Freddy R. Troya

9.0

Château La Tour de Bessan Margaux 2022 — Margaux, Bordeaux, France 🇫🇷

Overview
A classic Left Bank blend of 65% Cabernet Sauvignon · 30% Merlot · 5% Petit Verdot (estate typically varies slightly by vintage) delivering structure, elegance, and aromatic finesse. Great frame and graphite tension coming from the Cab Sauv., mid-palate polish thanks to Merlot, and liked how Petit Verdot brings subtle spice and color depth. A beautifully traditional, unclassified Margaux that punches above its weight.

Aromas & Flavors
Black cherry, blackberry, cassis, violet, pencil shavings, cedar, light tobacco, and crushed stone. Fruit stays fresh and pure with delicate floral lift typical of the appellation.

Mouthfeel
Medium-plus body with polished, fine-grained tannins. Dry, linear, and elegant rather than powerful. Balanced acidity keeps everything lifted and graceful with a clean, savory finish.

Food Pairings
Roast chicken with herbs, grilled lamb chops, duck breast, mushroom risotto, lentils, Comté or aged goat cheese. A very food-friendly claret.

Verdict
Proof that Margaux elegance doesn’t require classified growth pricing. Refined, honest, and beautifully composed. Delicious now with air, but easily cellar-worthy for 6–10 years.

🍷 Personal Pick
This is my kind of “weekday Bordeaux”, structured yet graceful, polished without heaviness. The sort of bottle that quietly disappears over dinner because everything just clicks.

Did You Know?
La Tour de Bessan is run by Marie-Laure Lurton (of the Lurton family estates) and is known for crafting textbook, terroir-driven Margaux expressions that emphasize finesse over extraction. — 2 days ago

JKT

9.1

Yup a new one to me and it’s well proportioned and lively on palate with well aged ripe fruits and earthy. Tasty! — 2 months ago

Conrad Green

9.2

Very packed and dense. Sweet edges. Violet and tart cherry. Pure and good but needs time — 4 months ago

with Paul and Ara

Stefan Dolhain

9.5

2010 vintage. A classic La Tour Blanche with roasted pineapple, nuts, beeswax and flowers. Rich and complex, with good balancing acidity and great length. — 13 days ago

Andy@andyberke.com

8.9

Solid. Some terroir — 3 days ago

David Dorn

8.9

Solid value here — 11 days ago

Rufus King

9.5

Delicious Margaux Bordeaux blend, dark fruit and fine tannin, at the Hurricane, Kennebunkport — 3 months ago

Thomas Hillskog

9.1

Peak maturity now better than 2 and 4 years ago. Still fruity but with more complexity an soft tannins. — 7 days ago

Nick Heer

9.0

White pepper, berries, just right tannins. — 4 days ago

Tom Casagrande

9.2

These are recalled impressions, not contemporaneous notes, from two nights ago, when the family council of elders met for a steak/wine pairing event at my brother Angelo’s house.

Balanced and subtle, this developed nicely with air and was quite elegant. — a month ago

with Dan and Angelo