Clos du Marquis 2016

This has a plush edge of warm tar and ganache that slowly melds into the core of steeped plum and cassis flavors as they move through, picking up smoldering charcoal and graphite notes along the way. A very grounded wine that will age nicely. Best from 2023 through 2038. 12,500 cases made.

From 18-55-year-old vines just outside the walled clos of Léoville. This is rich, with great depth and weight, showing lovely St-Julien balance and elegance in its pencil-lead and savoury cassis flavours. It's very well judged and extremely accomplished, displaying a touch of austerity on the finish. Very good quality.

This has a very suave, fresh and upbeat feel overall, with freshly baked berry pastry and ripe raspberry, boysenberry and red-plum aromas in abundance. The palate has a superb array of rich, fresh and deeply fruited tannins that roll smoothly into the elegant, focused and perfectly balanced finish. Try from 2023.

Tasted blind. Warm and rich with fruitcake aromas and weight. Just a bit severe on the drying finish. Shame because the fruit is really good. I’ll give it the benefit of the doubt and reckon it will age well. (JR)

The 2016 Clos du Marquis is just as compelling from bottle as it was from barrel. Inky, deep and explosive, with superb depth and impeccable balance, the 2016 is fabulously delicious. One of the things I admire most about the 2016 is an uncanny ability to deliver serious flavor intensity without excess heaviness. This is a stellar effort from Jean-Hubert Delon and his team.

The wine resembles its big brother without the same level of concentration. Medium to full-bodied and loaded with fresh, chewy, bright cassis, the tannins are ripe and polished, and the palate enjoys a splash of all that sweet, vibrant red fruit. Give it a few years in the cellar, if you can wait that long. This competes with several much more expensive classified growths!

From the considerable talents of the Léoville Las Cases team, the 2016 Clos du Marquis is made from 73% Cabernet Sauvignon, 24% Merlot, and the rest Cabernet Franc that was raised in 60% new French oak. This full-bodied, concentrated, incredibly elegant Saint Julien has the purity and balance that’s the hallmark of the vintage as well as loads of underlying structure and depth. Great notes of ripe black cherries, blackcurrants, spring flowers, and graphite all emerge from this beauty, which is going to be one for the ages. It will need 8-10 years of cellaring and keep for three decades.

73% Cabernet Sauvignon, 24% Merlot, 3% Cabernet Franc. Purple with a garnet rim. Fragrant bouquet of wild berries and violets, followed by cold fruit tea and tobacco spice. On the powerful palate with pronounced grip, remaining very elegant, it finishes with plenty of blue fruits and fine astringency.

Kunz barrel sample 17: (73% Cabernet Sauvignon, 24% Merlot, 3% Cabernet Franc, 40 hl/ha, 13.55% vol. alcohol) Floral, fresh, fruity, sweet bouquet; cassis, currants, grenadine, cedar, tobacco. Medium-bodied, with a good core on the palate, fine sandy tannins, sweet aromatics, fine fruit, a rather slender structure, long finish. Can still improve.

(73% Cabernet Sauvignon, 24% Merlot, 3% Cabernet Franc, 40 hl/ha, 13.55% vol. alcohol) Floral, fresh, fruity, sweet bouquet; cassis, redcurrants, grenadine, cedar, tobacco. Medium-bodied palate with a solid core, fine, sandy tannins, sweet aromatics, fine fruit, a rather slender structure, long finish. Can still improve. 16/20 2020 - 2032

A blend of 73% Cabernet Sauvignon, 24% Merlot, and 3% Cabernet Franc, the 2016 Clos du Marquis has a medium to deep garnet-purple colour. It needs a good deal of swirling to reveal notes of crème de cassis, blueberry compote, and chocolate-covered cherries, followed by hints of cardamom, spice cake, and tilled soil. Medium-bodied, the palate is elegant and refreshing, delivering loads of black fruit and spicy layers, finishing long and fragrant. A sleeper of the vintage, this cellar-worthy Saint-Julien is worth seeking out!

2016 remains magisterial, deep and taut. Built for long ageing.

Deep garnet red with purple highlights. The bouquet of Clos de Marquis ideally highlights Cabernet Sauvignon. It stands out for its ripe varietal freshness and fruit intensity. I detect notes of blackcurrant and liquorice. On the palate, the wine is elegant, ample and endowed with powerful yet silky tannins. The aromatic character builds in intensity with each passing second and is in harmony with the structure. Lovely tension, juiciness, density, and an intensely fruity finish. A superb success!

This score positions it as the best ever made. Dark, intense, purple colour. Very beautiful, intense nose with ripe, deep fruit. Broad on the attack, juicy through the mid‑palate, particularly fruity, with a fleshy yet taut body; the wine turns sappy toward the close, with a very long, savoury finish. Note that decanting suits it very well.

This wine is dense with dark tannins as well as the elegance associated with the appellation. It comes from a vineyard that has been separated out from the Léoville las Cases estate. Packed with tannins as well as blueberry and blackberry fruits, the wine will develop well over several years. Drink from 2023.