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Clos de l'Oratoire 2016

RegionBordeaux
Subregion France > Bordeaux > Right Bank > St Emilion
ColourRed
TypeStill
Grape VarietyMerlot

This is produced by the same team as Canon La Gaffeliere but the vineyard is not quite as well placed and has a higher percentage of Merlot.

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Label

Tasting Notes

The aromas are very decadent with white truffle, dark berries and wet earth. Dense raspberries. Full-bodied, it grows on the palate with fantastic chewy tannins that are polished and intense. Like a beautifully formed wave in texture. Try in 2022.

96
James Suckling, JamesSuckling.com, February 2019

The 2016 Clos de l’Oratoire has a deep garnet color. It leaps with flamboyant scents of crushed blackberries, plum preserves, and chocolate-covered cherries, plus hints of cardamom and mossy tree bark. Medium to full-bodied, the palate is firm and grainy with seamless freshness lifting the dense, muscular fruit to a long finish.

93
Lisa Perrotti-Brown MW, The Wine Independent, December 2022

From the team at Canon-la-Gaffelière, the 2016 Clos de L'Oratoire is a winner based on 90% Merlot and 10% Cabernet Franc raised in 45% new French oak. It’s a ripe yet structured Saint-Emilion that has terrific minerality in its black raspberry and cassis fruits as well as notes of chocolate, tobacco, and subtle oak. A terrific wine, it needs 4-5 years of bottle age to shine, but is capable of keeping for 15-20 years. 2023 - 2043.

93
Jeb Dunnuck, JebDunnuck.com, February 2019

The nose is quite tight the start of the palate firm fresh black fruits. Sweet fruit in the middle the tannins feel ripe fresher at the back lighter a slight lack of generosity with hints of oak on the finish.

87/89
Derek Smedley MW, DerekSmedleyMW.co.uk, April 2017

Stephan von Neipperg uses a combination of young Cabernet Franc and old Merlot vines to produce this organic blend. It’s a serious, punchy, compact wine with grippy tannins, an overly of oak and a refreshing mineral undertone. Needs time. 2026-35

91
Tim Atkin MW, timatkin.com, April 2017
Read more tasting notes...

The 2016 Clos de l'Oratoire is a blend of 90% Merlot and 10% Cabernet Franc that was picked between 10-17 October and matured in 45% new oak. It has a fresh, perfumed and floral bouquet, with pressed rose petals infusing the red cherry and crushed strawberry fruit. There is a sense of airiness here that I like. The palate is medium-bodied with firm, slightly grainy tannin, hints of tobacco and leather complementing the black fruit with a welcome soupçon of austerity towards the masculine finish. Excellent.
Drink Date 2021 - 2040

91/93
Neal Martin, Wine Advocate (230), April 2017

Lovely silky tannins and juicy fruit. Medium body and pretty energy. Lots of walnut, crushed-stone and subtle fruit flavors. Very fine.

94/95
James Suckling, JamesSuckling.com, April 2017
Please note that these tasting notes/scores are not intended to be exhaustive and in some cases they may not be the most recently published figures. However, we always do our best to add latest scores and reviews when these come to our attention. We advise customers who wish to purchase wines based simply on critical reviews to carry out further research into the latest reports.