Winemaker Notes
Blend: 55% Merlot, 45% Cabernet Franc, 5% Cabernet Sauvignon
Professional Ratings
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Vinous
The 2023 Clos Puy Arnaud is a huge, powerful, intense wine with a ton of fruit density. This feels a bit heavy and overdone—unusually so. Dark fruit and mocha linger. We will see where this goes. –Antonio Galloni
Barrel Sample: 90-93 -
Decanter
Deep violet colour. Fresh mint nose. Is there a hint of just barely underripe fruit? Early picking here, from September 5-18 . Even so, I think that that adds complexity to the mostly ripe, brambly red and even some dark plum jam. It is a pleasing red, which will go with a wide variety of foods, from Thai to barbecue. Fine balance between the alcohol and rather low pH of 3.53. Ageing in about 10% new oak.
Barrel Sample: 92 -
Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
In a particularly challenging vintage for organic and biodynamic wines, Thierry Valette continues to steer the estate toward greater purity, reduced oak influence and more precise textures. The 2023 Clos Puy Arnaud fully reflects this evolution, revealing a pure, nuanced bouquet of tapenade, dark wild berries, licorice and flowers. Medium- to full-bodied, it is fleshy yet well-structured, framed by abundant, velvety tannins and concludes with a long, saline, penetrating finish. This is a blend of 50% Merlot, 45% Cabernet Franc and 5% Cabernet Sauvignon.
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James Suckling
Black beans, olives and brambleberries on the nose of this dark-fruited, chewy red. It’s medium-bodied with firm, compact tannins. Polished and a little hard for now. 50% merlot, 45% cabernet franc and 5% cabernet sauvignon. From biodynamically grown grapes with Demeter certification.
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Jeb Dunnuck
A blend of 50% Merlot, 45% Cabernet Franc, and 5% Cabernet Sauvignon aged nine months in a mix of barrels (10% new), amphora, and concrete, the 2023 Clos Puy Arnaud sports a deep plum hue as well as ripe black fruit, roasted herbs, chocolate, and graphite, with some obvious minerality. It's medium to full-bodied and concentrated on the palate, with a big, fleshy, layered mouthfeel and a great finish. I don't see this making terribly old bones, but it has plenty of depth and density.
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.
Though the region is larger than many of its Right Bank neighbors, it is one that consistently produces high quality, well-valued red wines. In fact, Cotes de Castillon can almost be considered a geographical eastern extension of St. Emilion, producing similarly-fashioned reds based on Merlot.
Vineyards in the region’s clay, limestone and sandstone soils produce sturdy red wines. On alluvial terraces, in vineyards closer to the Dordogne River, wines tend to be more supple and fruity. In either case, a great Cotes de Castillon red will be bursting with raspberry, plum and blueberry, have an enticing bouquet of dried flowers and a finish that is plush and opulent.