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. — 4 months 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! — 6 months ago

Stuart Pollack

9.3

Lovely light Provençal Rosé. Light strawberry flavor with some vanilla. Perfect with light mild fish. . — 2 years ago

Joe Weinberger

9.0

Probably held on to this a year too long but it showed well for the first night (mouse had set in by the following day). Citrus, white flowers, orange blossom. — 5 years ago

Inseon Hwang

9.0

Very approachable St E. Dark cherry, licorice and barnyard. Medium body. Drinking nicely. — 6 years ago

Neel Master

9.2

Love this one. Strawberry delight. — 7 years ago

Peter Heyboer

9.0

Wish I could decant this. Oak on the nose, but it hints at the fruit and tobacco/chocolate you're about to taste. Palate has noticeable but not assertive tannins and blends really nicely with the aforementioned flavors. Paired well with dinner but this feels like a pre-dinner sipper. Would buy again. — 4 months ago

with Matthew, Ethan and 2 others

David Dorn

8.9

Solid value here — 4 months ago

Conrad Green

9.2

Very packed and dense. Sweet edges. Violet and tart cherry. Pure and good but needs time — 8 months ago

with Paul and Ara

aik

9.0

it has high alcohol, but i feel cool nuance, because it has sharp acidiy and lifted aromas. Well balanced and enjoyable classic Syrah beauty. — 5 years ago

Navin Budhwani

9.2

Aerated and decanted for 2 hours. Drinking so nicely. Beautiful finish — 6 years ago

James Forsyth

9.1

Very accessible. Fresh. Red cherries and floral notes. A touch wild. — 7 years ago

Patti Gamboni

9.0

150m / red clay, wow aromatics, raspberry. Pepper. — 8 years ago

Andy@andyberke.com

8.9

Solid. Some terroir — 4 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. — 4 months ago

Hiroshi Tominaga

8.9

Pleasant drinking. — 5 months ago

Stefan Dolhain

9.1

2022 vintage. One of the Castel family estates since 1973 ( before the estate was known as Domaine de Tartuguière). With 144 hectares of vines,this is the largest contiguous vineyard in the Médoc. Vanessa Trouy has been in charge since 2002. Dark red colour. Needs a bit of time to open up, give it 15 minutes to release attractive aromas of strawberries, flowers, nutmeg and oak. Good fruit concentration in the mouth, with a solid tannic structure,fresh acidity and nice length. This will need a few years to show all its potential, and has serious ageing potential. For now decanting is recommended, pair with a good steak. Another terrific Bordeaux value. — 8 months ago

Peter Wassam

9.0

Juicy black fruit, firm tannins, iron and red twizzler nose, perfect with ribeyes. Always been a bargain of a wine — 6 years ago

John Van Trijp

9.5

World greatest Chardonnay blind tasting — 7 years ago

Andrew Neblett

9.3

Nice slight fizz. Bright fruit. Medium body. Easy drinking. — 8 years ago