2022 Chateau Rocheyron St. Emilion

Skilful construction here, slate and pumice stone texture, with a clutch of wild roses, sage, bitter orange zest. Brambled autumnal fruits with a kiss of cloves, turmeric and baking spice reflecting the ripeness achieved within the vintage, harnessed to a sense of reserve and a foot on the break in the opulence of the vintage. Impressive, delivers on En Primeur promise. 32hl/h yield, 7.5ha. Axel Marchal consultant. 3.5ph. Harvest September 8 to 26. Peter Sisseck winemaker, co-owner with Silvio Denz. 35% new oak barrels for ageing, biodynamic certified.

80% Merlot, 20% Cabernet Franc. Certified organic and biodynamic. Cask sample. Pure, precise and long. Juicy and quite dense but measured in terms of concentration. Restrained in style but has energy. Saline note on the finish. Will be interesting to see where this goes. (JL)

Stunning glass-staining colour, straight away this shows subtlety among the intensity of the vintage, with a slow build up of floral red rose aromatics, and the imprint of limestone that is expertly judged, balancing the energy that it brings with the exotic intensity of the ripe fruits. Creamy lush blackberry, raspberry and blueberry, expands through the palate, then contracts again as the pummice stone and saffron salinity comes in, each playing off the other. Get tension and grip, finishing with bitter orange peel and a smile. Worth noting that the blend is probably final, but Sisseck is not a winemaker to be bound by it if he feels something works better over ageing (worth noting also that the knowledge he says he gained from Ribero del Duero is that you have to be very hands off during fermentation in these kind of vintages because it is easy to go too far). 35% new oak, 32hl/h yield, 7.5ha. Axel Marchal consultant for past three years. 3.5ph. Harvest September 8 to 26.