Coming from vines near Troplong Mondot and 85% Merlot and 15% Cabernet Franc, the 2022 Château Rochebelle is an absolutely brilliant barrel sample that stopped me in my tracks. Deep purple-hued, with perfumed blueberries, cherries, mulberries, chocolate, and a distinct chalky minerality, it hits the palate with medium to full-bodied richness, ultra-fine tannins, and flawless balance. The purity and precision here, paired with gorgeous depth of fruit, is something to behold. It's going to benefit from 4-5 years of bottle age and have 25+ years of overall longevity. I wouldn't be surprised to see this surpass both the 2018 and 2020.

A masterclass in purity and precision the 2022 Rochebelle is a chiselled beauty. Leading with clearly delineated aromatics of red flowers, rose petals and wild herbs the fruit is ripe but remains light-footed. Raspberries, red cherries and wild strawberries fill out the vibrant saline pulses running through this wine. Superb tension, brimming with the vertiginous energy and unforced complexity of Aka-Pygmy polyrhythms; every sip creates a new sensation of aroma, taste, and texture. Powdery tannins mesh wonderfully with the fruit leading to a very pretty, and utterly moreish finish.

Ruby red, this is intense but the limestone fingerprint is lightening the colour a little compared to some. Moriesh with a salty lick from the first moment, this is a delicious wine that gets the balance exactly right between intense ripe black fruits and juicy measured acidity. No question that we are in a ripe vintage with spice and cut herbs, but this extends outwards through the palate, and is just extremely enjoyable, even now as an En Primeur sample, but with enough tannic architecture to trust its ageing ability. Lovely from owner and winemaker Emilie Faniest. A buy.
Tasted by Jane Anson - Inside Bordeaux

Aromas of wild berries, cherries, rose petals and licorice preface the 2022 Rochebelle, a medium to full-bodied, layered and fleshy wine with a bright core of fruit, rich, powdery tannins and a long, chalky finish. From a vineyard on the edge of the plateau sandwiched between Tertre Roteboeuf and La Mondotte, the father and daughter team of Philippe and Emilie Faniest have delivered another strong performance. WK