Clos du Marquis 2007

A classic Medoc with a dark ruby/purple-tinged color, sweet black cherries, cassis, and wood smoke aromas, medium body, and a ripe, generous style, this 2007 is drinking exceptionally well already, and should continue to do so for a decade or more. Drink 2010-2020.

The 2007 Clos du Marquis felt a little disjointed on the nose with a touch of greenness jarring against the red fruit. The palate is better with sappy red berry fruit, black pepper and bay leaf, grainy in texture with a sinewy, forceful finish that feels a touch rough around the edges. I have encountered less brutish bottles of this Clos du Marquis, hence the question mark against my score. Tasted February 2017.
Drink Date 2017 - 2027

Roses and blackberries, with hints of currants. Full-bodied, with firm and silky tannins and plenty of character. Refined and pretty.

Second wine of Léoville Las Cases. Dark and rich crimson. So sweet! Because of the 34.8% Merlot, I assume, with a hint of sandpaper. Very chewy. Very angular. Really quite uncomfortable to taste otherwise. Just too sweet to be sophisticated really. Tarry

Good medium ruby. Blackberry, black cherry, licorice and camphor on the nose. Suave on entry, then a bit strict in the middle for a 2007, with real firmness to its black fruit and violet flavors. A moderately dense wine with a medicinal reserve. Finishes with firm, building tannins.

The mass of black fruits on the nose are overlaid with the perfume of violets. The palate is rich and fleshy, a powerful mix of cassis, sloe and black plum lifted by racy herbal spice adding a lighter more elegant feel towards the back. 2012-2018.

Dense colour, really good ripe blackcurrant fruit, lots of classic Saint-Julien expression with good grip and length, a classy wine. Drink 2013-20. 4 stars.