2022 Le Dome
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Tasting notes
A unique Cabernet Franc-dominant plot on the limestone plateau of Saint-Emilion, Le Dôme always produces a wine of incredible intensity and complexity. Now with its extraordinary Norman Foster designed, state-of-the-art winery up and running, there is clearly no expense being spared here. The aromatics of the 2022 are wonderful. Initially savoury and lightly smoky, as you coax the wine, dried lavender and mixed spice waft from the glass. On the palate, it starts off sleek, then builds and builds – it’s a huge wine, so dense and opulent, bold in flavour, rich with black cherry and black plum fruit. One of the most powerful wines of the vintage, the concentration of tannins is almost overwhelming, just reined in by a herbaceous note. Nevertheless, this is big, bold, loud and proud. It will need time in the cellar for the tannins to integrate, but will be a fascinating wine to taste with maturity. Aged in 80% new oak, it’s a blend of 80% Cabernet Franc and 20% Merlot
Critic scores
Average Score
James Suckling
Jeff Leve, The Wine Cellar Insider
More reviews and scores
The 2022 Le Dôme has a more introspective bouquet with black cherries, briar and a touch of dark chocolate. Fine delineation, perhaps just closing down for a phase. The palate is medium-bodied with fine, quite edgy tannins. Structured, quite bold and grippy, there is a little dryness on the finish. Afford this three or four years in bottle. Tasted blind at the Southwold tasting in London.
Tasted blind. Glowing blackish crimson. Ambitious and energetic. Fruit battling against all that tannin. (JR)
About the producer
The man behind highly regarded Saint-Émilion wine Le Dôme is a Nigerian-born Brit who sold his engineering firm in 1992 to move to Cahors and restore a pile of ruins. After meeting a local vineyard owner at a dinner party, he ended up selling his production to Oddbins and was caught by the wine bug.