Château Pedesclaux, Grand Cru Classé, Pauillac,

Rich plum colour, vibrant edging, sleek and balanced, this is full of pleasure and precision. Generous in that you can feel the exoticism of the vintage in its ripe berry fruits but it has balance and the slate and liquorice character of Pauillac. 3.86ph, 37hl/h yield. 56% 1st wine in this vintage, first year organic certified (and the first classified estate to write this on the front label). Vincent Bache-Gabrielsen director. 65% new oak.

A blend of 68% Cabernet Sauvignon, 22% Merlot, 7% Cabernet Franc, and 3% Petit Verdot, aging in 65% new oak, the 2022 Pedesclaux has a pH of 3.86 and a TPI of 70. The yield was 37 hl/ha and this is the first year that it has been certified organic. The color is deep garnet-purple and the nose needs a fair bit of swirling to coax out evocative notes of blackcurrant cordial, juicy black plums, and black raspberries, with touches of violets, licorice, and wood smoke. The full-bodied palate is concentrated, yet possesses impressive tension and a firm backbone of ripe, grainy tannins, finishing long and layered.

The 2022 Pédesclaux was picked 12 to 27 September and aged in 65% new oak. This has far more fruité than the Deuxième Vin, plush black cherries and boysenberry fruit, more floral in style with neatly integrated oak. The palate is medium-bodied with slightly chalky tannins, good tension, gentle grip with a graphite infused, powdery-textured finish. A hint of brine on the aftertaste. Very fine, though I would like to see it develop a little more sustain.