Château Berliquet, Grand Cru Classé, St Emilion, 2017
After many years being tended by Nicolas Thienpont, Berliquet is now being managed by another Nicolas, Monsieur Audebert of Canon and Rauzan Segla fame. The Wertheimer family recently purchased this superb clay/limestone plot between Canon and Belair Monange. The 2017 is the new team's first foray with this terroir and they opted for a cautious approach to picking and vinifications. The result is very impressive, although one senses this is very much a work in progress. Vivid crimson fruit, pure tayberry interwoven with minerals and liquorice. The palate is intense, vibrant and flavoursome with a real sense of its limestone terroir. Definitely one to watch!
critic reviews
The 2017 Berliquet is medium to deep garnet-purple in color. It bursts with notions of fresh blackberries, black and red plums, and redcurrants, plus hints of dried herbs and crushed rocks. Medium-bodied, the palate is energetic and refreshing with minerally accents to the black fruits, finishing with a pleasant chewiness.
Deep garnet-purple in color, the 2017 Berliquet gives up expressive notes of baked plums, blackberry preserves and mulberries with hints of licorice, crushed rocks, chargrilled meat and wild sage. Medium-bodied, the palate has a great core of elegantly played flavors framed by soft, plush tannins and bold freshness, finishing long and minerally. The blend is 70% Merlot and 30% Cabernet Franc and it was aged for 18 months in French oak, 50% new.
The 2017 Berliquet was cropped at 30hl/ha and matured in 50% new oak. It offers attractive blackberry, blueberry and light vanillary scents on the nose, a little sleeker and more opulent in style than the 2017 Canon. The palate is medium-bodied with slightly chewy tannins and compact black fruit. An abrupt finish just needs to manifest more persistence. I appreciate the mintiness that begins to appear on the aftertaste.