2022 Château Charmail

This is toned and crunchy with dark and blue fruit, sea shells and crushed stones. Medium- to full-bodied. Tannins are compact and chalky. Velvety finish. (2023)

A perennial great value, the 2022 Château Charmail checks in as 45% Merlot, 37% Cabernet Sauvignon, 13% Cabernet Franc, and the balance Petit Verdot, from hail-decimated yields of 15 hectoliters per hectare that's aging in 50% new French oak, with a small amount in concrete eggs. Rocking levels of smoky blue fruits, cherries, spicy oak, and violets emerge on the nose, and it's medium-bodied, has a pure, elegant texture, and ripe yet building tannins. It has enough structure to warrant some bottle age, but it's good. (2023)