En Primeur 2022 New Release: Château Pichon Baron, Château Phélan Ségur, Domaine de Chevalier
Bordeaux Index
12 June 2023
This is one of the most brilliantly consistent, and consistently brilliant, wines from the modern Bordeaux era and we are huge fans.
Pichon Baron has been on a considerable roll for two decades now. In fact, it’s hard to think of the last time they underperformed, reliably being amongst the best wines of every vintage. It is this persistent excellence that gives Neal Martin cause to declare: “Pichon-Baron… is fast becoming the First Growth for those who are not bothered whether it says First Growth on the label.”
As well as a wonderful tasting with Managing Director Christian Seely in Bordeaux, our buyer Robert spent an hour interviewing him about the 2022 vintage (read the interview here: En Primeur 2022: An Interview with Christian Seely, CEO of AXA Millésimes) Christian highlights that 2022 “is a fantastic year truly marked by the outstanding quality of the Cabernets. We were able to take our time and wait until the grapes were perfectly ripe. […] The wine has power and plenitude, and it really has the charm of one of those hot and sunny years. […] It’s wonderful when you have a year that enables the wine to have this richness and this power, but also freshness and finesse. The combination of those two characteristics is really what makes 2022 for me. This is truly one of the great Pichon Barons that I’ve been involved with.”
“The 2022 Pichon Baron is marvellous. It continues a series of vintages that have been absolutely compelling. Bright red-toned fruit, spice, rose petal and blood orange lend considerable brightness throughout. More than anything else, the 2022 impresses with its precision and magnificent balance.” - Antonio Galloni, 96-98pts
“The 2022 Pichon Baron was picked 8 September to 3 October and matured in 70% new oak. It has wonderful precision on the nose, with intense blackberry and bilberry fruit, crushed stone and graphite. The oak is seamlessly integrated. The palate is tensile right from the start. Taut and linear, fresh, quite saline with a nuanced touch of black pepper toward the finish. Real pedigree and sophistication here, this is a magnificent Pichon-Baron that achieves a new level of precision thanks to the more piecemeal Sauternes-inspired harvest in tandem with their new winery.” - Neal Martin, 96-98pts
The 2022 Chevalier is one of the best the estate has produced with a number of top scores from critics:
Domaine de Chevalier is one large continuous vineyard that can be divided into almost 100 sub plots, all with their own characteristics and soil complexities, divided amongst the gentle rise-and-fall of the Pessac landscape. The surrounding forests help regulate any extreme weather events and encourage a healthy biodiversity. The estate is also currently under organic conversion. These elements combine to stunning effect in 2022, and proprietor Olivier Bernard has presided over what may transpire to be the finest of the many exquisite vintages to mark his 40th anniversary at the helm of this benchmark estate.
“As to the Grand Vin 2022 Domaine De Chevalier, this awesome Graves is based on 65% Cabernet Sauvignon, 30% Merlot, 3% Petit Verdot and the rest Cabernet Franc. Vinified in a mix of concrete and wood tanks, with a portion seeing malolactic fermentation in barrel, it offers a deep purple/ruby hue as well as a brilliant bouquet of crème de cassis, graphite, smoke tobacco, and damp earth. Reminding me of a supercharged version of the 2016, it's full-bodied and has a layered, silky mouthfeel, beautiful tannins, and a great finish. Released with a new, one-off label, the 2022 celebrates Olivier Bernard's 40th year at the château, and it's certainly a wine worth seeking out.” - 96-98pts Jeb Dunnuck
Buy Domaine de Chevalier Rouge
Buy Domaine de Chevalier Blanc
Château Phélan Ségur has become a real star of the appellation in recent years.
Owned by Philippe Van de Vyvere since 2017, there has been a noticeable and consistent rise in quality over this short time. Led by charismatic Managing Director Veronique Dausse, the property farms a part of the property organically, with precision viticulture used across the whole estate to manage vineyard vigour and physiological activity of the vines.
This year the wine is a blend of 56% Merlot, 40% Cabernet Sauvignon, 2% Cabernet Franc and 2% Petit Verdot, with yields at just 28hl/ha since a small part of the property was touched by hail in June. Listed in Decanter as one of Georgina Hindle’s ‘Value Picks’ this is an excellent Phelan and clearly demonstrates the significant jump in quality in recent years.