Appellations

Clos du Marquis 2017

St Julien, Second wine

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Tasting Notes

The 2017 Clos du Marquis is dark, pliant and inviting. Succulent dark cherry, red plum, mocha, spice and licorice are all super-expressive in this wonderfully open, radiant Saint-Julien. Plush fruit and silky contours add to the wine's considerable appeal. Best of all, the 2017 will drink well with minimal cellaring. This is such a beautiful and expressive wine.

Score: 93 Antonio Galloni, Vinous.com Maturity: 2022-2032 Date: 01 March 2020

The 2017 Clos du Marquis was picked from 15 September until 4 October. It has an attractive and, in the context of Clos du Marquis, understated bouquet with endearing marine scents filtering through the red berry fruit. The palate is medium-bodied with fine balance. This has lost the "rondeur" that it exhibited out of barrel, revealing a more streamlined, sappy Saint-Julien with a welcome pinch of spice towards the classically-lined finish. Drink over the next 15 years, possibly more.

Score: 91 Neal Martin, Vinous.com Maturity: 2022-2040 Date: 01 February 2020

Medium to deep garnet-purple colored and composed of 72% Cabernet Sauvignon, 27% Merlot and 1% Cabernet Franc, the 2017 Clos du Marquis gives up gorgeous notions of crushed plums, blackberries and cassis with hints of chocolate box, pencil lead, menthol and lavender. The palate is medium-bodied, very finely crafted and refreshing with firm yet fine-grained tannins, great intensity and a long, mineral-laced finish.

Score: 91 - 93 Lisa Perrotti-Brown MW, Wine Advocate, RobertParker.com Date: 27 April 2018

Deepest crimson with black core. Gorgeous dark fruit, with savoury/graphite as counterpoint to the cassis. A hint of oak char but at the right level for harmony at this point. Benchmark Cabernet flavours, pure and refined and fresh. Very precise fruit, long. Firm but dry. Smooth, deep texture and excellent freshness.

Score: 17 Julia Harding MW, JancisRobinson.com Maturity: 2025-2035 Date: 27 April 2018

Made from 72% Cabernet Sauvignon, 27% Merlot, and a splash of Cabernet Franc, the 2017 Clos du Marquis is another beauty from the team at Leoville Las Cases. Offering a deep, concentrated, yet rounded style, as well as terrific ripe fruits, forest floor, and tobacco aromatics, it has a great mid-palate and building tannin, all while staying in the more forward, charming style of the vintage. Give it a few years and enjoy over the following two decades.

Score: 91 - 94 Jeb Dunnuck, JebDunnuck.com Date: 23 April 2018

Firm and silky wine with very pretty dark-berry and cherry character with currant undertones. Pure quality of fruit is serious. Very salty on the finish. Bright acidity, too.

Score: 93 - 94 James Suckling, JamesSuckling.com Date: 06 April 2018

Blueberry, blackberry and plum fruit is lined with graphite, anise and sweet tobacco notes. There's juicy energy and a nice bramble hint at the very end. Has purity and typicity. Well done.

Score: 91 - 94 James Molesworth, Wine Spectator Date: 04 April 2018

This takes its time, has a fairly hefty structure and unfurls at its own pace. The last day of harvest was 4 October, but the overall growth cycle was early so they were able to wait for full ripeness, and even though the fruit flavours are savoury, they are intense. It certainly has some bounce and energy, and the balance is there too. An enjoyable wine that should be ready to drink within four to six years, but the low pH and good freshness suggest it should also age well. 55% new oak barrels. 80% of production, with the rest going into the second wine.

Score: 90 Jane Anson, Decanter.com Maturity: 2024-2036 Date: 01 April 2018