The 2022 Château La Dominique might be the finest I've tasted from this estate. Located in the northern part of Saint-Emilion, not far from Cheval Blanc as well as the Pomerol border, with plenty of clay in the soils, it's based on 88% Merlot, 11% Cabernet Franc, and the rest Cabernet Sauvignon, raised in 50% new barrels. Gorgeous darker currant and black cherry fruit, chocolate, leafy herbs, and a Pomerol-like damp earth character all define the aromatics, and it's medium to full-bodied, has incredible purity, silky tannins, and a great finish. It's a gorgeously textured, seamless, balanced Saint-Emilion that already offers pleasure yet has a solid two decades of prime drinking ahead of it. Bravo.

The 2022 La Dominique has a more generous bouquet than when I tasted it from barrel, featuring finely delineated black cherry, kirsch, orange pith and blue fruit aromas. The palate is medium-bodied with succulent ripe tannins, but there is welcome restraint and plenty of structure. Its dark chocolate patina on the finish will be absorbed with time. This is excellent.

A rich, heady wine, the 2022 La Dominique offers up aromas of sweet cherries, baked berries and plum liqueur mingled with notions of licorice and melted asphalt. Medium to full-bodied, broad and fleshy, with a rich core of sweet, somewhat jammy fruit but reasonably lively underlying acids, it's framed by plenty of powdery tannin. I had entertained higher hopes for La Dominique this year, but perhaps the pace of ripening was just too rapid for the estate's technical team.