The St Emilion Grand Cru Classé that were tasted bling at the Grand Cercle press tasting at Château de la Dauphine back in April were sensational. They stood out along with the wines from Fronsac [more on these shortly]. I’ve already published posts individually on a number of top chateaux in St Emilion in 2022.  I’m including these tasting notes again in this post, but I’m majoring on notes and analysis on a further sixteen cru classé and a handful of grand cru tasted with the Grand Cercle. There is usually some degree of variation between properties in any given year. The particular challenges of ’22, in terms of heat spikes and near continuous drought, would also have varied depending on terroir, viticulture and winemaking approaches. That being said, the astonishing thing about the wines tasted at the Grand Cercle was the high consistency. Many of the best wines are weighing in at fourteen to fifteen degrees alcohol [and, yes, it does now seem possible for a wine to achieve balance and weigh in at fifteen degrees] but there is surprising freshness in the wines, delicacy even. And the textures are sublime. So, what were the highlights at the Grand Cercle tasting?

Fronsac has made stylish, powerful Bordeaux in 2019. The quality of this appellation is always high and the top properties here have made a thrilling set of wines. Château Dalem is super serious. It is full of plum and blackcurrant fruit and is inky and substantial. Château de la Dauphine is more obviously lush and glossy. The fruit tones are beautiful and the tannins silky. Château La Vieille Cure is really impressive as usual. With its characteristic spicy Cabernet influenced aromatics, it displays great purity and freshness, but also concentration and intensity. Behind these qualitatively, but still providing much joy, are Château de la Rivière and Château Villars. Both are pretty bold, jam-packed with fruit and extract, and have evidently succeeded in the vintage.