Chateau Clos St. Martin 2019
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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 2019 Clos Saint-Martin is a big, super-rich, opulent Saint Emilion that still has a core of rocky minerality as well as loads of structure. Blueberries, blackcurrants, raspberries, tobacco, truffle, and chocolatey notes define the bouquet of this expansive, full-bodied, concentrated 2019. It’s going to benefit from bottle age.
Barrel Sample: 94-96 -
Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
From a superbly situated 1.33-hectare vineyard located on the clay-limestone slopes opposite the village cemetery and adjacent to Beauséjour Duffau-Lagarrosse, the 2019 Clos St. Martin has turned out brilliantly, offering up aromas of cherries, wild berries, violets and subtle spices. Full-bodied, deep and layered, it's lively and vibrant, with a fleshy core of fruit, powdery tannins and bright acids, concluding with a long, precise finish. It's a Merlot-based blend, complemented by some 10% Cabernet Franc and 5% Cabernet Sauvignon, picked in four separate harvests and barrel fermented—simply because such small volumes are challenging to vinify in tank. Best after 2025.
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James Suckling
This is very silky and refined with lots of black fruit and silky tannins. Full bodied, very tight and compact with linear tannins and a very long finish. So pretty.
Barrel Sample: 93-94 -
Decanter
Powerful and concentrated black cherry fruits, licorice root edge, but it handles it well. Salinity on the finish picks things up and gives a mouthwatering edge. Vinified in a mix of new oak barrels and clay amphora of 3hl and 5hl. A yield of 37hl/ha, with harvest from 19 September to 8 October.
Barrel Sample: 92
Other Vintages
2022-
Dunnuck
Jeb -
Suckling
James - Decanter
- Decanter
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Suckling
James -
Parker
Robert
- Decanter
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Suckling
James -
Parker
Robert
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Dunnuck
Jeb -
Parker
Robert -
Suckling
James - Decanter
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Spectator
Wine -
Parker
Robert
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.