The best Pomerol 2022 in bottle

<p>The best La Conseillante I’ve tasted. Intensely fragrant: blackcurrants, cherries, roses, violets. Juicy, bright and alive, with acidity lifting the expression. Many Pomerols bring power and spice; this is relaxed and silky, with summer berries and a cooling finish of blueberries, liquorice, crushed stones, slate and minty cola. A captivating wine in which every element sings in harmony. Vibrant, joyful and delicious now, but destined to age beautifully. Effortless winemaking from Marielle Cazeau. 85% Merlot, 15% Cabernet Franc.</p>

Blueberries, blackcurrants, cherries, and floral notes with hints of liquorice, espresso, and dark chocolate. The palate is focused, structured, and tightly framed, with flawless tannins that are barely perceptible yet give immense poise. Vibrant yet restrained, this wine is built for the long haul, offering racehorse-like energy and streamlined texture. Initially electric, it becomes more seductive over time, revealing velvety chocolate, lilac, and a creamy, spiced backbone. A wine for contemplation, not for immediate drinking. Powerful, elegant, and profoundly structured.

An explosion of aromatics - vibrant, perfumed, and alive. Dried herbs, violets, and cherries lead the nose, more floral than fruity at this stage, with cooling blue fruits, inkiness, and a hint of cola. Sun-kissed blackcurrants, damsons, and plums bring richness, yet there’s a refreshing lift. The palate is succulent and mouthwatering, with juicy clarity and a soft liquorice grip from the tannins. Sleek yet powerful, its structure stretches but never overwhelms. Vibrant, joyful, and effortlessly complete, with an interplay of concentration and acidity that makes it utterly compelling. A wine that brings a smile, pure finesse on show and amazingly complete at this stage 3.65pH. Ageing was two months shorter than usual.

Wild strawberries, dried herbs, blueberries, pencil lead and fragrant violets - the aromatics are stunning. You can feel the sculpting straight away - fine but firm and slightly grippy tannins set the frame from which the blackcurrant, salty liquorice and dark chocolate emerge as well as continued florality - the violet accents really making their mark. This is a serious wine, dark and almost heady if it weren't so cool and fresh. There’s no hint of overt heat or spice on the palate, instead you get a layering of pure fruit, fleshiness and minerality. Juicy and alive too, this really packs a lot and changes to red berry fruits after a few minutes with tobacco and slate on the finish. Complex and characterful. A dark horse but a thoroughbred. A wine that as soon as you've tasted it you want to taste it again. 3.65pH. Higher than usual new oak at 85% compared to between 75-80% in a normal year.

Sweet and spiced aromas of blackcurrant leaf, liquorice, clove, chocolate, espresso, and perfumed violets. A wine of brooding intensity, yet cool and refined, never heavy or overripe. The texture is like taffeta - broad, filling, yet light and bouncy. Layers unfold with a chewy yet cushioned density, deepening on the mid-palate with spiced liquorice and vertical depth, while the acidity pushes the fruit forward, creating a wide sphere of flavors and textures. Balanced and finessed, concentrated but never overpowering. Multi-dimensional, crystalline, juicy, and clean, it carries an effortless elegance. Less hedonistic than Le Pin but more suave, it knows its star power. Exceptional.

Fragrant and softly sweet notes on the nose with strawberries, vanilla cream and dried herbs. A glorious celebration of silky smooth tannins, red berry fruit, crystalline minerality and soft spices. The tannins feel almost weightless, with the focus on the intense fruit flavours and searing freshness. A shot of sweet red cherry and mouthwatering acidity gives a sense of fun before turning to black chocolate, tobacco, slate, aniseed and cinnamon towards the finish. A beauty.

This has come through on its En Primeur promise of power, seduction and excitement. While it's still a little compact and tense, the detail has become more focussed and each element is presented with so much finesse. A dark and heady nose filled with blackcurrants and liquorice. Layered and firm, this has a well built structure - fine tannins support rich and dark fruit with spiced edges but underpinned by a fresh mint, cooling acidity that keeps it straight and focused. Intense but chiseled and delicately muscular. Such a captivating wine that will have a very long life.

Intense nose, full of aromatic complexity - perfumed roses, violets, irises, and sweet red fruit with iron filings and bitter orange. Thick but glossy, rich yet streamlined, layered vertically with electric freshness. Pure pleasure, hedonistic yet uplifting, seamless in its balance. Silky and bright, with a bitter pineapple tropicality, salty tang, liquorice, and cola. Ends mineral and fresh mint. Utterly seductive, capturing the heat as fruit, not spice. A 2022 with pure emotion.

Generously textured, this is softly chewy, plush, chalky and grippy – the ripe, concentrated blackcurrants and cherries really fill the mouth, while the tannins provide the firm yet wide frame. Great finesse and detail on show, persistent and energetic with layers of freshness and finishing with a cool mint and liquorice tang. Lovely integration of wood – almost no overt oak spice or sense of alcohol. Definitely deserves its place as one of the best 2022 Pomerols.

A wine of purity and finesse, with pristine blackcurrant and cherry aromas, delicate perfume, and graphite nuances. The texture is silky and caressing, like cashmere, and with the acidity delivers a fresh, vibrant, and buzzy energy. Flavours strike instantly with intense blackcurrant and cherry, layered with tension and crispness, yet still airy and elegant. The structure is present but never overpowering - this is all about fragrance, finesse, and light extraction rather than sheer power. The best Guillot Clauzel ever? It just might be. 3.75pH. Ageing one-third new oak, one-third one-year-old barrels, one-third two-year-old barrels.

Deep, dark, and opulent with floral intensity and rich perfume. Aromatically expressive, it expands in the glass, revealing spiced, creamy, and velvety layers. Dense but juicy, with liquorice, tobacco, and cedar adding depth. The wine starts broad and cushioned before narrowing into a long, spicy, and focused finish. Taut but packed with purity, impeccable tannins, and spice-driven complexity. Long and structured, with immense potential, though it hasn't fully opened up yet. A serious, layered Pomerol with a lot more to show.

Fragrant cherries and rose scents on the nose. Crushed velvet in texture, this has bounce and intensity with fleshy, dark fruit and cooling acidity. It's certainly got a sense of Pomerol plushness as well as clear strength but it's so effortlessly presented with tannins that melt away and a lingering minty liquorice flavour that is so delightful. A fantastic Hosanna, grippy, seductive and moreish but still with an element of playfulness in the touches of sweet fruit and juicy acidity.

Richly aromatic, quite heady notes on the nose of blackcurrants, violets and dark chocolate. Silky smooth and really juicy on the palate, fun and fresh. I love the purity to the red berries with both a subtle creaminess as well as razor sharp edges of graphite and liquorice minerality that give a tang and buzz to the palate. The energy here is lovely, really alive and focused with a clean sensation on the finish. Well delivered with character and lots of charm. Lovely.

A seductive and sculpted wine, leaning into the vintage’s glamour and richness. The nose is deep and heady, filled with violets, dark chocolate, blackcurrants, and espresso. The palate is glossy and rich, with a juicy, shiny black fruit core, balanced by fine, slightly bloody tannins. There’s an undercurrent of freshness, with a minty lift and a touch of creaminess that enhances the plush texture. Toasted wood notes still need time to integrate, but this is smooth, seductive, and beautifully structured. A wine of depth, polish, and lasting finesse. Ageing 45% new oak, 10% foudre, 15% amphora. 3.88pH.

Heady scents of perfumed fruit, liquorice, crushed stone and mint. Delicate on the palate – nothing sticks out. Refined and sophisticated, with a slow expansion of flavours and a cushioning texture. So charming and understated, this delivers with none of the excess of the vintage. Wonderful.

Intense aromatics, dark bramble fruit, purple flowers and cool cola and cedar elements. Smooth and supple, more joyful than the nose suggests with bouncy acidity and finely muscular tannins that support the concentrated fruit. Feels clean and polished with lots of energy and style. Ends chalky with liquorice, bitter orange and an iron tang. FInessed and powerful, this should grow into a beauty. One to seek out.

Intense aromatics on the nose. This is smooth and succulent but also tense and straight. Tannins have a soft fleshiness to them that comes across as slightly chalky on the palate with edges of heat, toast, clove and cedar spice that just detract slightly from the clarity of the fruit which is dark and focused on blackcurrant and prune with an undercurrent of cooling mint. It's serious in terms of flavours but has a finessed texture. One that feels extremely young and not yet quite settled. Power is undeniable alongside some Pomerol seduction so when the flavours meld a little more this will be lovely.

Gorgeously expressive aromatics on the nose - ripe blackcurrants, violets and dark chocolate scents pour out of the glass. Fleshy and ripe tannins have a liquorice and salty edge which combine to give both a sense of richness and mineral bite while soft acidity and cool blue fruit add freshness and lift. A lovely balance between the clear power and seduction of Pomerol in hot vintages but with a light touch in terms of density. Feels really well made, precise and poised. Organic.