92-93pts James Suckling
Blackberries, blueberries and dark chocolate with some spice. Medium body. Firm and bright. Polished tannins. Very spicy with nutmeg and cloves at the end. 52% merlot, 40% cabernet sauvignon and 8% petit verdot.
88-90pts Wine Advocate
A Merlot-dominant blend, the 2022 Lilian Ladouys offers up rich aromas of dark berries, violets, charcoal and rose petals, followed by a medium to full-bodied, fleshy palate framed by rich, youthfully firm tannins that assert themselves on the finish. Impacted by hail and with a very elevated pH of 3.95, this is something of a blunt instrument.
90-92pts Vinous
The 2022 Lilian Ladouys is a dense, poweful wine. In most vintages, Lilian Ladouys is a bit lighter, but in 2022 everything is amplified. A shift in parcels and the style of the year have resulted in a serious punchy wine with real breadth. Savory and earthy notes add complexity.
93pts Jane Anson
Intense colour, marzipan and fennel, caraway seeds, cracked pepper, very classic St Estèphe in that it has just a ton of cassis and bilberry fruit, with chewy tannins that have you wading through the mid palate. This is clearly extremely well made, almost 2010 in feel, with balance and confidence. Due for certifcation organic in 2024, now in conversion. Highest amount of Petit Verdot at this estate, lost around 30% of the crop through hail and frost in northern St Estèphe. 35% new oak barrels, alongside larger sized oak casks for ageing.
91-93pts Jeb Dunnuck
From a château that lost 40% of their production due to hail, the 2022 Château Lilian Ladouys checks in as 52% Merlot, 40% Cabernet Sauvignon, and 8% Petit Verdot. A rich, medium to full-bodied, balanced Saint-Estèphe, it offers pure plum and darker cherry fruits, some chocolate and leafy herb nuances, ripe tannins, and a concentrated, textured mid-palate. It's beautifully done, and I suspect it will represent a great value as well.
93pts Decanter
Smells aromatic and expressive, dark black fruits and softly fragranced floral notes. Smooth and juicy, so clean and sleek, really such a succulent and lively explosion of fruit in the mouth. Crisp and super cool, lovely licks of graphite and crushed stones give the minerality straight away and really put you on limestone terroir. Bite and tang, with well-integrated tannins and cool blueberry, liquorice, salt, iodine and cola touches on the finish. Really accessible and drinkable, a gorgeous frame and energy to this. Tannins are just fleshy, but chalky too, giving a nice fullness while keep a balanced amount of tension so nothing feels too heavy or overworked.
89-91pts Wine Independent
The 2022 Lilian Ladouys is a blend of 52% Merlot, 40% Cabernet Sauvignon, and 8% Petit Verdot; with 33% being aged in new oak. The pH is 3.95 and the TPI is 75. There was some hail damage in June, so yields are lower than usual at 33 hl/ha. It has a deep garnet-purple color and bursts from the glass with bold notions of juicy black plums, black cherry preserves, and crushed redcurrants, leading to hints of menthol and crushed rocks. The medium-bodied palate delivers mouth-coating black fruits, with a firm, grainy texture and seamless freshness, finishing with a minty lift.
