The 2022 Château Lascombes is a ripe, powerful wine that holds onto a terrific sense of purity and freshness. Black fruits, smoky oak, lead pencil, and tobacco all define the aromatics, and it's medium to full-bodied, with a layered, elegant mouthfeel, ripe, building tannins, and a great finish. A killer bottle of wine, it’s going to benefit from short-term cellaring. Tasted twice.

A more refined and focused Lascombes with blackcurrant, graphite, stone and blueberry character. Medium body. Polished finish. Needs a little more at the finish to be in the big leagues.

Perfumed and aromatic on the nose. Rich and concentrated on the palate, juicy but also there's a richness and power that focuses the black cherry and blackcurrant fruit and acidity and makes it quite serious. Tannins are grippy giving plenty of texture and structure, but this lacks a little energy and finesse. It's certainly stylish though with liquorice, dark chocolate, wet stone and tobacco notes. Tasted twice. The estate has new owners as of November 2022 with the acquisition by Lawrence Wine Estates, (also owners of Napa wineries: Heitz Cellar, Burgess Cellars and Stony Hill). The group was established by the Lawrence family, led by US entrepreneur Gaylon Lawrence, alongside managing partner and Master Sommelier Carlton McCoy Jr MS. 2022 is the last vintage by winemaker Dominique Befve with ex-Ornellaia winemaker Axel Heinz taking over as of the 2023 vintage. Harvest 7-27 September. Yield of 36hl/ha. Ageing in French oak, 60% new. (GH)