Clos du Marquis 2011

An elegant and complex Saint-Julien wine

The estate

Founded in 1902, Clos du Marquis is a wine that originates from Petit Clos, the former home of the Marquis de Las Cases. Adjoining that of Château Léoville Las Cases, the Clos du Marquis vineyard is located on the great terroir of the Saint-Julien appellation on the left bank of the Bordeaux region. A strong brand of the Domaines Delon, Clos du Marquis has a unique identity, different from that of Léoville Las Cases. The wines of Clos de Marquis are among the greatest red wines of Saint-Julien.

The vineyard

Located on the most prestigious terroir of the Saint-Julien appellation, Clos du Marquis is an exceptional vineyard, 500 metres from the entrance to the Léoville Las Cases vineyard. Aged 35 years on average, the Clos du Marquis vineyard covers approximately 43 hectares of vines. The homogeneous terroir is made up of organic matter on the surface with the soils composed of sandy-clay Quaternary gravel. These gravel soils are older and finer than those of the terroir found at Léoville Las Cases, offering fantastic drainage. Further from the Gironde, the grapes of Clos du Marquis ripen later, at the end of a very long and gradual ripening cycle.

The vintage

A sunny vintage, 2011 was the hottest year after the heatwave of 2003. A particularly hot and dry spring favoured an extremely early flowering period. The beginning of the summer season was marked by significant water stress, which was gradually offset by rainy spells that salvaged the vineyard. These conditions allowed the all the grape varieties to reach a good phenolic ripeness.

The blend

Clos du Marquis 2011 is a blend of Cabernet Sauvignon (65%), Merlot (22%) and Cabernet Franc (13%).

Service

It is recommended to decant the wine 1 hour before tasting.