Clos du Marquis 1998

Characteristics and tasting advice for Clos du Marquis 1998

Tasting

Appearance

The color reveals a deep red hue with garnet highlights.

Nose

The nose reveals aromas of black fruits (blackcurrant, blueberry) and cherry, accompanied by toasty, spicy notes from barrel aging.

Palate

On the palate, this wine offers an appealing texture with a moderately tannic structure. The balance between concentrated fruit and freshness lends the whole a lovely harmony, leading to a persistent finish with elegant tannins.

Food and wine pairings

This wine pairs perfectly with grilled or roasted red meats, game in sauce, as well as aged hard cheeses.

Serving and cellaring

Clos du Marquis 1998 is ideally enjoyed at a temperature between 16 and 18°C. Light decanting for around thirty minutes before serving helps fully reveal its aromas. This wine can be enjoyed until around 2035.

An elegant, structured Saint-Julien from an exceptional terroir

The estate

Created in 1902 by the Delon family, Clos du Marquis covers around 45 hectares in Saint-Julien, in Bordeaux’s Médoc. Now run by Jean-Hubert Delon and his sister Geneviève d'Alton, the estate is linked to the Léoville Las Cases estate. Clos du Marquis has established itself as a wine in its own right, recognized for its elegance and aging potential.

The vineyard

The Clos du Marquis vineyard lies on the central plateau of Saint-Julien, at around twenty meters above sea level. The soils are made up of fine, ancient Quaternary gravels over sands and clays. These lands, once wooded, have a richness in organic matter that gives the wine its distinctive character. Located around five hundred meters west of the Grand Enclos de Léoville Las Cases, this terroir benefits from later ripening. The vines, with an average age of thirty years, are farmed using sustainable viticulture practices that prioritize mechanical soil work and biodiversity.

The vintage

The 1998 vintage benefited from favorable weather conditions in Bordeaux. After early budbreak and flowering, August was particularly hot and dry, allowing for balanced ripening of the grapes. A few showers in September did not affect the quality of the harvest. These conditions made it possible to obtain grapes at optimal ripeness, fully expressing the character of Saint-Julien’s terroir.

Vinification and aging

The Clos du Marquis 1998 harvest was carried out by hand between September and October, with rigorous grape sorting. Vinification took place at Château Léoville Las Cases, in temperature-controlled stainless-steel and cement vats. Aging lasted between fourteen and eighteen months in French oak barrels, with a moderate proportion of new oak in order to preserve the expression of the fruit and the terroir.

Grape varieties

Cabernet sauvignon (65 %)
Merlot (20 %)
Cabernet franc (12 %)
Petit verdot (3 %)