We are delighted to announce the 2022 release of the magnificent 1st Growth, Château Haut-Brion. Haut-Brion is often the favorite First Growth of true Bordeaux connoisseurs – it has an elegance and a charm that are unmistakable and it ages as well as any wine in Bordeaux. Haut-Brion is one of the original four First Growths from the 1855 classification, and the only property to make the list outside of the Médoc. Situated in Pessac-Léognan, it has slowly been surrounded by the ever growing city, like a green oasis, protected by the sheer quality of its terroir. It was purchased in the 1930s by the American Clarence Dillon, and is now run by his great-grandson, Prince Robert of Luxembourg. More remarkable still, the 2022 represents the 99th vintage of Haut-Brion to have been made by Delmas family, passing form the late Jean-Bernard Delmas to his son Jean-Philippe Delmas in 2003. It has the smallest production of the First Growths, and the usually vies with its sister estate, La Mission Haut-Brion (also released this morning) to be tipped for wine of the vintage! We tasted the full lineup from Domaine Dillon in April at La Mission, and they were certainly some of the highlights of our en primeur tastings. This is a wine that will unquestionably be more expensive to acquire in years to come, so why not pick up a case or two now for the cellar.
Also released by Domaines Clarence Dillon this morning is the superb Grand Vin from Château La Mission Haut-Brion. La Mission is often seen to be on a par with the First Growths, and when you drink the wine it’s easy to see why. It often vies with sister chateau Haut-Brion. We've lost count of the amount of times that vintages of La Mission have outperformed First Growths under blind conditions. La Mission Haut-Brion has been intertwined with neighboring Haut-Brion since the sixteenth Century, with both properties originally in the Lestonnac family. Olive de Lestonnac donated a vast part of her fortune to the Church, and so La Mission Haut-Brion was formed, run by Lazarist monks who paid a lot of attention to developing the vineyards. Following the Revolution it was sold off, and passed through various hands until being bought by Domaine Clarence Dillon, owners of Haut-Brion, in 1983. It vies in quality with its illustrious neighbor and the other First Growths, but at much more modest price! The full lineup of the Domaine Dillon stable is also available on our website now.
Saving one of the very best to last, as always, it's the utterly superb 2022 Pomerol from the Thienponts, Vieux-Château-Certan. Certainly one of favourites of the vintage! Situated in the heart of the Pomerol plateau, with Petrus, Lafleur and Le Pin just a stone’s throw away, the VCC vines produce one the of the most highly regarded and sought after wines in the world. Alexandre and Guillaume Thienpont made a brilliant 2022, and with huge ratings across the board from the various critics, this is clearly a wine that all Bordeaux lovers need in their cellar.
Lastly we are delighted to offer this morning's release from Saint-Emilion's Château Troplong Mondot, which is one of their best yet. Château Troplong Mondot has changed hands many times since it was built in the mid seventeen hundreds, but really came to the fore under the guidance of the late Christine Valette. Under new ownership since 2017, manager Aymeric de Gironde and winemaker Thomas Duclos have made some significant changes, opting to pick earlier and extract less, in order to retain tension, elegance and vibrancy in the wine. They are starting to reap the benefits, and the 2022 is a remarkable wine.
Don't miss this opportunity to secure your stock at the opening prices.
Our 2022 Bordeaux Vintage Report is now available, and as always, our 2022 Futures Landing Page is updated with the new releases each day, and includes our Wines of the Vintage, Standout Mid-Range Wines, Over-Achievers and Value Drinkers. We'll continue sending offers on the most compelling wines as they are released...stay tuned!
"2022 is certainly the greatest overall vintage I have ever tasted." - Andy Lench of Bordeaux Wine Locators on his 37th vintage tasted en primeur.
“It reminds me of 1982. But 2022 is better than 1982. In 1982 the yields were 60 hectoliters per hectare. Today, yields are dramatically lower. And as a matter of style, 2022, just like 1982 will be approachable young.†- Michel Rolland
"This is the 40th year I have tasted barrel samples in Bordeaux, but I have never come across anything like the 2022 vintage. It was one of the hottest and driest growing seasons in the history of France’s most famous wine region, yet it produced thousands of opulent and structured but still fresh and balanced wines. They are exciting...it was a joyous and fascinating experience to taste so many special wines. And there was high quality from top to bottom. The 2022 vintage really is something unique." - James Suckling
2022 Haut Brion (Pessac Leognan)
97-99+ WI / 98-99 JS / 97-99 VM / 96-98 JD / 95-97 WA / 96 DE / 96 JA
Deep garnet-purple in color, the 2022 Haut-Brion is a blend of 53.6% Merlot, 35.4% Cabernet Sauvignon, and 11% Cabernet Franc aging in 62.9% new oak. The nose is typically closed and broody, requiring a lot of shaking to wake up enticing notes of iron ore, red roses, lavender, mint tea, and forest floor, leading to a tantalizing core of plum preserves and blueberry pie. The medium to full-bodied palate is very tightly knit with vibrant black and blue fruit layers and red berry sparks, framed by very fine-grained tannins and a refreshing backbone, finishing long and minerally. A classic, breath-taking expression of Haut-Brion, I expect this to remain shy and restrained for the first 10 years so in bottle, and then watch it soar. - Lisa Perrotti-Brown, Wine Independent
$707.98 ea. 750ml | Future | BUY NOW
See our full list of Haut Brion >
2022 Haut Brion Blanc (Pessac Leognan)
98-99 JS / 95-97 WI / 95-97 JD / 94-96 VM / 95 DE / 95 JA
The 2022 Haut-Brion Blanc is fabulous. Rich, explosive and dramatic, the 2022 is stunning right out of the glass. Soft curves wrap around a core of lemon confit, marzipan, chamomile, dried flowers and mint. The 2022 is a serious white that will blossom beautifully with time. It is wonderfully impressive in this tasting. - Antonio Galloni, Vinous Media
$802.29 ea. 750ml | Future | BUY NOW
See our full list of Haut Brion Blanc >
2022 La Mission Haut Brion (Pessac Leognan)
98-99 JS / 97-99 WI / 97-99 VM / 97 JA / 97 DE / 95-97 JD / 94-96 WA
The 2022 La Mission Haut-Brion is composed of 51.7% Cabernet Sauvignon, 43.2% Merlot, and 5.1% Cabernet Franc aging in 62.2% new oak. Deep garnet-purple in color, it tumbles out of the glass with gregarious notes of plum preserves, creme de cassis, and blueberry compote, followed by hints of sandalwood, violets, and licorice. The full-bodied palate is charged with energetic black fruits, featuring impressive tension and firm, fine-grained tannins, finishing very long and opulent. Typically the more flamboyant sibling to Haut-Brion, it will be hard to keep your paws off this even after only 5-6 years in bottle. - Lisa Perrotti-Brown, Wine Independent
$364.98 ea. 750ml | Future | BUY NOW
See our full list of La Mission Haut Brion >
2022 La Mission Haut Brion Blanc (Pessac Leognan)
96-97 JS / 95-97 JD / 96 JA / 96 DE / 94-96 WA / 94-96 WI / 94-96 VM
This is an extremely impressive white that has high levels of Sémillon in the blend this year, helped by old vines that resisted the heat well. Gorgeous construction and balance, with precision-cut citrus, bitter almond, slate, dill, white pepper spice, a juicy grip through the palate and noble bitterness bringing things to a close. Less 1st wine than last year - 20% less first wine with the same yield; 41% new oak barrels for ageing. Harvest August 17 to 23. - Jane Anson, Inside Bordeaux
$659.98 ea. 750ml | Future | BUY NOW
See our full list of La Mission Haut Brion Blanc >
2022 Troplong Mondot (Saint Emilion)
98-100 WA / 98-100 DE / 97-99 JD / 98 JA / 96-98+WI / 97-98 JS / 96-98 VM
A wine that transcended both my lofty expectations and anything produced at this address in the last 50 years, the 2022 Troplong Mondot realizes all the potential of this striking terroir. Unwinding in the glass with aromas of dark berries, cherries, exotic spices, bay leaf and orange zest, it's full-bodied, deep and multidimensional, with incredible concentration without weight, supple tannins and a seamless, complete profile, concluding with a long, saline finish. All the work of the last few years in the vineyards and winery makes itself felt, as Troplong Mondot's vineyards took the hot, dry conditions in their stride, and the quality of the fruit that they produced has been preserved by a gentle vinification and a discreet élevage, featuring only 55% new oak and some 20% of the volume in large foudres. - William Kelley, Wine Advocate
$140.29 ea. 750ml | Future | BUY NOW
2022 Vieux Chateau Certan (Pomerol)
GVWM Wine of the Vintage
98-100 WI / 98-100 AG / 98-100 JD / 98-99 JS / 97-99 WA / 97-99 VM / 98 DE
The 2022 Vieux Château Certan is a wine of tremendous sophistication and polish. I expected to see a more opulent VCC, but the 2022 is surprisingly delicate and nuanced. The blend is 75% Merlot, 20% Cabernet Franc and 5% Cabernet Sauvignon, which means all the Cabernets at the château were used in Grand Vin. Perhaps that explains the wine’s construction, favoring length, persistence and aromatics more than size. Crème de cassis, lavender, spice and licorice hints linger on the super-expressive finish. There’s really not much more to say except that the 2022 is magical. “Real heat started in June," explained Alexandre Thienpont. “We had 15mm of rain over two days in mid-August that really helped. Even so, yields were 35 hectoliters per hectare, so lower than 2020. Berries - Antonio Galloni, Vinous Media
$371.59 ea. 750ml | Future | BUY NOW
2% discount for orders placed with a wire or personal check.*
Please click here to send us your order via our contact page, or call 360.350.4896 and we will be glad to assist you. (*Minimum order of $1000 for domestic wire, or $5000 for international wire. No minimum for personal check. For wines eligible for 5% case/9L discounts, maximum discount is 5%.)
Interested in a wine not on our website, or in placing a non-committed pre-order for particular 2022 Bordeaux? Click here to send us your list and we will advise as soon as the wines are available.
BOTTLING CHARGES FOR OTHER FORMATS Please note: Most Chateaux will be able to bottle your orders in the below formats. Click here or call +360.350.4896 if you are interested in any of the following options and they are not listed on our website:
375 ML - 12 x 750ml price + $40.00 per case (min. order of 12 x 375ml)
1.5 L - 12 x 750ml price + $36 per case (min. order of 6 x 1.5L)
3.0 L - 4 x 750ml price + $70 each | 6.0 L - 8 x 750ml price + $110 each
9.0 L - 12 x 750ml price + $180 each | 12.0 L - 16 x 750ml price + $210 each
15.0 L - 24 x 750ml price + $275 each | 18.0 L - 20 x 750ml price + $325 each
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Grand Vin Wine Merchants · 2950 32nd Ave SW · Suite A · Tumwater, Washington 98512 · United States (360) 350-4896
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