Bordeaux 2025 : The Tasting at Laboratoire Rolland
11 Jan 2026- Details
- Category: On the Road with the Grape Guy
(Jan. 24, 2025) … Holy Shit, it took me a bit to realize I was in the house of Rolland, tasting the wines that Michel and Dany Rolland have a hand in consulting for - and what a tasting, plenty of top shelf wines, and with 2022 being such a great year - there were so many wines to get excited about. Another 100+ wines to taste were put on display for us. My top four here are must-gets; the two-star line-up will not disappoint; and the one-star are worth a bottle or two. I must admit, this was my favourite of our "mass tastings".
After the tasting, I sat down with Dany Rolland and we chatted about the future of Bordeaux and many other topics in an interview I conducted in French (listen to it here); we also did an English translation (listen to it here). Fantastic wines, great subject, wonderful discussion - it is no wonder that Rolland continues to be at the top of consultants in France. And don't even get me started on the wines Dany was kind enough to pour for lunch - suffice it to say we kept stepping back in time, ten years or so, till we got to 1979.
Scoring is my typical three-star ranking that I did for the entire trip: Good/Better/Best … as mentioned, there were 100+ wines tasted today. The top wines received notes; the lower tier, just a score. Let’s get right to it:
THREE STAR WINES (Best)
CLOS DE SARPE 2022 St Emilion (Grand Cru Classe)
Lovely floral and elegance; the fruit lies lightly on the palate, gentle and easy. Silky tannins - pure and pleasant. Can't get enough of this one.
CLOS TOUMALIN (Le Vieilles Cure) 2022 Canon-Fronsac
Juicy, fun, and fresh - lots of dark fruit via plum and black cherry, red licorice and good acidity.
LA VIEILLE CURE 2022 Fronsac 
Truly some of the best juice tasted: super-juicy, blackberry, cocoa, mocha, cassis, licorice, silky tannins and elegant style. Rich, round and complex.
PAPE CLEMENT 2022 Pessac Léognan
There is a bruiser mentality here: it's a little punchy, with good tannins, big fruit, and a mineral seam - plenty of life to live 20 years or more here. Long finish elevates this to an elegant wine.
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TWO STAR WINES (Better)
BERNON BECOT 2022 Puisseguin St Emilion
There is some power behind the fruit: big tannin punch, good acidity and some lively notes that will and should resolve over the next 3+ years.
ENCLOS TOURMALINE 2022 Pomerol
Plum and blueberry lead things off, then some good acidity, and tannins remain silky right to the finish.
FAIZEAU 2022 Montagne St Emilion
Sip after sip this wine gets better and better. More structured and has more power behind it - the fruit is dark, the tannins kick at the tongue, and the spice zips in and out between the acidity. This needs time, but in 5 years expect to get a shiver down your spine.
FLEUR CARDINALE 2022 St Emilion (Grand Cru Classe)
Pretty floral, spicy with some bittersweet chocolate - acidity sits a little high, but that should help with aging.
FOMBRAUGE 2022 St Emilion (Grand Cru Classe)
There is a richness here, plump but with nice acidity; dark-fruited, tannins are aggressive, but the fruit is up front - acidity is big and bold and will help keep this wine in the cellar longer.
LA DAUPHINE 2022 Fronsac
Lots of good fruit, a little drier than the others, and less powerful fruit; a little more minerality than fruit - but still a good wine to drink and enjoy now.
LA DOMINIQUE 2022 St Emilion (Grand Cru Classe)
Delicate floral, pretty cherry fruit, light and easy with good acidity. This is such a pretty wine, it does not try to be too much and there is a mineral component that just adds an extra layer.
LA TOUR CARNET 2022 Haut Médoc
Anise and herbal notes with a chewy mid-point and lots of good red currant and sour cherry. Pleasant.
LE BON PASTEUR 2022 Pomerol
Silky, juicy and delicious - this is quite the delicious juice from Pomerol. So much fruit to lure you in, then the acidity cleans things up. A little black licorice slips in and out of focus on the palate. The make up is 80% Merlot and 20% Cabernet Franc.
LE GAY 2022 Pomerol
There is a seam of minerality that kicks in on this one, especially at the end. But there is also a nice fruit core, it does not overwhelm, but it does not disappoint.
PAUILLAC 2022 Pauillac
Smoky dark fruit with a real drinkability on the palate; tannins swing in near the third sip to bring balance to the acidity and fruit. This one has good stuffing.
PIERRE 1er 2022 St Emilion (Grand Cru Classe)
Juicy with notes of red fruit, cherry, and blackberry; toasty and tasty.
TRIMOULET 2022 St Emilion (Grand Cru Classe)
Mocha, cherry, chocolate - good deep dark fruit - silky tannins - really pleasant - not for the long haul but a good 5-7 year drinker.
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ONE STAR WINES (Good)
BERTINEAU SAINT VINCENT 2022 Lalande de Pomerol
BOURNAC 2022 Médoc
CHAUVIN 2022 St Emilion GCC
CLARISSE 2022 Puisseguin St Emilion
CLARISSE Vieilles Vignes 2022 Puisseguin St Emilion
CLOS BEAUREGARD 2022 Pomerol
CLOS DUBREUIL 2022 St Emilion GCC
CM CAP DE MOURLIN 2022 St Emilion GC
COUHINS LURTON 2022 Pessac Léognan
DE LAMARQUE 2022 Haut Médoc
DU CARTILLON 2022 Haut Médoc
FAYAT 2022 Pomerol
FLEURON DE Ch. THOMAS 2022 Lussac St Emilion
FONBADET 2022 Pauillac
FRANC PIPEAU 2022 St Emilion GC
HAUT BRISSON 2022 St Emilion GC
HERITAGE DE NEGRIT 2022 Montagne St Emilion
HOT BLOOD MAISON WESSMAN 2022 Bergerac
INTUITION DE FLEUR CARDINALE 2022 St Emilion GC
LA CHANDELLIERE 2022 Médoc
LA CROIX BELLEVUE 2022 Lalande de Pomerol
LA LOUVIERE 2022 Pessac Léognan
LA ROSE PERRIERE 2022 Lussac St Emilion
LA VIOLETTE 2022 Pomerol
LASCOMBES 2022 Margaux
LE SECRET 2022 Médoc
LES GRANDS CHENES 2022 Médoc
LES TOURS DES VERDOTS 2022 Bergerac
LES TROIS CROIX 2022 Fronsac
MARQUIS DE TERME 2022 Margaux
PABUS 2022 Bordeaux Supérieur
PUY-GALLAND 2022 Francs - Côtes de Bordeaux
ROC DE BECOT 2022 Puisseguin St Emilion
ROUDIER 2022 Montagne St Emilion
TOUR MAILLET (Lagardere) 2022 Pomerol
TOUR ST CHRISTOPHE 2022 St Emilion GCC
TROCARD MONREPOS 2022 Bordeaux Supérieur
VIGNOBLES DES VERDOTS ORIGINEL 2022 Bergerac
