2012 Berliquet
Estimated value
Buying options
Tasting notes
Tasted blind. Intense, medicinal nose with a hint of Elastoplast. A bit lacking fruit and overplaying the tannin. Chewy end. (JR)
Critic scores
Average Score
Robert Parker
Robert Parker
More reviews and scores
The 2012 Berliquet is quite attractive. Succulent dark cherries, menthol, licorice and new leather are all pushed forward. The 2012 is open-knit and generous, with good up-front appeal, and enough underlying structure to drink well for at least a decade, perhaps longer. Beams of supporting tannin shape the expressive finish. Another year or two in bottle can only help. The blend is 75% Merlot, 22% Cabernet Franc and 3% Cabernet Sauvignon. Nicolas Thienpont and his team led by David Suire oversee Berliquet, with additional input from consultants Stéphane Derenoncourt and Julien Lavenu.
An intriguing blend of 65% Merlot, 30% Cabernet Franc and 5% Cabernet Sauvignon, coming from the limestone plateau of St.-Emilion, a chalky minerality interwoven with blackcurrants, plum and spice are present in this slightly austere, but well-endowed, medium-bodied St.-Emilion. It will benefit from 2-4 years of bottle age. This is a solidly made, masculine style of St.-Emilion that should drink nicely for 12-15 years. Berliquet’s yields were a modest 30 hectoliters per hectare, and the wine achieved 14.2% alcohol.
About the producer
The Chanel group – owners of Ch. Rauzan-Ségla and Ch. Canon – added Berliquet to their stable of wine estates in 2017. Since then, the team – led by Nicolas Audebert – has been transforming the property, gradually revealing this special Saint-Emilion site’s potential.