Château Senejac, Haut Médoc,

The 2023 Sénéjac has a somehow "distant" bouquet that requires aeration to open up, with graphite/pencil shavings littered over the light black fruit. The palate is medium-bodied with a bright, slightly bitter entry that at least has decent tension. It is not a powerful Haut-Médoc—quite linear, strict and classical in style. I don't quite engage with this Sénéjac as much as other vintages, yet it evidences thoughtful winemaking and should broaden out during barrel-maturation. This may end up at the top of my banded score.