| Region | |
|---|---|
| Subregion | France > Bordeaux > Right Bank > St Emilion |
| Colour | Red |
| Type | Still |
This Saint Emilion property of 9 hectares is well situated on the plateau of Saint Emilion. Previously the wines were made by Nicolas Thienpont from Pavie Macquin and Beausejour Duffau. However in July 2017 the property was purchased by the owners of Chanel and it is now under the control of the wine-making team of Chateau Canon. Consequently there is a significant change in the style of the wine into something much more sophisticated and smooth than before. The vineyard is planted with 75% Merlot, 25% Cabernet Franc.
The 2019 Berliquet is showing beautifully, wafting from the glass with aromas of cherries, wild berries, sweet spices, violets and forest floor. Medium to full-bodied, seamless and elegant, with terrific depth at the core, lively acids and ripe, powdery tannins, it concludes with a long, mineral finish. It's produced from a 9.5-hectare vineyard that encompasses three soil types: Saint-Émilion's limestone plateau (like its sibling, Château Canon); the slope, characterized by deep clay; and then sandy, colluvial soils at the foot of the slope. Right now it's planted with 70% Merlot and the balance Cabernet Franc, but the percentage of the latter is increasing as replanting progresses. Drink Date 2027 - 2050
The 2019 Berliquet is made from 60% Merlot and 40% Cabernet Franc. Medium to deep garnet-purple, it slowly unfurls to offer notes of chocolate-covered cherries, menthol, plum preserves, and mulberries with wafts of rose petals, black olives, and underbrush. Medium to full-bodied, the palate has a solid backbone of ripe, fine-grained tannins and beautiful freshness supporting the generous black fruits, finishing long with a mineral lift.
A blend of 77% Merlot and 23% Cabernet Franc, aged in 45% new French oak. Mid ruby colour, with a floral and bright, red-fruited nose. There are hints of green spice and seductive vanilla. The palate is equally bright, with lively acids and high-toned red fruit turning to cherry blossom and violet. this is positively zippy, but there remains a core of flesh underneath. The tannins are fine, soft and ripe, making for a very approachable style. Long and pure in red fruit through to the finish.
The 2018 was a breakthrough vintage for Berliquet with the wine becoming very much like Canon in style. The 2019 continues in that trend, a blend of 77% Merlot and 23% Cabernet Franc which will be aged in 45% new French oak. For the first time, the wine will age in historical quarries that took two years to renovate. the harvest too found new levels of precision, with an intra-plot harvest and use of new, smaller vats for fermentation. The palate is deep ruby in colour, with perfumed red fruit and a little sweet kirsch on the nose. The palate is ripe, fleshy and round, with no hard edges. Creamy red fruits are interlaced with star anise, cedar and fresh leather. The tannins are wonderfully fine and ripe, gently framing the wine. Persistent, vibrant red fruits linger on the finish. Tasted in Bordeaux.
The 2019 Château Berliquet shows the vintage’s pure, elegant, nicely focused style beautifully. Giving up lots of ripe black cherries, iron, hints of darker currants, tobacco, and loamy earth, it's medium-bodied, has a supple, balanced mouthfeel, polished tannins, and a great finish. I’d be happy to drink bottles any time over the coming 10-15 years or so.
