2022 Villemaurine
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Tasting notes
A blend of 76% Merlot and 24% Cabernet Franc, the 2022 Château Villemaurine is killer stuff, offering black raspberries, black cherries, violets, floral notes, and chalky minerality. Full-bodied, pure, deep, and seamless, it’s layered and rich yet incredibly balanced, with fine tannins and an elegant mouthfeel. Huge minerality and a liquid rock-like character make this a stunning effort. Aged for 16 months in 70% new and 30% one-year-old barrels, it’s going to evolve gracefully for 30+ years. Total production: 3,000 cases.
Critic scores
Average Score
James Suckling
Jeff Leve, The Wine Cellar Insider
More reviews and scores
The 2022 Villemaurine comes in an unnecessarily heavy bottle, which is misleading because the aromatics are refined and elegant, with pure black cherries, boysenberry fruit, cedar and light earthy scents. The palate is medium-bodied with pliant tannins and well-judged acidity. It's quite fleshy but possesses fine structure and poise. The 2022 is maybe not as complex as some of its peers, but there's promise. A second bottle tasted in January 2025 showed even more precision.
Plenty of blue fruits such as currants with cherries, berries, some fresh herbs and limestone. Medium- to full-bodied, this has chewy tannins and a savory finish with energy at the end, firm and slightly austere in a very good way. Limestone character coming through. Drink after 2028 and beyond.
Love the brambled blackberry fruit on the opening beats here, feels intense but welcoming, clear chalky salt scrape limestone kick along the way. It has a natural reserve with fine floral notes. Lefevre family, in their first full vintage as owners, 70% new oak, plus amphora and one year old oak. 38hl/h yield, clay limestone soils.
About the producer
This eight-hectare estate has changed hands several times in recent years and is now owned by the Lefévère family (who also own Sansonnet, Moulin du Cadet and Soutard-Cadet).