Chateau Clos St. Martin 2015
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Dunnuck
Jeb -
Parker
Robert -
Suckling
James - Decanter
Product Details
Your Rating
Somm Note
Winemaker Notes
Professional Ratings
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Jeb Dunnuck
The 2015 Clos Saint Martin falls under the Moueix umbrella and is certainly one of the gems in their lineup. A blend of 90% Merlot and 5% each of Cabernet Franc and Cabernet Sauvignon, it’s slightly reserved on the nose, but man, what a palate! Notes of strawberries, black raspberries, vanilla bean, toasted bread and dried flowers all flow to a full-bodied, opulent, huge wine that stays incredibly well balanced and elegant, with no hard edges and a cashmere-like texture. Count me impressed. I’d be thrilled to drink bottles anytime over the coming two decades.
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Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
Blended of 90% Merlot, 5% Cabernet Sauvignon and 5% Cabernet Franc, the 2015 Clos St. Martin displays a medium to deep garnet-purple color and is scented of plum preserves, blackberry pie, wild blueberries and incense with touches of unsmoked cigars and forest floor. Medium to full-bodied, it fills the palate with vibrant, well-delineated black fruit layers with alluring red fruit accents and a firm frame of velvety tannins, finishing long and lively.
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James Suckling
This is a tight and focused red with blackberry, mineral and blueberry character. Full-bodied, chewy and fresh. Needs two or three years to come together. Solid.
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Decanter
Burly and concentrated with plenty of berry fruit, spice and chocolate substance; fleshy and ripe with lovely interwoven oak. Drinking Window 2022 - 2037
Other Vintages
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One of the world’s most classic and popular styles of red wine, Bordeaux-inspired blends have spread from their homeland in France to nearly every corner of the New World. Typically based on either Cabernet Sauvignon or Merlot and supported by Cabernet Franc, Malbec and Petit Verdot, the best of these are densely hued, fragrant, full of fruit and boast a structure that begs for cellar time. Somm Secret—Blends from Bordeaux are generally earthier compared to those from the New World, which tend to be fruit-dominant.
Marked by its historic fortified village—perhaps the prettiest in all of Bordeaux, the St-Émilion appellation, along with its neighboring village of Pomerol, are leaders in quality on the Right Bank of Bordeaux. These Merlot-dominant red wines (complemented by various amounts of Cabernet Franc and/or Cabernet Sauvignon) remain some of the most admired and collected wines of the world.
St-Émilion has the longest history in wine production in Bordeaux—longer than the Left Bank—dating back to an 8th century monk named Saint Émilion who became a hermit in one of the many limestone caves scattered throughout the area.
Today St-Émilion is made up of hundreds of independent farmers dedicated to the same thing: growing Merlot and Cabernet Franc (and tiny amounts of Cabernet Sauvignon). While always roughly the same blend, the wines of St-Émilion vary considerably depending on the soil upon which they are grown—and the soils do vary considerably throughout the region.
The chateaux with the highest classification (Premier Grand Cru Classés) are on gravel-rich soils or steep, clay-limestone hillsides. There are only four given the highest rank, called Premier Grand Cru Classés A (Chateau Cheval Blanc, Ausone, Angélus, Pavie) and 14 are Premier Grand Cru Classés B. Much of the rest of the vineyards in the appellation are on flatter land where the soils are a mix of gravel, sand and alluvial matter.
Great wines from St-Émilion will be deep in color, and might have characteristics of blackberry liqueur, black raspberry, licorice, chocolate, grilled meat, earth or truffles. They will be bold, layered and lush.