2023 Dassault
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Tasting notes
A blend of 73% Merlot, 22% Cabernet Franc, and 5% Cabernet Sauvignon that was brought up in 46% new French oak with the balance in foudre, concrete, and amphora, the 2023 Château Dassault is an incredibly pure, focused, elegant version of this cuvée, which in the past was made in a more powerful, well-oaked style. Red and black fruits, flowers, spicy wood, and hints of chocolate all shine on the nose, and it's medium-bodied on the palate, with a pure, graceful, layered mouthfeel and ripe tannins. I love the overall balance as well as the overall level of finesse in this beauty, and it's going to have 15+ years of prime drinking. Drink 2026-2041.
Critic scores
Average Score
James Suckling
William Kelley, Wine Advocate
More reviews and scores
The 2023 Dassault is rich, dense and explosive. Inky fruit, lavender, licorice, mocha and espresso race out of the glass. This sumptuous, opulent Saint-Émilion turned out beautifully. I would prefer to drink it on the early side while the fruit remains vibrant.
The 2023 Dassault has a relatively simple bouquet with blackberry, raspberry and licorice scents that just needs a little more delineation. The palate is medium-bodied with smooth tannins, fine acidity, quite fleshy toward the finish that has the precision that the aromatics need. Hopefully it will gain that in bottle, there's potential here.
Ripe red and black fruits, smoky oak, graphite, and some leather notes all define the aromatics of the 2023 Château Dassault, a medium to full-bodied, ripe, textured, straight-up sexy 2023 that shines for its purity and balance. It has the vintage’s paradoxical mix of ripeness and freshness, quality tannins, and outstanding length. The blend is 73% Merlot, 22% Cabernet Franc, and the balance Cabernet Sauvignon, aging in 50% new French oak, 20% in foudre, 10% in amphora, and the balance in used barrels.