Château Pey La Tour – Réserve du Château

Notes of crushed berries and spices. Medium-bodied with fine tannins. Some chewiness at the end.

Supple and richly scented, lovely blackcurrant and black cherry fruit on the palate, deep but sleek and so well defined. Crisp and crunchy with liquorice, dark chocolate and clove edges to the fine but firm tannins. Feels well worked with purity, tannins are at the fore, but they're plump and give weight to the expression. When they soften this will be very drinkable. Great acidity with a lift on the finish. Leaves a refreshing cool moorish taste. 2% Cabernet Franc completes the blend. Aged 12 months, 10% new oak barrels, 3 batches in amphora. HVE certified.

The 2022 Pey La Tour Réserve du Château is packed with dark black fruit, gravel, spice, leather, tobacco, incense and espresso. Exuberant and racy, the 2022 is bold and punchy to the core. A whole range of savory and earthy notes extend the finish.

Medium-bodied, soft, red berry oriented wine with a touch of spice and freshness at the end. This will be ready to go on release, and will be as its best over the next few years. Drink from 2025-2030.

A veritable mass of fruit on the nose and flavour-attack on the palate makes for a white-knuckle ride here. Unexpected and gratefully received, this is a structured vintage for Pey La Tour, and it manages to bolt on tannin and oak details while augmenting exotic fruit notes to compensate. Lovely and harmonious, this is an excellent effort for this wine, and it will undoubtedly age well, too. 

I found a rare softness in Château Pey La Tour 2022 that is uncommon for wines at this level: the tannin structure is rich and powerful, but it delicately spreads on the palate in a powdery texture. Thanks to the excellent water retention capacity of the clay-limestone soil, the blackberry and blackcurrant aromas are ripe and plump, with clarity and distinction. Even at the En Primeur stage, it is already quite enjoyable to drink.