It’s not location, location location.

It may be aromatics aromatics, aromatics.

A tasting of Grand Cru Classé St Emilion from the 2022 vintage in New York showed aromatics (and alcohol) über alles.

If the typicity of grape variety has not been replaced by the typicity of über-ripe grapes, it is at least becoming subservient to the typicity of high extraction and alcohol. Intense black fruit aromatics, sometimes showing as blackcurrants, sometimes extending to kirsch, mark most of the wines. The intense aromatics of very ripe Merlot seem to dominate almost all.

I would like to be able to say that this is a blip resulting from the extreme conditions of 2022 (all but unprecedented until 2026 came along) but in terms of tech specs, the change from, say, 2018, is not great. Average alcohol among the wines at the 2022 tasting was 14.6%. The same wines in 2018 showed an average of 14.5%. Going back to 2012, the average was 13.9%. While the high alcohol isn’t obtrusive on the palate, it contributes to a general sense of excess.

The hot vintage has pushed St Emilion into black fruit aromatics that seem more like Pomerol. Many of the wines might be placed as Merlot varietals in blind tasting. The blend varies from a minimum of around 70% Merlot to a maximum of 90%, and now often includes some Cabernet Sauvignon as well as Cabernet Franc, but it was hard at this tasting to draw distinctions based on the exact blend.

Fruit intensity has often pushed tannins right into the background. Some of the wines show elegance, some show structure, but the overall impression from tasting is of forceful black fruit aromatics conveying a certain sense of sameness, with potential for becoming overwhelming as the wines age.

The great oenologist Emile Peynaud once said, if I want to drink fruit juice, I’ll drink orange juice. This might translate in terms of the change being driven by global warming into saying that I want to drink wine, not fermented grape juice.

Tasting Notes

Château Badette
Cabernet Franc 15%, Merlot 80%, Petit Verdot 5%
Smooth black fruit palate with finish showing just a touch of dryness to suggest structure. Just a touch too aromatics on the finish.. 15.5% 88 Drink 2028-2037

Château Bellefont Belcier

Bitter chocolate and black fruit aromatics to fore, but a quasi-furry texture cuts the aromatics back. The bitterness may indicate enough structure to hold. 89 Drink 2028-2036

Château Chauvin
Cabernet Franc 18%, Cabernet Sauvignon 4%, Merlot 78%
Aromatics just a bit better controlled than some. Structure just shows beyond the black fruits. Not very subtle. 89 Drink 2028-2036

Château Clos de Sarpe
Cabernet Franc 15%, Merlot 85%
Smooth and almost soft on palate with a faint bite at the end. On the lighter side for young St Emilion. 15.0% 88 Drink -2034

Château Corbin
Cabernet Franc 10%, Merlot 90%
Some bitterness of youth. A relatively structured impression, with black fruits coming through the structure, but a little rustic. 14.0% 89 Drink 2028-2040

Château Couspaude
Cabernet Franc 20%, Cabernet Sauvignon 5%, Merlot 75%
Aromatics not as intense as some, smooth palate does not show obvious structure, but it’s in the background enough to flatten the fruits. Feels more like a real wine in its makeup than some of the others. 90 Drink 2027-2037

Château Couvent des Jacobins
Cabernet Franc 14%, Merlot 82%, Petit Verdot 4%
Smooth palate showing black fruits but possibly just a touch lacking in concentration. Some light bitterness at end attests to structure. 14.5% 88 Drink 2028-2038

Château Dassault
Cabernet Franc 21%, Cabernet Sauvignon 9%, Merlot 70%
Fragrant nose leads into a quite a fine, elegant impression on palate. Good sense of freshness. 14.5% 90 Drink 2024-2040

Château de Ferrand
Cabernet Franc 34%, Merlot 66%
Soft on the palate but showing bitter chocolate on the finish. Quite a fine impression tending towards elegance. 14.8% 89 Drink 2028-2038

Château Fonroque
Cabernet Franc 5%, Merlot 95%
Fragrant black fruit aromatics move towards high-toned. Aromatics seem elegant at this point but will they overwhelm the wine as it ages? 89 Drink -2036

Château Grand Corbin
Cabernet Franc 6%, Cabernet Sauvignon 4%, Merlot 90%
Black aromatics are rather prominent. Attractive but forceful. Tannins are almost soft on palate. All but ready now. 90 Drink -2036

Château Grand Corbin-Despagne
Cabernet Franc 24%, Cabernet Sauvignon 1%, Merlot 75%
An elegant impression for St Emilion with black fruits balanced by acidity and structure. One of the few wines where Cabernet Franc seems to come through. 14.5% 90 Drink 2027-2040

Château La Confession
Cabernet Franc 27%, Merlot 70%, Malbec 3%
Very smooth for St Emilion, with an elegant, fine expression suggesting Cabernet Franc is a greater proportion than actually the case. Black fruits are well delineated. Almost ready now, with structure showing as bitter chocolate on finish. 14.5% 90 Drink 2027-2040

Château La Croizille
Cabernet Franc 30%, Merlot 70%
More reserved than is common in this vintage, even showing a touch of dryness on the finish, The structure even flattens the fruits a little. There is some potential for aging. 89 Drink 2027-2038

Château La Serre
Cabernet Franc 25%, Merlot 75%
Black fruit aromatics on nose lead ito rounded palate, but it’s a little too aromatic and lacks balancing depth on palate. 14.5% 88 Drink 2028-2036

Château La Tour Figeac
Cabernet Franc 30%, Merlot 70%
Very aromatic on nose and palate, moving into bitter chocolate on the finish. Quite firm but too aromatic. Almost ready, tannins not really showing, but will the aromatics take over? 14.5% 90 Drink 2028-2038

Château Montlabert
Cabernet Franc 26%, Merlot 75%
Fine aromatics impression to start but not quite enough follow through on palate. Seems a bit superficial. 14.5% 88 Drink -2036

Château Petit Faurie de Soutard
Cabernet Franc 12%, Merlot 88%
Black fruit aromatics are quite powerful, a bit too forceful for comfort. You can really see the hot year here. 13.9% 88 Drink 2027-2036

Château Tour Baladoz
Cabernet Sauvignon 5%, Cabernet Franc 10%, Merlot 80%, Petit Verdot 5%
Structure is in the background and flattens the fruits a bit. Some bitterness shows on finish. Youthfulness makes this a bit unready. 89 Drink 2028-2038

Château Tour Saint Christophe
Cabernet Franc 20%, Merlot 80%
Quite piercing aromatics with some hints of volatility. Black fruits come through palate with not much evidence of structure. 15.0% 89 Drink 2027-2036

Clos des Jacobins
Cabernet Sauvignon 2%, Merlot 80%
Quite soft on the palate, black fruit aromatics starting out calmer but then intensifying in the glass; the risk is that they may become sickly as the wine ages. 15.0% 88 Drink 2027-2036