Winemaker Notes
Professional Ratings
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James Suckling
A wine with a beautiful concentration of fruit and depth. Full body with fully integrated tannins and a long, long finish. A touch of decadence. Superb for the vintage. Better in 2017.
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Wine Spectator
This is rather broad-shouldered, with a cloak of roasted vanilla and bittersweet cocoa out front, followed by a solid core of crushed plum and blackberry fruit. A streak of licorice runs through the finish, revealing a buried chalky spine. Rather closed today, with the structure winning out in the end. Best from 2016 through 2026.
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Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
This dense ruby/purple-colored 2011 exhibits a stunning bouquet of black fruits, spring flowers and confiture of cherries, raspberries, spice and earth. Complete from beginning to end, this medium-bodied 2011 does not possesses as much power as the 2005, 2009 or 2010, but it is a highly successful effort for the vintage. Moreover, it can be drunk early on as it is a delicious, complex St.-Emilion that should last 10-15 years. This is a final blend of 78% Merlot, and 22% Cabernet Franc cropped at 21 hectoliters per hectare.
One of the world’s most classic and popular styles of red wine, Bordeaux-inspired blends have spread from their homeland in France to nearly every corner of the New World. Typically based on either Cabernet Sauvignon or Merlot and supported by Cabernet Franc, Malbec and Petit Verdot, the best of these are densely hued, fragrant, full of fruit and boast a structure that begs for cellar time. Somm Secret—Blends from Bordeaux are generally earthier compared to those from the New World, which tend to be fruit-dominant.
Marked by its historic fortified village—perhaps the prettiest in all of Bordeaux, the St-Émilion appellation, along with its neighboring village of Pomerol, are leaders in quality on the Right Bank of Bordeaux. These Merlot-dominant red wines (complemented by various amounts of Cabernet Franc and/or Cabernet Sauvignon) remain some of the most admired and collected wines of the world.
St-Émilion has the longest history in wine production in Bordeaux—longer than the Left Bank—dating back to an 8th century monk named Saint Émilion who became a hermit in one of the many limestone caves scattered throughout the area.
Today St-Émilion is made up of hundreds of independent farmers dedicated to the same thing: growing Merlot and Cabernet Franc (and tiny amounts of Cabernet Sauvignon). While always roughly the same blend, the wines of St-Émilion vary considerably depending on the soil upon which they are grown—and the soils do vary considerably throughout the region.
The chateaux with the highest classification (Premier Grand Cru Classés) are on gravel-rich soils or steep, clay-limestone hillsides. There are only four given the highest rank, called Premier Grand Cru Classés A (Chateau Cheval Blanc, Ausone, Angélus, Pavie) and 14 are Premier Grand Cru Classés B. Much of the rest of the vineyards in the appellation are on flatter land where the soils are a mix of gravel, sand and alluvial matter.
Great wines from St-Émilion will be deep in color, and might have characteristics of blackberry liqueur, black raspberry, licorice, chocolate, grilled meat, earth or truffles. They will be bold, layered and lush.