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Clos du Marquis 2016

RegionBordeaux
Subregion France > Bordeaux > Left Bank > St Julien
ColourRed
TypeStill
Grape VarietyCabernet Sauvignon/Merlot

Like next-door neighbour Latour, Léoville Lascases produces a wine that people think of as a second wine, but it isn't. Clos du Marquis is a wine of classed growth quality in its own right, produced from a vineyard on the other side of the road near to the vines of Leoville Poyferré. Lascases itself is situated in a walled vineyard alongside Latour overlooking the estuary. Clos du Marquis is the equal of most 3rd, 4th and 5th Growths and has been an outstanding performer for many years. Lascases is now producing a "proper" second wine called Le Petit Lion from their young vines and there is now a second wine of Clos du Marquis called "La Petite Marquise".

View all vintages of this wine | View all wines by Château Léoville-Las Cases

Label

Tasting Notes

A blend of 73% Cabernet Sauvignon, 24% Merlot, and 3% Cabernet Franc, the 2016 Clos du Marquis has a medium to deep garnet-purple color. It requires a whole lotta swirling to uncover notes of crème de cassis, blueberry compote, and chocolate-covered cherries, followed by hints of cardamon, spice cake, and tilled soil. Medium-bodied, the palate is elegant and refreshing, delivering loads of black fruit and spicy layers, finishing long and fragrant. A sleeper of the vintage, this cellar-worthy Saint-Julien is worth seeking out!

95
Lisa Perrotti-Brown MW, The Wine Independent, December 2022

This has a very suave, fresh and upbeat feel overall, with freshly baked berry pastry and ripe raspberry, boysenberry and red-plum aromas in abundance. The palate has a superb array of rich, fresh and deeply fruited tannins that roll smoothly into the elegant, focused and perfectly balanced finish. Try from 2023.

95
James Suckling, JamesSuckling.com, February 2019

Once again, proof of the hard to fault success in St-Julien in 2016. I really recommend Clos du Marquis for its St-Julien spirit - elegant, endless and classical, with menthol, cedar and black fruit, and tannins that softly float alongside.

Drinking Window 2024 - 2038

92
Jane Anson, Decanter.com, April 2017

Tasted blind. Warm and rich with fruitcake aromas and weight. Just a bit severe on the drying finish. Shame because the fruit is really good. I’ll give it the benefit of the doubt and reckon it will age well.
Drink 2027 – 2040

16
Jancis Robinson MW, JancisRobinson.com, February 2020

From the considerable talents of the Léoville Las Cases team, the 2016 Clos du Marquis is made from 73% Cabernet Sauvignon, 24% Merlot, and the rest Cabernet Franc that was raised in 60% new French oak. This full-bodied, concentrated, incredibly elegant Saint Julien has the purity and balance that’s the hallmark of the vintage as well as loads of underlying structure and depth. Great notes of ripe black cherries, blackcurrants, spring flowers, and graphite all emerge from this beauty, which is going to be one for the ages. It will need 8-10 years of cellaring and keep for three decades. 2027 - 2057.

95
Jeb Dunnuck, JebDunnuck.com, February 2019

Floral fragrant the nose has spring violets the start of the palate is fresh and bright. Ripe fruit in the middle the sweet fruit supported by fine tannins the fleshy richness on the back palate is underpinned by bramble the finish fragrant and fresh. 2025-38

87/90
Derek Smedley MW, DerekSmedleyMW.co.uk, April 2017

Clos du Marquis is not the easiest wine to taste young, as it’s pretty uncompromising stuff that needs time in barrel (and bottle) to soften. There’s a touch of the hair shirt here, with bloody, ferrous grip, savoury tannins, plenty of oak and hunkered down fruit. 2025-38

94
Tim Atkin MW, timatkin.com, April 2017
Read more tasting notes...

Blended of 73% Cabernet Sauvignon, 24% Merlot and 3% Cabernet Franc, the 2016 Clos du Marquis has a very deep garnet-purple color and is a little broody to begin, giving way to notes of crushed blackcurrants and black cherries with touches of warm plums, pencil shavings, earth and new leather with a waft of yeast extract. Medium-bodied with a rock-solid frame of grainy tannins, it has bold fruit matched by freshness, finishing long and mineral laced. Drink 2021-2038.

94
Lisa Perrotti-Brown MW, Wine Advocate (Interim), November 2018

The 2016 Clos du Marquis was picked from 30 September to 19 October and consists of 73% Cabernet Sauvignon, 24% Merlot and 3% Cabernet Franc, matured in 55% new oak. Yields came in at 40 hectoliters per hectare and the alcohol at 13.55%. The bouquet is very intense at the moment with small black cherries, incense, iris and a touch of shucked oyster shells. The palate is beautiful, perhaps one of the most powerful that I came across in Saint Julien, certainly no shy retiring flower, yet it effortlessly manages to retain the precision and tension one expects from this cru. There is a firm back bone here, but the tannins are so precise that you barely notice, while the aftertaste has superb salinity. This is a majestic Clos du Marquis, but it will require several years in the cellar. Drink 2025 - 2055.

93/95
Neal Martin, Wine Advocate (230), April 2017

The clarity and beauty of this young red are brilliant with blackberry, blueberry and mineral undertones. Full and racy. Long and wonderfully polished. Racy. Better than the 2015.

94/95
James Suckling, JamesSuckling.com, March 2017

Exotically rich on the nose! I would never have believed I could encounter such richness at this address. Some real life here. Racy and rich and lots of black fruit. Richness but some structure too. Racy. 13.55%
Drink 2023-2040

17
Jancis Robinson MW, JancisRobinson.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.