Clos du Marquis 2024

More restrained than Le Petit Lion, yet with a bit more depth: dark fruit, cedar, violets; elegant palate, good structure, the fruit is perfectly ripe, a lively acidity provides drive; finish of very good length, red-fruited and spicy finale.

Cool blue fruit, crayon, violets, liquorice and plum. Deeply perfumed and gorgeous purple colour. Juicy and plentiful, clean and lean with some slate and liquorice. Can feel the terroir straight away, grippy and intense with a lovely bouncy layer of dark fruit underneath. Richness and texture is there, this is a serious wine with so much concentration balanced against straight and direct tannins. Funnelled but salty, juicy, sweet, sour - all combining here to be so elegant and enjoyable. A very accomplished wine not trying too hard. Cool and delightfully enjoyable. Stylish. Ageing 50% new barrels for 16 months. 7.6% press. 3.62pH.

Licorice, tobacco wrappers, spearmint, and currants create the aromatic perfume. The wine is fresh, but not overly so, with a core of black and red currants, cherries, chewy tannins, and juicy, sweet, and tart red plums in the finish. The wine was made from a blend of 65% Cabernet Sauvignon, 30% Merlot, and 5% Cabernet Franc. 12.9% ABV. Drink from 2028-2042. 91-93 pts

A charming, captivating bouquet, combining pure, penetrating red fruits with deeper notes of fruit coulis and rose. On the palate, the balance is perfect, the texture meltingly smooth, as if gently swaying in a hammock in the heart of a summer garden. The fruit is enticing, the acidity lively, and the finish carried by fine, delicately grainy tannins.

Notes of blackcurrant and elderberry over a chalky backdrop highlight the fruit and freshness, not to mention the finesse and subtlety. On the palate, Clos du Marquis seems rather shy to me, a touch reserved. It needs a few minutes to finally reveal an unsuspected power. In truth, it steps onto the stage on tiptoe, only to settle in with conviction. The energy is there, with finesse implied and greatness suggested. A wine that is still finding itself a little, but I think it knows where it wants to go. It just needs a bit of time.

Bright vivid plum character, sappy and juicy, the austerity is pretty high with cloves and smoky black tea, elderflower, cherry pit. Needs time in bottle to really open up, but this is good quality, and has plenty of St Julien character. 32hl/ha yield. 50% new oak, with some larger oak casks. 3.62 pH, 32 hl/ha. 7.6% press wine. Harvest 25 September to 10 October.

Deep colour with garnet highlights. An intense nose with ripe fruit aromas. A silky touch. Full-bodied on the attack, very aromatic on the mid-palate; the wine melts across the palate, juicy and refined. Lovely, savoury length. Blend: 65% Cabernet Sauvignon, 30% Merlot, 5% Cabernet Franc. Alcohol content: 12.9% - pH: 3.62 - IPT: 69. Yield: 32 hl/ha. 7.6% press wine.