Winemaker Notes
Professional Ratings
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James Suckling
A solid Pierre with chocolate, hazelnut, berry and orange peel aromas and flavors. Full to medium body. Juicy tannins and fruity. Poised and fresh finish.
Barrel Sample: 94-95 -
Decanter
Ripe, dark black and blue fruits on the nose with perfumed flecks too. Supple and lively, on the leaner side, straight and focussed with purity to the red fruits. Quite a tannic hold, fine but full and grippy, with a liquorice and graphite aspect that coats the entire mouth and shuts down some of the fruit enjoyment at this stage. Nicely constructed with clear concentration but the tannins are making the most of their time in the limelight right now. Juicy, cool and clean though with good freshness. Tasted twice and both times between 91-92 points.
Barrel Sample: 91 -
Jeb Dunnuck
The 2022 Château Pierre 1er presents darker cherries, leafy herbs, earth, and graphite spice. Medium-bodied and balanced, it has solid tannins, an elegant structure, and outstanding length.
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Vinous
The 2022 Pierre 1er is a powerful, boisterous Saint-Émilion. This has come together well with élevage and now shows more cohesion than it did en primeur. Small red-toned fruit, crushed flowers, mint, cinnamon and rose petal all build nicely in this understated yet racy offering.
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.
Marked by its historic fortified village—perhaps the prettiest in all of Bordeaux, the St-Émilion appellation, along with its neighboring village of Pomerol, are leaders in quality on the Right Bank of Bordeaux. These Merlot-dominant red wines (complemented by various amounts of Cabernet Franc and/or Cabernet Sauvignon) remain some of the most admired and collected wines of the world.
St-Émilion has the longest history in wine production in Bordeaux—longer than the Left Bank—dating back to an 8th century monk named Saint Émilion who became a hermit in one of the many limestone caves scattered throughout the area.
Today St-Émilion is made up of hundreds of independent farmers dedicated to the same thing: growing Merlot and Cabernet Franc (and tiny amounts of Cabernet Sauvignon). While always roughly the same blend, the wines of St-Émilion vary considerably depending on the soil upon which they are grown—and the soils do vary considerably throughout the region.
The chateaux with the highest classification (Premier Grand Cru Classés) are on gravel-rich soils or steep, clay-limestone hillsides. There are only four given the highest rank, called Premier Grand Cru Classés A (Chateau Cheval Blanc, Ausone, Angélus, Pavie) and 14 are Premier Grand Cru Classés B. Much of the rest of the vineyards in the appellation are on flatter land where the soils are a mix of gravel, sand and alluvial matter.
Great wines from St-Émilion will be deep in color, and might have characteristics of blackberry liqueur, black raspberry, licorice, chocolate, grilled meat, earth or truffles. They will be bold, layered and lush.