Berliquet 2017 (750ML)

92 JS / 91-93 WA / 89-92 WS / 88-90 JD 

Some berries and smoke with stone and tar. Full-bodied, creamy and beautifully crafted. Tight and focused. A little lean, but shows balance and juiciness. Bitter lemon and smoke at the end. A blend of 70% merlot and 30% cabernet franc. Try after 2022.

Deep purple-black in color, the 2017 Berliquet has a lovely perfume of violets, pencil lead and baking spices over a core of kirsch, wild blueberries and red currant jelly plus a waft of underbrush. Medium-bodied, fine and fresh in the mouth with firm, chewy tannins, it's elegant and perfumed with a long finish. - Lisa Perrotti-Brown, Wine Advocate

Bright, with floral and tea nuances out front, followed by blood orange and damson plum fruit. Offers a sleek, mineral-edged finish. - James Molesworth, Wine Spectator

The 2017 Château Berliquet is a blend of 70% Merlot and 30% Cabernet Franc. Solid notes of black cherries, scorched earth, graphite, and violets give way to a rich, medium-bodied, nicely concentrated red that's going to put on weight with time in barrel and bottle. It has good acidity, the fresh, moderately concentrated style of the vintage, and a clean finish. It has outstanding potential and should drink nicely for upwards of a decade. Tasted twice. - Jeb Dunnuck