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James Suckling
Lisa Perrotti-Brown, The Wine Independent
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The 2022 La Prade, a blend of 85% Merlot and 15% Cabernet Franc, is a lively, vibrant wine with aging potential. Revealing a dense, complex bouquet of lilacs, cassis, mulberries and flowers, it's round and structured, sappy and dense with a fleshy core of fruit framed by velvety tannins, concluding with a fresh, pencil-lead finish.
Smoky red and black fruits, leafy herbs, scorched earth, and lead pencil notes all emerge from the 2022 Château La Prade, a medium-bodied Francs that's balanced, has building tannins, and outstanding length. It would make one hell of a great house red for drinking over the coming decade or more. It would put a smile on my face.
The 2022 La Prade has opened up since I tasted it in barrel, offering blackberry, raspberry and briar scents. It's not complex, yet it feels harmonious and pure. The palate is medium-bodied with chalky tannins and strong graphite notes lending it a Left Bank-like allure. This is quite structured on the finish. This will need careful partnering with food, though I admire its freshness and reserve.
About the producer
Nicolas Thienpont purchased this estate in the Francs Côtes de Bordeaux in 2000. The seven hectares of vines average 40 years in age, divided between 85% Merlot and 15% Cabernet Franc, sitting partly on the limestone plateau in the village Saint-Cibard.