| Region | |
|---|---|
| Subregion | France > Bordeaux > Left Bank > St Julien |
| Colour | Red |
| Type | Still |
Like next-door neighbour Latour, Léoville Las Cases produces a wine that people think of as a second wine, but isn't. Clos du Marquis is a wine of classed growth quality in its own right, produced from a vineyard on the other side of the road near to the vines of Leoville Poyferré. Las Cases itself is situated in a walled vineyard alongside Latour overlooking the estuary. Clos du Marquis is the equal of most 3rd, 4th and 5th growths and has been an outstanding performer for many years. Las Cases is now producing a "proper" second wine called Le Petit Lion from their young vines and there is now a second wine of Clos du Marquis called "La Petite Marquise".
From bottle, the 2021 Clos du Marquis is just as impressive and serious as it was in cask. Unfurling in the glass with aromas of blackcurrants, lilac, burning embers and pencil shavings, it's medium to full-bodied, fleshy and layered, with a concentrated core of lively fruit, sweet but abundant tannins and a long, palate-staining finish. Drink 2027-2050.
There are only 2,500 cases of Clos du Marquis this year. No chaptalisation, but some reverse osmosis helped to bring the alcohol up to 13.46%. 67% Cabernet Sauvignon, 19% Merlot, 14% Cabernet Franc. Maturation in 50% new oak. Vibrant purple colour. Supple red fruits and a touch of darker hedgerow on the nose - subtly spicy but well integrated wood comes through with air. The acid offers initial backbone against dark fruit while the fine tannin builds. The framing feels ripe but it is mouthcoating, enveloping cool blackcurrant, dark plum, cedar and tobacco. This is a well proportioned and serious wine, with a deep finish that promises more to come.
The 2021 Clos du Marquis is a blend of 67% Cabernet Sauvignon, 19% Merlot, and 14% Cabernet Franc, harvested from 24 September to 9 October, and to be aged in oak barrels, 50% of them new. Medium to deep garnet-purple in color, it bursts onto the scene with notes of cassis, ripe plums, and boysenberries, plus hints of Sichuan pepper and pencil lead. Medium-bodied, the palate is refreshing with grainy tannins texturing the youthful black and red fruits, finishing long and pure. pH 3.69. IPT 86.
67% Cabernet Sauvignon, 19% Merlot, 14% Cabernet Franc. Cask sample.
Marked Cabernet nose. Upright and earnest with firm but fine tannins, persistency and grip. St-Julien fruit less expressive but fresh and with energy and drive. A serious wine. (JL) 13.5%
Drink 2027 – 2038
The 2021 Clos du Marquis is a lovely wine, offering up aromas of cherries, burning embers, dark berries, loamy soil and truffle, followed by a medium to full-bodied, layered and velvety wine that's rather deep and serious, reflecting low yields of 30 hectoliters per hectare and a blend dominated by 67% Cabernet Sauvignon, with 19% Merlot and 14% Cabernet Franc in supporting roles. Lest anyone underestimate it on the strength of the challenging vintage alone, by the numbers it contains a higher concentration of polyphenols than either the 2019 or 2020 vintages. Tasted three times.
