2016, Clos La Madeleine, SAINT-ÉMILION, Grand Cru

Bordeaux Blend: Merlot, Cabernet Franc.

The 2016 Clos La Madeleine is a bold, unctuous wine. Chocolate, black fruit, copious new oak, smoke, leather and liquorice all open up nicely. The 2016 is powerful and concentrated, yet all the elements fall into place nicely. Readers should expect a racy, succulent Saint-Émilion. 89-92 Antonio Galloni, Vinous (2017).

The 2016 Clos la Madeleine has a rounded, pastille-like bouquet with red cherries and crushed strawberry fruit tinged with vanilla pod. The palate is medium-bodied with supple red cherry fruit, fine acidity and a nimble, quite precise finish with just the right amount of salinity. Delicious! 90-92 Neal Martin, Wine Advocate (2017).

I kept going back for another taste of this wine, so delightful is the structure. Lovely chalky tannins, this shows how in 2016 the new oak can be beautifully eaten up. Gorgeous minerality and deft black fruits, precise and finessed. 2.3ha from the limestone plateau and slopes, this is the smallest classified growth in St-Émilion. 75% Merlot and 25% Cabernet Franc aged for 18 months in 100% new oak. 94 Jane Anson, Decanter (2017).

Drinking Window: 2020 - 2035