Nicolas Auderbert and Thomas Duclos, the pair that did such brilliant job at Château Canon, have turned their sights on Berliquet, owned by Canon since 2017. There are slightly cooler soils here, a touch more clay and it gives a subdued edge with clear quality and bright brambled blackberry, rhubarb, pomegranate, blood organge, turmeric spice. Tight and full of energy. 50% new oak, 40hl/h yield, harvest September 14 to 24. 7.5ha. 93 points

When I tasted the barrel sample, the 2020 Berliquet was not firing on all cylinders. Now in bottle, the nose is still a bit wanting, with light brambly red fruit and earthy scents, just missing some cohesion and the intensity of its peers. The palate is medium-bodied with supple tannins, a gentle grip and a round texture. A smear of dark chocolate appears towards the focused finish that requires more substance. Not bad, though greater wines will emanate from this address down the line. 89 points

The 2020 Berliquet is another step in a direction favoring finesse over the burly power that often marked the wines of the past. Delicate and nuanced, with pretty floral top notes, this mid-weight Saint-Émilion is a charmer. Drink it over the next decade or so. 92 points

Clean and effortless in style. Delicate summer-fruit notes with a hint of mint. Juicy and fresh with chalky tannins and dry finish. Eminently digeste comme on dit en France, innit. 16.5 points

A persistent nose of blackberry-ripe fruit; concentrated, vital in acidity, quite firm in tannin; long and ripely tasty, both fine and chewy at once, and with excellent length. You can taste the more clayey terroir here of Berliquet’s `Côte`; there is more matter than in Canon (made by the same team) and less finesse. That said, this is very good. Drink 2028–40+. 90–92 points