CHÂTEAU PEDESCLAUX

Dark cherries, black currants, white pepper and graphite with a touch of dark chocolate and cigar box. I love the suppleness and the mid-palate fruit that give excellent width and flesh to this rather lean vintage. Medium to full body with more flesh than bones. The tannins are fine and sleek, and the finish, creamy and extensive. A commendable effort from this vintage. Shows lots of early appeal but will hold very well in the next five to seven years. Zekun Shuai Senior Editor Rating: 94 James Suckling, www.jamessuckling.com (Jan 2023)

Delicate, finessed, this is carefully extracted, well handled, with clear spice, white pepper, black pepper, cloves, blue and black fruits. Doesn't escape the austerity and subdued character of the vintage, but you get Pauillac typicity through the firm structure and the slate texture to the tannins. It opens beautifully, showcasing impressive aromatics. Good winemaking skills on display here from Vincent Bache-Gabrielsen. 3.68ph, 62IPT. Harvest 12% press wine. Harvest September 4 to October 5. 60% new oak. Tasted three times. Drinking range: 2026 - 2040 Rating: 91 Jane Anson, www.janeanson.com (May 2022)

The 2021 Pédesclaux is a blend similar to the 2018 and was picked September 24 to October 5. It has a pure, oyster-shell-tinged bouquet that opens nicely with aeration, hints of brine coming through. You can almost smell the Gironde in this Pauillac. The palate is medium-bodied with fine tannins, very well balanced and precise. A mote of cracked black pepper enlivens the finish. This should age well in bottle. Drinking range: 2025 - 2042 Rating: 90-92 Neal Martin, www.vinous.com (May 2022)

The 2021 Pédesclaux presents strong Cabernet Sauvignon inflections to play off a core of dark red-fleshed fruit. Spice, menthol, tobacco and cedar follow, adding quite a bit of character to this flavorful, savory Pauillac. Drinking range: 2028 - 2041 Rating: 90-93 Antonio Galloni, www.vinous.com (May 2022)

Delicate, finessed, this is carefully extracted, well handled, with clear spice, white pepper, black pepper, cloves, blue and black fruits. Doesn't escape the austerity and subdued character of the vintage, but you get Pauillac typicity through the firm structure and the slate texture to the tannins. It opens beautifully, showcasing impressive aromatics. Good winemaking skills on display here from Vincent Bache-Gabrielsen. 3.68ph, 62IPT. Harvest 12% press wine. Harvest September 4 to October 5. 60% new oak. Tasted three times. Drinking range: 2026 - 2040 Rating: 91 Jane Anson, Decanter (May 2022)

Offering up notions of sweet berries, licorice, loamy soil and spices, the 2021 Pedésclaux is medium-bodied, lively and fine-boned, with a pretty core of fruit, supple tannins and a giving, expressive profile. It's a blend of 64% Cabernet Sauvignon, 27% Merlot, 6% Cabernet Franc and 3% Petit Verdot. Rating: 89-90 William Kelley, The Wine Advocate (May 2022)

Gorgeous dark pinky purple rim to the glass. Beautifully expressive aromas, red and pink flowers - peonies, rose and violets and intense, chocolatey cola blackcurrant, just the best combination. Concentration and lift on the palate, this is darker and more seductive than the second wine, the perfume and the richness of the fruits with the dark liquorice tones draws you in and plays alongside the bright, light acidity. So you have focus and intensity as well as freshness and approachability. The two are not totally combined yet but such lovely elements going on and such precision on show. This has tension and a balance between refinement and power really led by the Cabernet Sauvignon. The bright cherry hit on the finish lingers too. A lovely set of wines this year - worth seeking out! 3% Petit Verdot completes the blend. 3.71pH. Ageing 60% new oak. 58% grand vin. A yield of 29hL/ha. In official organic conversion since 2019. Drinking range: 2025 - 2045 Rating: 92 Georgie Hindle - Decanter (Apr 2022)