Destieux 2022 (750ML)

93-94 JS / 93 JA / 93 DE / 91-93 WI / 90-92 VM / 90-92 JD

A bright and juicy red with blackberry, blueberry and dark chocolate character. Medium body. Polished tannins. Pretty energy here. - James Suckling

Christian Dauriac is the owner here, and it's an estate that always goes long on drama, meaning it one to watch in such a monumental vintage. Certainly this is on brand, inky in colour and delivering plenty of estate signature, in its deep rich licks of black chocolate and baked plum. There is a sense of tension and a kick of minerality also though, measured but certainly evident smoked and grilled cedar oak. It's impressive, and manages to charm, just give it time to soften. - Jane Anson, Inside Bordeaux

Smells potent and aromatically intense with toast, perfume and ripe bramble fruits. Juicier on the palate than the nose suggests with ripe strawberries, herbal raspberries and cherries with chalky, powdery tannins giving the texture around the mouth. You can feel the concentration and intensity of the fruit and the oak structure on the finish so this needs time but the acidity and freshness are so great that this will be delicious. It's also so sleek and clean, really precise and detailed despite the density overall. Tasted twice and kept my higher score. Yield 30hl/ha. Ageing 12-18 months. Michel Rolland and Julien Viaud consultants. - Georgina Hindle, Decanter

Deep garnet-purple in color, the 2022 Destieux charges out with bold scents of black plums, boysenberry preserves, and baked black cherries, followed by hints of underbrush and cardamom. Full-bodied, rich and with a lively backbone of freshness, it has beautifully velvety tannins and a long fragrant earth laced finish. - Lisa Perrotti-Brown, Wine Independent

The 2022 Destieux is one of the more opulent Saint-Émilions readers will come across. It offers up an exotic mélange of crème de cassis, blackberry jam, cloves, licorice and sweet French oak. There's not much subtlety, but that does not appear to be the objective. All this needs is élevage to soften some of the contours. - Antonio Galloni, Vinous Media

Tasted on two separate occasions, the 2022 Château Destieux is a full-bodied, ripe, sweetly fruited Saint-Emilion with plenty of cassis and assorted black cherry fruits as well as floral, candied, and spicy nuances. Big, lush, and opulent on the palate, it has ripe underlying tannins and outstanding length. - Jeb Dunnuck