2023 La Dominique (St-Emilion)

Sleek ruby red, well judged extraction and use of oak, this is a great quality La Dominique, continuing a run of enjoyable vintages at this property under the team of Gwendeline Lucas and winemaker Yann Monties. Plenty of estate and appellation signature, sweet damson, black cherry, pomegranate and stone fruits, campfire smoke, clove spice and juicy lift, with a lingering, mouthwatering finish. Julien Viaud consultant. Tasted twice. 49hl/h yield. Harvest September 6 to 28, subdividing plots, including leaving the beginning and the ends of the rows for later harvesting. Aged in a mix of amphoras, wine globes, concrete eggs, 50% new oak. 95 points

The 2023 La Dominique is powerful, rich and deep, but without sacrificing aromatic presence. Hints of black cherry, spice, new leather and licorice unfurl in the glass, lending plenty of striking, even exotic, beauty. A successful vintage for this venerable Saint-Émilion. 92-94 points

The 2023 La Dominique has a well-defined bouquet: a mixture of red and black fruit, undergrowth and wilted rose petals. This is a much more refined example from the estate. The palate is medium-bodied with mocha-tinged fruit and moderate depth, quite old school in style with a touch of leather on the finish. It`s fine, but I would like just a tad more vivacity by the time of bottling. A second bottle toward the end of my tastings showed better than the first. 92-94 points