Dark and brooding aromatics on the nose - blackcurrants, cherries and plums with mint and graphite accents too. Smooth and so juicy, glorious and joyful on the palate - it bursts with ripe red berry fruit that has a touch of crushed stones and fruit flesh giving a textured mouthfeel. Just feels so enjoyable and really quite approachable now. Fruity, soft, svelte - there's sinew but no heaviness. It's sleek and sophisticated, confident but not showy - almost understated. Really fantastic, where LMHB carries a spiced vein with more heat, this is more relaxed and open. Calm and generous in terms of fruit purity with well integrated tannins and wood. Wonderful. Has a delicate charm, layered but really finely presented. 3.83pH. 63% new oak. (GH)

The depth and concentration is clear. Cocoa bean, espresso, gingerbread spice, all as you would expect in this type of vintage, but given restraint and understated finesse by mint leaf, pomegranate, mandarin peel, a gathering of lightness, nuance and grace. Exceptional quality, give it plenty of time because these are muscular tannins, and this is a wine that will go the distance and then some. Jean-Philippe Masclef technical director, Jean-Philippe Delmas director.

A blockbuster of a wine from this château, the 2022 Château Haut-Brion is based on 53.6% Merlot, 35.4% Cabernet Sauvignon, and 11% Cabernet Franc. It's slightly deeper hued than its sibling, the La Mission Haut-Brion, and brings a slightly firmer, more masculine style in its smoky blackcurrants, scorched earth, graphite, violet, and tobacco-driven aromas and flavors. As good as it gets on the palate, this sensationally layered, seamless Haut-Brion has medium to full-bodied richness, a sensationally pure, multi-dimensional mouthfeel, building yet polished tannins, and an incredible finish. It deserves at least a decade in the cellar (it's clearly enjoyable even today), and I suspect it will evolve for 50-75 years or more, given its balance, concentration, and structure. (JD) 98+