Clos du Marquis 2016

This has a plush edge of warm tar and ganache that slowly melds into the core of steeped plum and cassis flavors as they move through, picking up smoldering charcoal and graphite notes along the way. A very grounded wine that will age nicely. Best from 2023 through 2038. 12,500 cases made.

Leafy black fruit with structure and fine tannins. Initially closed, but it will unquestionably reward patience.

Cedar, dried flowers, dried fruit and cigar box on the nose. Medium- to full-bodied with delicate fruit, vibrant balance and focused, polished tannins. Enjoyable now, but will continue aging well. Drink or hold. 10 Years On retrospective.

Tasted blind. Fresh and fragrant. Very charming nose. Lots of acidity but that just makes it zesty. But not a very long-distance runner. (JR)

The 2016 Clos du Marquis has a very classy bouquet, intense with clean blackberry and cassis fruit, well defined and gaining complexity in the glass. The palate is medium-bodied with a welcome touch of sour cherry on the entry, grainy tannins, a keen line of acidity and a sapid finish. Excellent. Tasted blind at the Southwold 10-Year-On tasting.

The wine resembles its big brother without the same level of concentration. Medium to full-bodied and loaded with fresh, chewy, bright cassis, the tannins are ripe and polished, and the palate enjoys a splash of all that sweet, vibrant red fruit. Give it a few years in the cellar, if you can wait that long. This competes with several much more expensive classified growths!

From the considerable talents of the Léoville Las Cases team, the 2016 Clos du Marquis is made from 73% Cabernet Sauvignon, 24% Merlot, and the rest Cabernet Franc that was raised in 60% new French oak. This full-bodied, concentrated, incredibly elegant Saint Julien has the purity and balance that’s the hallmark of the vintage as well as loads of underlying structure and depth. Great notes of ripe black cherries, blackcurrants, spring flowers, and graphite all emerge from this beauty, which is going to be one for the ages. It will need 8-10 years of cellaring and keep for three decades.

73% Cabernet Sauvignon, 24% Merlot, 3% Cabernet Franc. Purple with a garnet rim. Fragrant bouquet of wild berries and violets, followed by cold fruit tea and tobacco spice. On the powerful palate with pronounced grip, remaining very elegant, it finishes with plenty of blue fruits and fine astringency.

Kunz barrel sample 17: (73% Cabernet Sauvignon, 24% Merlot, 3% Cabernet Franc, 40 hl/ha, 13.55% vol. alcohol) Floral, fresh, fruity, sweet bouquet; cassis, currants, grenadine, cedar, tobacco. Medium-bodied, with a good core on the palate, fine sandy tannins, sweet aromatics, fine fruit, a rather slender structure, long finish. Can still improve.

(73% Cabernet Sauvignon, 24% Merlot, 3% Cabernet Franc, 40 hl/ha, 13.55% vol. alcohol) Floral, fresh, fruity, sweet bouquet; cassis, redcurrants, grenadine, cedar, tobacco. Medium-bodied palate with a solid core, fine, sandy tannins, sweet aromatics, fine fruit, a rather slender structure, long finish. Can still improve. 16/20 2020 - 2032

A blend of 73% Cabernet Sauvignon, 24% Merlot, and 3% Cabernet Franc, the 2016 Clos du Marquis has a medium to deep garnet-purple colour. It needs a good deal of swirling to reveal notes of crème de cassis, blueberry compote, and chocolate-covered cherries, followed by hints of cardamom, spice cake, and tilled soil. Medium-bodied, the palate is elegant and refreshing, delivering loads of black fruit and spicy layers, finishing long and fragrant. A sleeper of the vintage, this cellar-worthy Saint-Julien is worth seeking out!

2016 remains magisterial, deep and taut. Built for long ageing.

Deep garnet red with purple highlights. The bouquet of Clos de Marquis ideally highlights Cabernet Sauvignon. It stands out for its ripe varietal freshness and fruit intensity. I detect notes of blackcurrant and liquorice. On the palate, the wine is elegant, ample and endowed with powerful yet silky tannins. The aromatic character builds in intensity with each passing second and is in harmony with the structure. Lovely tension, juiciness, density, and an intensely fruity finish. A superb success!

This score positions it as the best ever made. Dark, intense, purple colour. Very beautiful, intense nose with ripe, deep fruit. Broad on the attack, juicy through the mid‑palate, particularly fruity, with a fleshy yet taut body; the wine turns sappy toward the close, with a very long, savoury finish. Note that decanting suits it very well.

This wine is dense with dark tannins as well as the elegance associated with the appellation. It comes from a vineyard that has been separated out from the Léoville las Cases estate. Packed with tannins as well as blueberry and blackberry fruits, the wine will develop well over several years. Drink from 2023.

Austere but shot through grilled cherry pit and fragrant raspberry leaf, this is classically balanced, juicy, mouthwatering finish, a lovely wine that is in its drinking window, for lovers of classic not exuberant Left Bank, from the exceptional winemaking team at Léoville Las Cases.