| Region | |
|---|---|
| Subregion | France > Bordeaux > Left Bank > St Julien |
| Colour | Red |
| Type | Still |
Like next-door neighbour Latour, Léoville Lascases produces a wine that people think of as a second wine, but it 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. Lascases 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. Lascases 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".
The 2020 Clos du Marquis wafts from the glass with aromas of rich berries, cherries, orange zest, pencil shavings and crushed mint. Medium to full-bodied, rich and velvety, with a sweet core of fruit, lively acids and powdery tannins that assert themselves on the youthfully firm finish, it's a serious wine that will require and reward patience. 2027 - 2050
The 2020 Clos du Marquis, matured in 40% new oak, has something almost genteel on the nose, very harmonious, almost "laid back" as lilting blackberry, cigar humidor, loamy aromas unfurl in the glass. The palate is medium-bodied with a pleasant salinity on the entry, moderate depth, well balanced with black pepper and sage towards the structured finish. There is a sense of confidence about this Clos du Marquis that should see it age well over 20 to 25 years. Excellent.
A tighter, more linear red with blackcurrant, olive and floral character. It’s medium-to full-bodied with a firm, racy finish. Tight. Sweet tobacco. 61% cabernet sauvignon, 6% cabernet franc and 33% merlot.
The 2020 Clos du Marquis is composed of 61% Cabernet Sauvignon, 33% Merlot and 6% Cabernet Franc, weighing in with an alcohol of 13.57%, a pH of 3.76 and an IPT (tannins index) of 84. The Cabernet Sauvignon was harvested from the 26th to 29th of September, the Merlot from the 11th to the 16th of September and the Cabernet Franc from the 18th to the 29th of September. Deep purple-black in color, it bursts from the glass with flamboyant notes of crushed blackberries, ripe, juicy plums and blackcurrant pastilles, with suggestions of licorice, red roses and espresso. The medium-bodied palate is completely coated with perfumed black fruits, framed by firm, grainy tannins and bold freshness, finishing long and fragrant. Simply gorgeous. 2025 - 2045
This has the most gorgeous savoury fruit edge, a brilliant Marquis with a sappy chalky quality, concentrated and intense but still keeps the St-Julien balance. 40% new oak.
Drinking Window 2024 - 2036
61% Cabernet Sauvignon, 33% Merlot, 6% Cabernet Franc. Cask sample.
Deep, bright crimson. Attractive Cabernet nose with dark-fruit and floral notes. Smooth and luscious on attack with a depth of crunchy fruit and incredibly fine-grained tannins. ITP index a massive 84 (higher than Las Cases) but you don’t feel the tannins. Definite potential. (JL) 13.6%
Drink 2027 – 2040
(61% CS, 33% M, 6% CF; 13.5% ABV; 40% new)
Lovely nose, subtle, fragrant, gently oaky, very seductive; medium-full, moderate in concentration, fresh to vital in acidity (much more marked in the Las Cases group of wines, which have a higher proportion of Cabernet Sauvignon), but in no way austere; dry, lightly gravelly, with a nice length of flavor, just a touch of classic Bordeaux austerity, a bit like the Petite Marquise, quite delicate but in no way weak, with an attractive complexity and very good length. A fine “mid-weight vintage” character. 2028–40+.
The 2020 Clos du Marquis was picked September 11–29 and matured in 40% new oak with 13.57° alcohol. This Saint-Julien displays copious blackberry and raspberry scents on the nose, intermingling with freshly rolled tobacco and subtle estuarine aromas. There is something almost... gentle about the aromatics. The palate is medium-bodied with satisfying sappiness on the entry that gets the saliva flowing. Quite classic in style, in keeping with the leitmotif of the vintage, this fans out toward the finish while retaining ample structure and a sense of linearity. This excellent Clos du Marquis brims over with breeding and should drink well for 20–30 years. 2027 - 2050.
