Best St-Julien 2022 wines tasted en primeur

<p>A luminous and utterly brilliant wine in 2022 that really sets itself apart. Hints of black bramble fruit, spicy peppercorns, violets, sweet cherries, crushed stones, ink and cocoa powder on the nose - all so very appealing. Tension and direction from the get go, this is sleek and slick, dense but such alluring coolness, with crushed stones and blueberries giving minerality as well as juicy acidity providing lift. It’s not out to shine right now, but there’s such confidence on show. Direct, slowly expanding effortlessly as it goes from start to finish, elongating the fine tannic structure that supports but doesn't overwhelm. So poised and refined, charming in a dark, utterly seductive way. Firm, but fruity, cool and calm, coming in waves. One of the wines of the vintage with striking power but delivered so perfectly with everything in balance. 3.80pH. 85 IPT. A yield of 36-37hl/ha. 98-100 points.&nbsp;</p>

One of the standouts of the vintage that impressed equally on three different occasions. Fragrant and expressive on the nose, lovely scents and dark fruits. Smooth and crisp, silky but concentrated, such precision and detail straight away with succulent and juicy acidity. There’s concentration no doubt, it’s ripe and intense, the dark perfumed blackcurrants and black cherries give a serious backbone and tension to the wine, while the minty, stony freshness carries the flavour and gives the energy and definition. Excellently weighted on the palate, with structure and a mouthwatering sensation that comes in once the weight settles. So well constructed with a beautiful texture and overall integration of all the elements. Exceptional quality and drinkability on offer with a delicious salty, graphite and flint finish that puts you at the estate. Overlook this at your peril. 2.5% Petit Verdot completes the blend. 3.65pH. Harvest 12 - 24 September. 60% grand vin production. A yield of 34hl/ha. Tasted three times. This vintage was the first to be made 100% in the new cellar with double the number of vats than were available in 2020 for more precise fermentations. HVE3 certified. Harvest 12 September - 24 September.

Wonderfully evocative scents on the nose - perfumed and alluring dark berry fruit. Rich and juicy - fully concentrated fruit meets powdery tannins giving a fleshy aspect to the palate. Smooth and supple, slightly chewy fruit give a cushioning before crisp mineral aspects of wet stone, graphite and toasted liquorice come through. Fully flavoured with a long finish. A great wine that delivers the vintage in a stylish way.

Compelling from the first sip, this has excellent balance on the palate delivering a wine with freshness and lift as well as depth and breadth. Lovely licks of bitterness and salty stones join ripe blackcurrants and juicy plums. You can feel the power no doubt but it's under the silky frame tempering it and making this rich but utterly charming. A great Gruaud and comes in at 13.5% ABV.

Structured and so appealing on the palate, this has a rich texture but doesn't come across as too much. Filling but lifted giving freshness and ripe fruit. I love the delicacy of the tannins, this is finessed with so much detail on show. Feels cool and calm, not shouting, everything in harmony and delivering a really classically styled wine. Power is there for sure but this has poise too. A lovely Lagrange.

Richly concentrated on the nose with evocative aromas of blackcurrant, tobacco, vanilla, chocolate, clove and violets. Punchy and alive, this has both strength and elegance giving smooth, silky tannins with fleshy fruit and high acidity. It manages to marry quite a muscular frame with beautiful freshness and focus to give a round mouthfeel with plenty of flavour and kick. It's on the opulent side with concentrated blackcurrants and cherries but has a cooling, minty undercurrent too. I like this a lot. Not as openly friendly at this point as some but it's extremely well executed and has great ageing potential.

<p>Highly concentrated and deep on the palate, this extends vertically from the beginning with layers of fleshy blackcurrant, super juicy cherries and salty stones. I love the feeling in the mouth, it's still got some sticky liquorice spice that edges the tannins, but this feels confident and showy. I like the force - it's taking the power of the vintage but edging the glamorous side with elegance and precision. Chewy and totally moreish. Great work. 4% Petit Verdot completes the blend. 3.77pH.</p>

A rich nose full of chocolate, cherries, espresso and perfume. Smooth and supple, this is full of juicy berry fruit - crystalline and pure - with a chalky mouthfeel. I love the touches of wet stone, cool cola, fresh mint and blueberries. Feels extremely finessed and totally moreish. It's a bit richer than some in terms of tannins, they're more crushed velvet in texture giving a certain thickness to the palate and it really works. Lively with great energy and focus. A lovely wine.

Glossy and shiny, with lots of energy to the clean red berry fruit and slightly mineral-edged tannins. Easy to enjoy, this is smooth and round. More direct than overly plush or wide, but with great persistence to a long finish. The purity of the fruit and acidity give this strong appeal even at this early stage.

Juicy and really appealing straight away on the palate, Fruit forward, this has energy and focus with emphasis on bright fruit and racy acidity. The overall frame is structured but not overwhelming in any way. I love the focus and this feels confident without shouting too much. On the ripe side in terms of concentration but the overall feeling, and lift on the end, is one of cool cola, blueberry and minty freshness. A lovely Beychevelle.

Fragranced and scented, so appealing, rich, vibrant, alive on the nose, black and blue fruits with purple flowers. Juicy and alive in the mouth, straight away the acidity makes the mark, clean and clear, with bite and tang, so thrilling, energetic and racy but then the tannins come in, slightly chalky, grippy and firm giving the texture - serious but with a touch of sweetness that gives a playful aspect. Well constructed, precise but weighty, intense and concentrated. A great wine that gives depth, complexity and persistence but with such great drinkability - and grand vin quality.

Ripe and glossy, this has vibrant fruit with a heady spiced aspect alongside cool freshness. Lovely frame and structure, filling and wide but controlled with a lovely freshly picked strawberry juiciness. A touch powdery and mineral towards the finish, a chalky aspect lingers, but this has nice terroir markers and a calm confidence overall.

Richly concentrated, this has beautifully presented black fruits with a lovely chewy frame. Feels full and wide in the mouth with tannins that cover the mouth while a layer of cedar and tobacco spice flows underneath. Feels quite serious, it's structured and has lots of flesh and bones with brooding fruit and lots of oak notes but it feels well constructed and very purposeful. I love the energy and the persistence of flavour and while it's charged, all the elements really work together. Will be great to approach in five or so years. Tannins are finessed and this also carries acidity which keeps this lifted rather than becoming too heavy.