Clos du Marquis 2021

WEINWISSER: "67 % Cabernet Sauvignon, 19 % Merlot, 14 % Cabernet Franc, 13,46 Vol.-%, 50 % neue Barriques. Verführerisches schwarzbeeriges Bouquet, Lakritze, dunkles Graphit und Heidelbergelee. Am komplexen Gaumen mit seidiger Textur, körnigem Extrakt, feiner Salznote, balancierter Rasse, engmaschigem Tanninkorsett, gut strukturiert mit viel Eleganz sowie mittlerem Körper. Im konzentrierten Finale Wildkirsche, Rosmarin und tiefschürfende Terroirwürze."

JAMES SUCKLING: "This is very inky with lots of tar and iodine. Blackcurrants, too. Full-bodied. Very muscular for the vintage. Needs time to soften."

DECANTER: "Supple, ample and generous, this is a lovely Clos du Marquis with an intensity and liveliness straight away, the effects of strong selection giving this a concentrated core. Tannins are prominent but fine and velvety, coating the mouth in a chalky, dry texture but ripe not astringent. I love the fruit forwardness and intention here, but this also has tension and linearity, driving in one straight line from start to finish with a vein of minerality underneath - liquorice and graphite giving a saltiness on the tongue. Feels confident and sauve."

JEB DUNNUCK: "A solid step up and based on 67% Cabernet Sauvignon, 19% Merlot, and 14% Cabernet Franc, the 2021 Clos Du Marquis shows the vintage's more elegant, medium-bodied style yet brings plenty of density and depth. Ripe red and black fruits, notes of gravelly earth and graphite, supple tannins, and terrific overall balance all define this rock-solid Saint-Julien, which will benefit from just short-term cellaring. It's another impressive wine from this estate."

THE WINE ADVOCATE: "The 2021 Clos du Marquis is a lovely wine, offering up aromas of cherries, burning embers, dark berries, loamy soil and truffle, followed by a medium to full-bodied, layered and velvety wine that's rather deep and serious, reflecting low yields of 30 hectoliters per hectare and a blend dominated by 67% Cabernet Sauvignon, with 19% Merlot and 14% Cabernet Franc in supporting roles. Lest anyone underestimate it on the strength of the challenging vintage alone, by the numbers it contains a higher concentration of polyphenols than either the 2019 or 2020 vintages. Tasted three times."

FALSTAFF: "Dunkles Rubingranat, violette Reflexe, zarte Randaufhellung. Zart floral, etwas Lakritze und Cassis, ein Hauch von Nougat und Orangenzesten, tabakige Würze im Hintergrund. Gute Komplexität, Brombeerfrucht, feine, reife Tannine, gute Frische, anhaftend, bereits gut entwickelt, ein mineralischer Speisenbegleiter."

THE WINE CELLAR INSIDER: "Cassis, blackberry, cigar box, cedar, and spice are found in the nose and on the palate. The wine is fresh, round, forward, sharp, and bright, with a cool touch of minty herbs on the backend that adds to the red fruits. The wine was made from a blend of 67% Cabernet Sauvignon, 19% Merlot, and 14% Cabernet Franc. 13.46% ABV. Drink from 2025-2039."