Clos du Marquis 2019

The structure and power of an exceptionally tight and airy 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 30 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 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
Thanks to the western location of the Clos du Marquis vineyards, the winter 2019 was particularly mild, followed by a cool spring. The summer of 2019 was particularly dry and hot with moderate water stress suffered by the vines due to the homogeneous soil rich in clay. From August to the harvest, the significant thermal amplitudes between the night and the day allowed for a slow and steady ripening of the grape varieties, which also maintained nice acidity levels.

The blend
Cabernet sauvignon (70%), merlot (23%), cabernet franc (7%).

The tasting
Tasted en primeur, the Clos du Marquis 2019 captures the eye with its intense, inky dark colour. Intense and very aromatic, the nose is marked by notes of ripe fruit, like blackcurrant, black cherry and blueberry. Notes of tea, liquorice and camphor appear, mingling with floral fragrances. On the palate, the wine displays the elegance and signature style of a superb Saint-Julien red wine. Despite the fact that Clos du Marquis is further from the Gironde estuary, making it more prone to water stress, the vintage reveals a flamboyant freshness on the palate. With great finesse, the palate is structured by ripe, finely grained tannins. Volume, precision, tension, straightness and length define this brilliant 2019 vintage from Clos du Marquis, which stretches forth for a long time on a finish with an aerial grace.