2018 Château Berliquet
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Tasting notes
This was the first year where Chanel’s technical team could implement change both in the vineyard and winery. From the beginning, they started working with horses in the vineyard to be more gentle with their management of the soil – this is particularly effective on the clay-rich hillside. Their first major change in the winery was to bring in smaller vats in order to be more precise in their management of the vinification. The 2018 has classic notes of purple violets and cassis that unfurl in the glass. The palate is awash with lovely earthy notes, leading to a long, persistent finish. The fruit has an impressive, lifted quality that is particularly noticeable. Blend: 78% Merlot, 22% Cabernet Franc
Critic scores
James Suckling
Jeb Dunnuck
More reviews and scores
Tasted blind. Meaty nose. And then rather pinched fruit. Ungenerous. Ambitious but not yet at all charming. Though the core of fruit is impressive. (JR)
The 2018 Berliquet is more controlled on the nose than when tasted from barrel, though I still feel it needs more time to completely gel and would benefit from greater delineation. The palate is medium-bodied with toasty black fruit, tar and tobacco, leading to a dry and slightly smudged finish. Maybe I could find a better and fresher bottle, but this is par for the course.