Winemaker Notes
The name of Clos du Marquis, created in 1902, was inspired by the Petit Clos adjacent to the Château de Léoville, residence of the Marquis de Las Cases. The Clos du Marquis is produced from top terroirs of the Saint-Julien Appellation that were not exclusively part of the old Domaine de Léoville cadastre. These terroirs are located slightly to the west and are surrounded by prestigious Classified Growths, particularly Seconds Crus Classés of Saint-Julien and Pauillac : Léoville Poyferré, Léoville Barton, Pichon Longueville Comtesse de Lalande... The Clos du Marquis offers a fine expression of the Saint-Julien character : structure, complexity, harmony, distinction and ageing potential.
Blend: 56% Cabernet Sauvignon, 35% Merlot, 9% Cabernet Franc
Professional Ratings
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Jeb Dunnuck
A blend of 56% Cabernet Sauvignon, 35% Merlot, and 9% Cabernet Franc that spent 16 months in 50% new French oak, the 2023 Clos Du Marquis is a bigger, richer wine in the vintage. Its deep purple/plum hue is followed by blockbuster aromatics of blackcurrants, smoke, tobacco, spice, and chocolate. Rich, full-bodied, deep, and layered on the palate, it has ample mid-palate depth, ripe tannins, nicely integrated oak, and a great finish.
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James Suckling
Fresh and floral, showing lilac, mint and light stone aromas that follow through to a medium body with really fine, broad tannins that fan out on the palate. Creamy and textural with lovely fruit and purity. Extremely long and poised. First year made in a new cellar. A blend of 56% cabernet sauvignon, 35% merlot and 9% cabernet franc. Very drinkable now but needs three to four years of bottle aging to come together.
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Vinous
The 2023 Clos du Marquis might very well be the best Clos du Marquis I have ever tasted. A wine of freshness and verve, the 2023 is all nuance. Sweet red plum, blood orange, spice, flowers, mint and white pepper are all finely cut. The 2023 shows more vibrancy, less oak extraction and more refined tannins than in the past. It’s a glorious wine in every way. This early tasting is hugely promising. Clos du Marquis could turn out to be one of the real surprises of 2023. –Antonio Galloni
Barrel Sample: 93-95 -
Decanter
Great aromatics, fresh and lively but deep and opulent too - ripe blackcurrant and plum with some cool blueberries. Smooth and sumptuous, classy and finessed. A complete wine - this has structure and a certain level of power but with such fine tannins, almost creamy. Layered and complex but effortless in its construction. Really beautifully delivered. Crunchy, but chalky, some minerality and mouthwatering acidity. Brilliant harmony and balance and sense of weight in terms of texture.
Barrel Sample: 94 -
Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
The 2023 Clos du Marquis is an attractive classic, offering up notes of cassis and licorice mingled with hints of mint, rose petal and pencil lead. Medium- to full-bodied, velvety and layered, it's pure and lively, with sweet tannins and succulent acids to frame its fleshy, layered core of fruit.
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Wine Spectator
This is solid, with cassis and boysenberry puree flavors stitched together with lightly singed apple wood, dried anise and black tea notes. A strong graphite edge drives the finish. There’s no bombast at all, though, just focus and definition. Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot and Cabernet Franc.
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.
An icon of balance and tradition, St. Julien boasts the highest proportion of classed growths in the Médoc. What it lacks in any first growths, it makes up in the rest: five amazing second growth chateaux, two superb third growths and four well-reputed fourth growths. While the actual class rankings set in 1855 (first, second, and so on the fifth) today do not necessarily indicate a score of quality, the classification system is important to understand in the context of Bordeaux history. Today rivalry among the classed chateaux only serves to elevate the appellation overall.
One of its best historically, the estate of Leoville, was the largest in the Médoc in the 18th century, before it was divided into the three second growths known today as Chateau Léoville-Las-Cases, Léoville-Poyferré and Léoville-Barton. Located in the north section, these are stone’s throw from Chateau Latour in Pauillac and share much in common with that well-esteemed estate.
The relatively homogeneous gravelly and rocky top soil on top of clay-limestone subsoil is broken only by a narrow strip of bank on either side of the “jalle,” or stream, that bisects the zone and flows into the Gironde.
St. Julien wines are for those wanting subtlety, balance and consistency in their Bordeaux. Rewarding and persistent, the best among these Bordeaux Blends are full of blueberry, blackberry, cassis, plum, tobacco and licorice. They are intense and complex and finish with fine, velvety tannins.