Château Cap de Faugères 2022

Cool nose, pumpernickel, cherries, blackcurrant, dark chocolate, floral notes; taut palate, straightforward, energetic, chalky tannins, delicate fruit core, well-structured, fresh and spicy on the finish. Very successful!

Highly charged aromatics: clove, baked blackcurrant, violets, cola and some cedar scents. A little sweet, sour and rich: the ripe fruit combines with high acidity and dense, chewy tannins — the three haven’t quite melded yet, with some toasted elements also sticking out. Feels a touch extracted — as it did during En Primeur — but this may come around with a bit more time.

The 2022 Cap de Faugères has a sprightly, quite opulent bouquet with black cherries, blueberry and violet scents, cohering nicely in the glass with its well-integrated oak. The palate is medium-bodied and lightly spiced with sapid black fruit, fine delineation and a lovely saline finish. This is recommended.

Black cherries, chocolate-coated raspberries, and licorice notes are all over the place here. The palate is packed with sweet, ripe, dark, red pit fruits with a chocolaty edge, and a touch of salt that adds length, with complexity. The wine was blended with 85% Merlot, and 15% Cabernet Franc. Drink from 2025-2039.

Deep dark ruby, purple reflections, subtle brightening on the rim. Fine nuances of sweet fresh cherries, plums, nougat and spices. Juicy, ripe and elegant, fresh core, mineral and persistent, a reliable food wine.

85% Merlot, 15% Cabernet Franc. A restrained start, delicate blueberry contours, a hint of graphite and dried lilac blossoms. On the compact palate with a soft texture, well-supported freshness, a supportive tannic structure and medium body. In the focused aromatic finish, blue berries, light tobacco and fine-grained extract.

Spiced berry fruit on the nose, well handled, well-textured tannins, a little rustic but fully ripe, unfussy, approachable, with mandarin and orange zest giving a juicy lift on the finish. On the border of Castillon and St Emilion, ageing in stainless steel, 37 hl/ha yield, harvest from September 6 to 28.

An appealing, pretty blue-fruited profile with disarming simplicity. On the palate, a juicy, fluid texture with a slightly rustic touch