Saintayme 2022 (750ML)

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

So much sea salt and crunchy fruit with berry and grape character. Some orange, too. Medium-bodied, bright and vivid. Lively finish.- James Suckling

Intense muscular contraction to the tannins on the opening beats, the fruit gets creamy as it opens, with vivid raspberry reflections and plenty of mouthwating salinity. This is a pretty serious Saintayme, great quality and great value. Olivier Gautrat alongside Noémie Durantou. Harvest September 17 to October 3 (extremely late for the vintage, because cool clays in a cooler part of St Etienne de Lisse, something you also see in the generous 50hl/h yields), 30% new oak. - Jane Anson, Inside Bordeaux

The 2022 Saintayme is bright, floral and vibrant in this vintage, almost surprisingly so. Crushed red berry fruit, rose petal, chalk, mint and white pepper all run through this taut, nervy Saint-Émilion. All the elements are so well balanced. I especially admire the wine's persistence and inner perfume. Terrific. - Antonio Galloni, Vinous Media

Fresh and fruity aromas on the nose, bright and lively. Sharp with high acidity at the fore - just the right side of sour, with lively strawberry and red cherry flavours. Lovely powdery tannins have a nice expansive texture but also keep definition and a sense of gentle grip all the way through. On the more linear side now, strict and focussed with lovely fruit purity and such overall charm. Really quite approachable with tang and definition and still some power underneath that extends into a long, mineral finish. Feels a touch high alcohol on the finish but there’s a lot to like here. Ageing in 30% new oak. Harvest 17 September - 3 October. - Georgina Hindle, Decanter

The 2022 Saintayme is 100% Merlot and has a deep garnet-purple color. It bursts from the glass with bombastic scents of blackberry preserves, juicy black cherries, and chocolate mint, leading to wafts of black pepper, tar, and clove oil. The medium to full-bodied palate is chock-full of exuberant black fruits, supported by ripe, rounded tannins and plenty of freshness, finishing with a real skip in its step. - Lisa Perrotti-Brown, Wine Independent

All Merlot from a mix of terroirs, the 2022 Saintayme has impressive darker cherry and blackberry-like fruit as well as medium to full body, a terrific chalky mineral character, ripe yet firmer tannins, and outstanding length. - Jeb Dunnuck