillon region, is one to watch going forward. Based on 85% Merlot and 15% Cabernet Franc, brought up in 30% new French oak, it has a ruby/purple hue as well as a classic limestone-influenced bouquet of black raspberries, chalky minerality, white truffle, and tobacco. Perfectly balanced and incredibly elegant, with building yet fine tannins, drink this remarkable Castillon any time over the coming two decades. - Jeb Dunnuck