Winemaker Notes
Clos de l’Esperance has a rich and round bouquet of ripe red and black fruit (cherry, blackcurrant), as well as a touch of vanilla. The tannins are quite smooth. The freshness and spiciness of the nose come through in the palate. The wine is altogether beautifully balanced and elegant. Ideal with duck or lamb.
Professional Ratings
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James Suckling
Lightly spicy, dark-fruited red with focus and freshness. Medium-bodied with a velvety tannin structure. Good fruit concentration and length.
Barrel Sample: 91-92 -
Vinous
The 2023 Clos de l'Espérance has a fine, raspberry- and dark-cherry-scented nose with well-integrated oak. There's a sense of energy here. The palate is medium-bodied and nicely structured with sappy red berry fruit, nice grip and a smear of dark chocolate judiciously applied on the finish. Give this a couple of years in bottle—it's a decent, quite stocky Lussac-Saint-Émilion.
Barrel Sample: 90-92 -
Wilfred Wong of Wine.com
Lussac Saint-Émilion is one of the best-value regions of Bordeaux. The 2023 Clos de l’Espérance is beautiful, stylish, and ready to enjoy. Slow grill a leg of lamb and have a party. (Tasted: January 29, 2025, San Francisco, CA)
In most of France, wines are named by their place of origin and not by the type of grape (with the exception of Alsace). Just like a red Burgundy is by law, always made of Pinot noir, a red Bordeaux is a blended wine composed mainly of Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot. Depending on the laws of the village from which the grapes come, the conditions of the vintage and decisions of the winemaker, the blend can be further supported by Cabernet Franc, Malbec, Petit Verdot and in rare cases, Carmenere. So popular and repeated has this mix of grape varieties become worldwide, that the term, Bordeaux Blend, refers to a wine blended in this style, regardless of origin.