Inside Bok’s Vinexpo 2025 Tasting Notes
2022 Bordeaux, Bold & Promising
On 27 May, Bok attended the Vinexpo 2025 exhibition, where he had the opportunity to taste a curated lineup of 2022 Bordeaux wines. Despite a limited selection at the tradeshow, what he tasted impressed him enough to affirm what many insiders have whispered — 2022 is a vintage to watch.
“My overall impression of 2022? It’s a very good vintage.” — Bok
Here’s Bok’s Takeaway:
🟣 A Strong Vintage Identity
The 2022s showed balance, fine tannins, and rich fruit concentration across the board. “There’s a depth to these wines that makes them feel both approachable and age-worthy,” Bok remarked. This vintage is not just about fruit — the structure, acidity, and mouthfeel also contribute to its elegance.
⏳ Long Aging Potential
Many of the wines Bok tasted had excellent aging potential — “you can keep them for many, many years,” he noted. Great for collectors or those seeking a Bordeaux vintage to lay down.
📍 Top Appellations – Bok’s Selection
Saint-Emilion – Bok’s top performer. Wines like Beauséjour, La Gaffelière, Canon La Gaffelière were especially impressive for their purity, finesse, and expression of terroir.
Pauillac – “My highest rating goes to Pauillac wines,” said Bok. Pichon Baron and Pichon Lalande stood out for their power and finesse.
Graves – Haut-Bailly and Smith Haut Lafitte showed strong structure and complexity.
😕 Some Letdowns
Saint-Julien – Bok noted this as underwhelming, with the exception of Gloria.
Pomerol – “Too simple,” he noted. The Merlot-driven reds lacked the complexity to excite his radar.
Why Today’s Wines Are Must-Haves
The good news? We’ve secured a limited offering of several top picks that align directly with Bok’s tasting report — all 2022 vintage, all from standout regions he praised.
🌟 Featured Wines – Appellations & Highlights
From the Left Bank:
2022 Duhart Milon (Pauillac)
Wine Advocate - 94 Points
The 2022 Duhart-Milon is showing beautifully, bursting from the glass with aromas of mulberries, blackcurrants, pencil shavings and rose petal. Medium to full-bodied, velvety and textural, it's sweet and layered, with a gourmand core of fruit underpinned by powdery tannins and lively acids. A decade ago, Duhart could be a somewhat austere wine, but today it's much more integrated and harmonious. The 2022 is a blend of 78% Cabernet Sauvignon and 22% Merlot.
2022 Lynch Bages (Pauillac)
James Suckling - 98 Points
A terrific Lynch from a hot vintage with blackcurrants, mint, dried lavender, graphite and thyme on the nose and palate. Medium- to full-bodied, it shows fantastic tannins with a lovely texture that reminds me of cashmere, becoming slightly chewy in the finish. (2/2025)
2022 Pichon Lalande (Pauillac) – Top 100-Point Wine, even said to echo the legendary 1982 vintage!
Wine Advocate - 100 Points
The 2022 Pichon Longueville Comtesse de Lalande has turned out even better in bottle than I anticipated, bursting from the glass with aromas of cassis and blackberries mingled with scents of licorice, violets and pencil shavings. Full-bodied, layered and enveloping, it's suave, seamless and complete, with faultless precision, pristine integration of tannin, controlled sweetness and a long, expansive finish. The 2022 manages to unite the sensuality that's the estate's calling card and the ripeness of the vintage on the one hand, with a sense of Pauillac classicism on the other, threading the needle to deliver one of the finest wines of the vintage and a benchmark Pichon Comtesse. It's a blend of 78% Cabernet Sauvignon, 17% Merlot and 5% Cabernet Franc that spent 18 months in barriques (three months more than was formerly the case), two-thirds of which were new. As I wrote en primeur, there's more than a hint of the 1982 about this wine, and like the 1982, the 2022 will offer an exceptionally wide drinking window. (2/2025)
2022 Chateau d’Armailhac (Pauillac)
Wine Advocate - 92 Points
Aromas of cherries, blackberries, pencil shavings and creamy new oak introduce the 2022 d'Armailhac , a medium to full-bodied, sweet and dense wine that's rich and succulent, with a generous core of sun-kissed fruit, ripe tannins and an expansive finish (3/2025)
2022 Haut Bailly (Pessac-Léognan / Graves)
James Suckling - 97 Points
The aromas of blueberries, blackberries and sandalwood come through so clearly that they entice you before you taste. In the mouth, it has such an intensity of silky tannins caressing every inch of your palate. Very classy and extremely long, it goes on and on. 56% cabernet sauvignon, 37% merlot, 5% petit verdot and 2% cabernet franc. Needs four to five years of bottle age. (2/2025)
From the Right Bank:
2022 Pavie Macquin (Saint-Emilion) – right in the zone Bok loved most!
Wine Advocate - 95 Points
The 2022 Pavie Macquin has turned out nicely, offering up aromas of dark berries, licorice, bay leaf and pencil shavings, followed by a medium to full-bodied, dense and layered palate that's lively, concentrated and controlled, with excellent integration and length. Youthfully reticent, it will require a bit of patience. (2/2025)
These wines are directly in line with Bok’s highest-rated appellations: Saint-Emilion, Pauillac, and Graves. Whether you're collecting, gifting, or drinking, these are wines that offer tremendous value, age-worthiness, and taste of greatness
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