Château Les Grands Chênes Château Les Grands Chênes 2022 750ml

Full-bodied. Layered. Chewy young wine with lots of tannins and juiciness, yet well-integrated. Polished.

Some sweet red berries, haw fruit and baking spices on the nose. Medium-bodied on the palate with some lightly chewy tannins and a soft, fruity finish of medium length. Crunchy and a bit simple, but shows the approachability of this vintage. Drink now. (Zekun Shuai)

Ripe and fleshy in feel, with dark currant and blackberry compote flavors that move along steadily, picking up light graphite, tobacco and roasted cedar notes along the way. A touch amped up in style, but it works. Merlot and Cabernet Sauvignon. Drink now through 2031. 23,750 cases made.

Pure red and blue fruits, flowers, and spicy notes define the 2022 Château Les Grands Chênes, a medium-bodied, juicy Médoc offering surprisingly bright acidity that’s countered by a concentrated, dense mid-palate. It will be interesting to see how this comes together, but given its concentration and purity of fruit, it should be solid.

A blend of 60% Merlot and 40% Cabernet Sauvignon from proprietor Bernard Magrez, the 2021 Les Grands Chênes exhibits aromas of rich cherries, berries and loamy soil, framed by toasty new oak. Medium to full-bodied, fleshy and gourmand, with lively acids and a clean finish, it’s a creditable effort from these gravel vineyards in Saint Christoly-Médoc. Amphorae increasingly complement barriques in the chai.