critic reviews
The 2022 Clos du Marquis has commendable fruit concentration: blackberry, bilberry and light estuarine scents, well defined with the oak neatly enmeshed. The palate is medium-bodied with fleshy, pliant tannins. Fine acidity, clean and crisp towards the finish. There is just a hint of warm alcohol on the aftertaste, but otherwise this will do nicely. Tasted blind at the Southwold tasting in London.
This is the last vintage to be vinified in the old facilities, there is a new building located clos to Léoville-Las-Cases which was used from 2023 onwards. The assemblage in 2022 is 45.5% Merlot, 44.5% Cabernet Sauvignon and 10% Cabernet Franc, and the press wine accounts for 7% of the blend. The élevage was in 53% new oak barrels. This is aromatically charming, with fresh red fruits, damson and black cherry, with floral notes of peony and rose which lift it out of the glass. It feels very complete on the palate, with a very supple, harmonious and integrated whole, filled with savoury fruits, dark berry and currant, draped over a finessed bed of tannins, finely knit, powdery and yet substantial. It takes on some darker tones through the middle, developing flavours of salted olive and liquorice, the floral fruits giving way to these more brooding elements, before the finish culminates in a flourish of powdered tannins and brilliantly dark fruits. A great Clos du Marquis here. The alcohol on the label is 14%.
"We've never seen such refined Cabernet Sauvignon at this property," says Jean-Hubert Delon of the 2022 Clos du Marquis, and the resulting wine is certainly unusually suave and expressive, bursting with aromas of cassis, plums, orange zest, violets and pencil shavings. Medium to full-bodied, ample and fleshy, with excellent concentration, supple tannins and a long, mouthwatering finish, it will likely offer a rather broad drinking window.