Château Picque Caillou Blanc, Pessac Léognan, 2022
Picque Caillou is always one of our value picks and true to form the Blanc this year is a lively, hoppy incarnation, with typical apple, lime and leesy notes cutting through a lot of the vintage’s natural concentration with an extra kick of bell-pepper on the finish. 90% Sauvignon Blanc and 10% Semillon, fermented and raised in barrel for 7 months: 25% new oak, 35% one-year old, 30% two-year old and 10% three-year old.
critic reviews
There is good fruit here, blueberry and blackberry nicely brambled, but soft on the finish, no real lift. A little underwhelming honestly, compared to many in the appellation. 40% new oak for ageing, 18ha estate owned by Isabelle and Paulin Calvet.
The 2022 Blanc from Picque-Caillou reveals aromas of mango, lemongrass, boxwood and pear, followed by a moderately weighted, supple and round palate with an incisive mid-palate and a short, fruity finish.
The 2022 Picque Caillou Blanc shows good energy, but also some angularity in its contours. This just needs a bit more mid-palate pliancy to balance things out.