Clos De L'Oratoire 2022 (750ML)

95-96 JS / 93-95 WI / 93-95 JD / 92-94 WA / 92-94 VM / 93 JA / 93 DE

A gorgeous vivid red with lead pencil and black berry aromas and flavors. Medium-bodied with plenty of fine tannins. Black olives and dark fruit. Tight and structured. Muscular and formed, but not overbearing. 80% merlot and 20% cabernet franc. From organically grown grapes. - James Suckling

The 2022 Clos de l'Oratoire is blended of 80% Merlot and 20% Cabernet Franc and is aging in 30% new oak. Deep garnet-purple in color, it prances out of the glass with gregarious notes of juicy plums and blueberry preserves with underlying hints of kirsch, red roses, and star anise. Medium to full-bodied, the palate is vivacious and fragrant with lovely plush tannins and plenty of freshness, finishing long and perfumed. - Lisa Perrotti-Brown, Wine Independent

Black raspberries, cassis, leafy herbs, leather, and even some blue fruits emerge from the 2022 Clos De L'Oratoire, an elegant medium to full-bodied, silky Saint-Emilion. It has solid tannic grip, but the balance is there, the fruit is clean and pure, and it's a gem of a wine in the making. - Jeb Dunnuck

The 2022 Clos de l'Oratoire includes fully 20% Cabernet Franc this year, which has brought more depth and structure to the blend. Offering up aromas of dark berries and plums mingled with vine smoke, petals and sweet soil tones, it's medium to full-bodied, fleshy and vibrant, with a sweet core of fruit, powdery tannins and a long, saline finish. - William Kelley, Wine Advocate

The 2022 Clos de L’Oratoire is rich, sensual and superexpressive. The blend is 80% Merlot and 20% Cabernet Franc, with the Franc adding dynamic energy, aromatic presence and structure. Complex and beautifully layered, Clos de L’Oratoire is showing beautifully today. Succulent red cherry, blood orange, spice, tobacco, cedar and dried herbs build, with clean, saline notes that extend the finish. - Antonio Galloni, Vinous Media

Lovely aromatics, with rose petals and tomato leaf, shows sinewy tannin and raspberry puree fruits, charming and thoroughly enjoyable. 47hl/h yield, massal selection now fully underway, with around 10% of the blend from vines dating from the 1950s. Former technical director Gaëlle Barbareau still involved, with Ludovic de Niepperg in charge, no outside consultant. 30% new oak. More clay in the vineyard than in most of this sector of St Emilion, over limestone mother rock, with no till farming across most of the property, and mulching over the rest. Certified organic since 2020. - Jane Anson, Inside Bordeaux

Smells bright and concentrated, rich and intense, lovely aromatics, perfumed and darkly fruited on the nose. Nice depth and generosity on the palate, round and juicy, supple and mouthwatering. Gorgeous intensity - sharp and lean, but chalky and creamy too, a lovely spiced vein of liquorice, tobacco and clove with some salty elements too. Juicy and fun, a friendliness and complexity to this makes it really quite charming. Bright and vibrant, balanced and easy to drink. Great structure and composure, finessed but still with strength. Yield: 47hl/ha. 30% new oak barrels. - Georgina Hindle, Decanter