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Saintayme/Saintem 2018

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 aged in 30% new oak.

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

Label

Tasting Notes

The 2018 Saintayme has an attractive bouquet of pure blackberry, cedar and pine aromas, becoming more and more expressive with aeration. The palate is medium-bodied with grippy tannins, quite tight and maybe just needing a little more flesh on the granular finish. A bit dry compared to the Montlandrie or the La Chenade.

88
Neal Martin, vinous.com, March 2021

Aromas of blackberries, chocolate, cherries, pine needles and bark follow through to a medium to full body with refined tannins and a juicy, nicely fruity finish. Try after 2024.

93
James Suckling, JamesSuckling.com, March 2021

Produced by the late Denis Durantou of Château L’Eglise Clinet, the 2018 Saintayme is made of 100% Merlot with 30% new oak and 14.5% alcohol. Deep garnet-purple in color, it rocks up with ready-for-business scents of blackberry preserves, baked plums and boysenberries, plus touches of violets, camphor, charcoal and underbrush. The medium to full-bodied palate offers expressive black fruit and earthy layers, supported by soft tannins and well-knit freshness, finishing savory.

89
Lisa Perrotti-Brown MW, Wine Advocate (End of Mar), March 2021

Inky core with purple rim. Black fruit and dark-chocolate aroma. Rather oaky? Firm extraction giving firm, dry tannins. A little bit tough on the finish. Powerful but a little bit pushed in terms of extraction, I think.
Drink 2023-2029

15.5
Julia Harding MW, JancisRobinson.com, April 2019

Deep ruby in colour with a bright nose of red cherries and mulberries. The palate is chalky and rich, with heady red fruits and a touch of sweet vanilla. Creamy and plump, this is an exuberant and fleshy wine that will drink well young and shoul offer great value.

90+
Farr Vintners, Farr Tasting, April 2019

From the team of Denis Durantou, the 2018 Saintayme (100% Merlot brought up in 30% new oak) is a total charmer that savvy readers should snatch up. Offering full-bodied notes of black raspberries, kirsch, and spice box, it has silky tannins, a terrific sense of elegance and purity, and outstanding length. Drink it on release and over the following decade.

90/92
Jeb Dunnuck, JebDunnuck.com, May 2019

(100 Merlot) | 30% new oak | 14.5% alc | 88000 bottles produced | Picked between 29th September and 9th October The oak is dominant and the fruit is tense and very closed, but the nose is amazing with fabulous, deep red fruit and some wilder berry tones intermingle with cinnamon and Asian spices. It will take a long time to soften, but this will be a full-framed, impressive wine in due course.

16.5+
Matthew Jukes, MatthewJukes.com, April 2019
Read more tasting notes...

The 2018 Saintayme was picked 29 September to 9 October, and matured in 30% new oak. It has a fragrant red cherry and crushed strawberry scented bouquet with light floral notes, peony and iris. The palate is medium-bodied with grainy tannins, good substance and a cedar-tinged, pencil-lead finish. Very fine. 2021 - 2032

88/90
Neal Martin, vinous.com, November 2019

This is very perfumed with a firm and solid, stony tannin structure. Lovely, linear line through this. Full and tight at the same time.

92/93
James Suckling, JamesSuckling.com, April 2019

Produced by Denis Durantou of Château L’Eglise Clinet, the 2018 Saintayme is made of 100% Merlot with 30% new oak and 14.5% alcohol. Deep garnet-purple colored, it bursts from the glass with plum preserves, crushed blackberries and chocolate-covered cherries with hints of lavender, unsmoked cigar and fragrant earth. Medium to full-bodied, the palate reveals beautiful freshness and elegance with soft tannins and loads of mineral sparks on the finish.

89/91
Lisa Perrotti-Brown MW, Wine Advocate (April 2019), April 2019
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.