Chateau Badette 2019 St. Emilion Grand Cru 750ml

Red and black currants, tobacco, new saddle leather, chocolaty oak, and Provençal herb notes all emerge from the 2019 Château Badette, a ripe, opulent, seamless 2019 with loads to love. Based on 85% Merlot, 10% Cabernet Franc, and 5% Petit Verdot, it has lots of background oak yet balancing fruit, good mid-palate depth, and a great finish. It's not for the old-school Claret lovers out there, but I suspect it will turn into a classic Saint-Emilion with 5-7 years of bottle age.

Score: 94+ points -- Jeb Dunnock, jebdunnock.com, 2022