Chateau Clos de Sarpe 2022

JEB DUNNUCK: "Tasted on multiple occasions, the 2022 Château Clos De Sarpe is a magical Saint-Emilion in the making that's going to rank with the crème de la crème of the vintage. A blend of 85% Merlot and 15% Cabernet Franc from very old vines on the eastern side of the appellation and aging in 70% new oak, it reveals a deep purple hue to go with classic, limestone-influenced aromatics of pure cassis, graphite, chalky minerality, liquid violets, and scorched earth. Full-bodied on the palate, it has remarkable purity, a layered, balanced, seamless mouthfeel, tons of ripe tannins, and a great finish. Despite its ripeness and power, it holds onto an incredible sense of freshness (the pH is quite low). It will benefit from a decade of bottle age but will have 50 years of longevity. This estate flies far too far under that radar, and readers should do their best to latch onto a few bottles."

FALSTAFF: "Tiefdunkles Rubingranat, opaker Kern, violette Reflexe, zarte Randaufhellung. Verführerisches Bukett nach Lakritze und Veilchen, schwarze Frucht, feine Edelholznuancen. Saftig, Brombeeren, elegant, sehr frisch und finessenreich, zeigt enorme Energie, rotbeeriger Nachhall, große Länge, sicheres Reifepotenzial für viele kommende Jahre."

THE WINE CELLAR INSIDER: "Deeply colored, the wine is perfumed with flowers, crushed stones, peppery spices, black plums, black cherries and espresso. The wine is concentrated, powerful, and packed with dark red and black pit fruits, chocolate, and salty, crushed stone characteristics. Give it time to come together. It is worth the wait. Drink from 2027-2055."

JAMES SUCKLING: "Intense sliced berry aromas and flavors with minerals and stones. Very salty and intense. Medium to full body. Bright finish. Classy. Fine tannins. Minerally at the end."

THE WINE ADVOCATE: "A blend of 85% Merlot and 15% Cabernet Franc, the 2022 Clos de Sarpe wafts from the glass with aromas of sweet red berries, cherries, licorice and petals. Full-bodied, broad and layered, it's no blushing violet at 15% alcohol; yet this limestone terroir has delivered a remarkably low pH and concomitant freshness, and judicious extraction during a long but low-temperature maceration means that it remains suave and seamless."

LISA PERROTTI-BROWN: "Medium to deep garnet-purple colored, the 2022 Clos de Sarpe offers up fragrant scents of dried plums, boysenberries preserves and raisin cake, giving way to wafts of sandalwood, cumin seed, and fallen leaves. The full-bodied palate delivers mouth-coating black and blue fruit preserves offset by wonderful tension, supported by velvety tannins, finishing with great length. The blend this year is 85% Merlot and 15% Cabernet Franc."