Based on 94% Merlot and 6% Cabernet Franc, the 2022 Château La Cabanne offers juicy red and black cherries, floral notes, damp earth, and chocolaty oak. Medium to full-bodied, pure, and focused on the palate, it has ripe tannins and a beautifully balanced, lively, and elegant profile. Drink bottles over the coming 10-12 years, if not longer. 2,417 cases produced.

The 2022 La Cabanne has a bouquet similar to the one I encountered en primeur with well-defined black fruit aromas tinged with tobacco and a background black truffle scent gaining intensity in the glass. The palate is medium-bodied with a peppery entry, gentle grip and touches of truffle and smoke toward the finish. While one bottle showed some greenness that I suspect came from an unclean cork, the second at the château bore more semblance to the showing from barrel.

The 2022 La Cabanne saw malolactic fermentation in tank, as this estate is evolving in a less heavy-handed direction. Revealing aromas of cherries, dark berries and licorice, it's medium to full-bodied, fleshy and supple, with a seamless, charming profile.