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Saintayme/Saintem 2017

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

Denis Durantou of L'Eglise Clinet makes this modestly priced cuvée from a 9 hectare parcel of 35 year old Merlot vines in Saint Etienne de Lisse. 100% Merlot.

View all vintages of this wine | View all wines by Vignobles Denis Durantou

Label

Tasting Notes

Ripe fruit with chocolate, spice and hints of raisins. Full body, round and juicy tannins and a flavorful finish. Really delicious. Drink now.

92
James Suckling, JamesSuckling.com, January 2020

Saintayme 2017 is 100% merlot and has a medium to deep garnet color. It soars with delightful scents of raspberry coulis, black cherries, and warm plums, plus hints of lavender and bay leaves. Medium to full-bodied the palate is lively and refreshing with elegant black fruit layers and a fine-grained texture, finishing with a minerally lift.

92
Lisa Perrotti-Brown MW, The Wine Independent, December 2022

This is good quality wine from Denis Durantou, but not generous - we are again on the more austere side of 2017 here. It needs some time to open and to show itself, taking a classical, intellectual approach and showing that even 100% Merlot can have walls. The fruit has a classical sway, with firm tannins that have a lovely sense of upward motion. Picked between 26 September and 6 October. The wine is matured in one-year-old barrels. 47,000 bottles produced.
Drinking Window 2025 - 2036

89
Jane Anson, Decanter.com, April 2018

Deep purplish crimson. Gorgeous spicy dark-fruited nose. Savoury and a little austere in fruit on the palate but finely textured. The tannins a touch dry on the finish.
Drink 2021-2027

15.5
Julia Harding MW, JancisRobinson.com, April 2018

Fragrant and fresh the nose has a mix of fruits red fruit and black fruits the start of the palate is sweet. There is underlying freshness that balances lighter fragrant spicy at the back with a hint of sweetness on the finish. 2022-29

86/88
Derek Smedley MW, DerekSmedleyMW.co.uk, April 2018

The nose is enticing with spice and sweet plum notes and the palate is juicy and it rushes towards the palate with enthusiasm. This is a hugely attractive Saintayme and it is bright and ripe and not too dry or tannic. The freshness of the vintage is typified in this successful wine and it will be a relatively forward incarnation of this label.

16.5
Matthew Jukes, Matthew Jukes' Blog, April 2018
Read more tasting notes...

A fresh and clean wine with blackberry, blueberry and salty character. Medium body and firm and silky tannins.

90/91
James Suckling, JamesSuckling.com, April 2018

Medium to deep garnet-purple in color, the 2017 Saintayme delivers expressive black cherries, mulberries and boysenberries scents with hints of rosehip tea, tilled soil and spice box. Medium-bodied, the palate has plenty of juicy red and black fruits with a plush texture and refreshing finish.

90
Lisa Perrotti-Brown MW, Wine Advocate (March 2020), March 2020

Made of 100% Merlot, the deep garnet-purple colored 2017 Saintayme gives gorgeous black cherries, crushed blackberries and cinnamon stick notes with hints of rose hips and lavender. The palate is medium-bodied with great elegance and freshness, textured with soft tannins and finishing perfumed.

87/89
Lisa Perrotti-Brown MW, Wine Advocate (236), April 2018
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.