As the sun sets on En Primeur 2022...

With the final wines of 2022 now out of the gates this year’s en primeur season is now drawing to a close.  Since our earliest tastings, and well before the campaign began, we have been thrilled by the quality to be found on the right bank in 2022.

Pomerol is ground zero for quality in this vintage.  Saint Emilion is entering a new golden age and the wines of the limestone plateau are truly special in 2022.  The wines of the satellite appellations have never been better – no longer poor lookalikes of their famous neighbours, these are now rich hunting grounds for high class drinking.

For our final offer, I have selected a quintet of right bank gems that I believe are worth a final look before you close the book on 2022 en primeur.

Covering a range of styles, origins and price points these five wines capture the excitement of Bordeaux’s right bank in the 2022 vintage.  There are no famous names here – although some bear the impeccable pedigree of celebrated winemaking dynasties – but all are united by a quality that would grace any cellar.

• Chateau Puygueraud is perennial value from the Thienpont family of Vieux Chateau Certan.  The standard-bearer of the Cotes de Francs.
• Clos du Clocher is my favourite under-the-radar Pomerol.  I rated the 2022 94-96pts, putting it amongst the region’s elite but at a VERY attractive price.
• From the Vauthier family of Chateau Ausone, Chateau La Clotte speaks of Saint Emilion’s limestone terroir that triumphed in 2022.
• Guillaume Thienpont makes wine at family properties VCC and Le Pin, he’s also responsible for the postage stamp-sized Chateau Guillot-Clauzel.
• There are just 4,000 bottles of the haute couture Chateau Seraphine 2022 for the entire world.

Chateau Puygueraud 2022

$270 per case (1×12) en primeur (w/ GST $291.60)

$290 per case (1×6) magnums en primeur (w/ GST $313.20)

Floral, open and flattering with ripe plums, dark cherries and a hint of violets.  On the palate the fruit is very attractive, crisp and sappy.  Purple fruits and plenty of easy charm overlay ripe tannins with just enough toothsome grip to make their presence felt.  There’s a mineral crunch on the finish.

90-91pts – Matthew Hemming MW

Deep garnet-purple colored, the 2022 Puygueraud reveals bright, expressive notes of red currant jelly, fresh blackberries, and kirsch, leading to suggestions of star anise and potpourri. The full-bodied palate is jam-packed with black and red berry layers, supported by firm, rounded tannins and plenty of freshness, finishing with a red berry lift. The blend is 85% Merlot and 15% Cabernet Franc and the soil here in the Francs Côtes de Bordeaux is limestone-clay on clay.

90-92pts – Lisa Perrotti-Brown MW / The Wine Independent

Clos du Clocher 2022

$550 per case (1×6) en primeur (w/ GST $594)

$560 per case (1×3) magnums en primeur (w/ GST $604.80)

Superb, almost intoxicating, aromas of freshly-sliced truffle followed by a striking palate of dark berry fruit and finely powdered tannin.  Has a shade of the Trotanoy tannin profile but delivers more generosity and fruit at this early stage.  Becomes mineral and more saline on the mid-palate.  Dusky and brooding but there is so much material here.

94-96pts – Matthew Hemming MW

The 2022 Clos du Clocher was picked on 7 September and matured in 55% new oak. This has a fragrant, pure bouquet with blueberry, cassis and violet scents. There’s lovely definition here, and the oak is neatly integrated. The palate is medium-bodied with a velvety smooth entry. Concentrated but well-balanced, the gentle grip on the finish lingers in the mouth. This is a classy Pomerol from “JB” and his team.

93-95pts – Neal Martin / Vinous

Chateau La Clotte 2022

$670 per case (1×6) en primeur (w/ GST $723.60)

$680 per case (1×3) magnums en primeur (w/ GST $734.40)

From a holding on the limestone plateau just outside the village, the 2022 La Clotte is one of the high points of the Vauthier portfolio this year, offering up attractive aromas of cherries, minty blackberries and raw cocoa, followed by a medium to full-bodied, supple and charming palate with a deep core of fruit, lively acids and refined tannins.

92-94pts – William Kelley / Robert Parker

The 2022 La Clotte is rich, sensual and super-expressive. An exotic mélange of succulent red fruit, cedar, tobacco, dried herbs and blood orange opens in the glass. More than anything else, the 2022 impresses with its balance and integrity. Already quite seamless in presentation, the 2022 is a gorgeous wine in the making. The blend is 85% Merlot and 15% Cabernet Franc, picked between September 8 and 27. Aging is expected to be 18 months.

92-95pts – Antonio Galloni / Vinous

Chateau Guillot Clauzel 2022

$800 per case (1×6) en primeur (w/ GST $864)

$810 per case (1×3) magnums en primeur (w/ GST $874.80)

The best wine that Guillaume Thinepont has produced to date at this small estate is the 2022 Guillot Clauzel, an attractive blend of 83% Merlot and 17% Cabernet Franc that exhibits aromas of blackberries, violets, iris and sweet soil tones. Medium to full-bodied, fleshy and polished, with supple tannins and a suave, seamless, perfumed profile, Thienpont’s decision to reduce the amount of new oak used to only 30% makes for even greater purity and expressiveness.

93-95pts – William Kelley

The 2022 Guillot-Clauzel is a potent, heady wine that expresses all of the solar intensity of the year in its size. A reduction in new oak pushes the fruit forward. Blue/purplish fruit, licorice, lavender, grilled herbs and spices all open in the glass, framed by the slightly larger-grained tannins that are one of the signatures of this site. This powerful, dense Pomerol has a good bit of potential.

92-94pts – Antonio Galloni

Chateau Seraphine 2022

$960 per case (1×6) en primeur (w/ GST $1,036.80)

$970 per case (1×3) magnums en primeur (w/ GST $1,047.60)

There is plenty of inner richness and intensity here but the overall profile is compact and stylish.  Sleek, dark and, above all, succulent fruit – dark, juicy berries backed by spice.  A touch of the 2022 roasted note but this just brings complexity as there’s plenty of vibrant acid lift and energy.  Nicely plummy and fresh on the back end.  Finishes savoury and grippy.

91-93pts – Matthew Hemming MW

The 2022 Séraphine, the 6th vintage under proprietor Martin Krajewski, was picked from 1 to 23 September at 30hL/ha (for the older vines pruned single Guyot), matured in 50% new oak, and one 1,000-liter clay amphora. This leans toward black fruit on the nose, blackberry and bilberry, touches of incense and terracotta. Nicely defined and quite understated at first. Maybe it needs just a touch more vigor but that should develop. The palate is medium-bodied with svelte tannins, harmonious, nicely detailed with just the right amount of spiciness. Quite vivid toward the finish, gentle grip with a dash of white pepper on the aftertaste. 4,000 bottles produced.

92-94pts – Neal Martin / Vinous