Winemaker Notes
#45 Wine Spectator Top 100 of 2024
Professional Ratings
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Wine Spectator
Shows the ripeness of the vintage, with dark currant and blackberry notes framed by singed cedar and vanilla. Ends with a tug of warm earth, a light twang of iron and a steady grip. Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot and Petit Verdot. Drink now through 2034.
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James Suckling
Olives, paprika and spiced currants throughout with firm but dissolved tannins that turn caressing and polished in a linear, medium-length finish. Fine-grained and not chewy.
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Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
A blend of 67% Cabernet Sauvignon, 23% Merlot and 10% Petit Verdot, the 2022 du Retout reveals an elegantly reduced, vibrant bouquet of dark berries, cassis, spices and bay leaf. Medium to full-bodied, enrobing and charming, it's supple and round for a Médoc with delicate, velvety tannins and a long, fruity finish. It should age gracefully over the next decade.
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Vinous
The 2022 Château du Retout has a well-defined nose, with blackberry and bilberry scents and pleasant estuarine aromas emerging with time. The palate is medium-bodied and quite concentrated, with firm tannins, but it retains freshness, with bold black fruit laced with blueberry and tobacco on the finish.
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Wine Enthusiast
A violet aroma and ripe black-currant fruit come from the wine that is dominated by Cabernet Sauvignon. It is ripe with full tannins and youthful acidity.
One of the world’s most classic and popular styles of red wine, Bordeaux-inspired blends have spread from their homeland in France to nearly every corner of the New World. Typically based on either Cabernet Sauvignon or Merlot and supported by Cabernet Franc, Malbec and Petit Verdot, the best of these are densely hued, fragrant, full of fruit and boast a structure that begs for cellar time. Somm Secret—Blends from Bordeaux are generally earthier compared to those from the New World, which tend to be fruit-dominant.
While it claims the same basic landscape as the Medoc—only every so slightly elevated above river level—the Haut Medoc is home to all of the magnificent chateaux of the Left Bank of Bordeaux, creating no lack of beautiful sites to see.
These chateaux, residing over the classed-growth cru in the villages of Margaux, Moulis, Listrac, St-Julien, Pauillac and St. Estephe are within the Haut Medoc appellation. Though within the confines of these villages, any classed-growth chateaux will most certainly claim village or cru status on their wine labels.
Interestingly, some classed-growth cru of the Haut Medoc fall outside of these more famous villages and can certainly be a source of some of the best values in Bordeaux. Deep in color, and concentrated in ripe fruit and tannins, these wines (typically Cabernet Sauvignon-based) often prove the same aging potential of the village classed-growths. Among these, the highest ranked chateaux are Chateau La Lagune and Chateau Cantemerle.