La Clotte, St Emilion, 2024
La Clotte comprises four hectares of vineyards (2.5 of which are in production) on the limestone plateau neighbouring Ausone. Produced by the Vauthier family the 2024 Clotte offers wild hedgerow fruit aromas mingled with notes of coffee beans and liquorice, alongside both black and red fruit. A noticeable oak spice character comes through, with clove, nutmeg, vanilla, and cinnamon adding complexity. There’s a tangy acidity to the fruit, finishing with a pleasant combination of cherry and pepper.
critic reviews
Deep garnet-purple colored. Starts off a little closed, soon unfurling to offer up scents of cedar chest, fresh mulberries, and blackberries, plus hints of black tea and Sichuan pepper with a waft of wild sage. The medium-bodied palate is tightly wound with vibrant red berry and mineral layers, framed by ripe, grainy tannins and bold freshness, finishing long and perfumed. Nice!
The 2024 La Clotte was picked between October 1 and 5 at just 22 hl/ha due to <em>coulure</em> and <em>millerandage</em>. It was then macerated via submerged cap and aged for 18 months in new oak barrels. This has one of my favorite aromatics amongst the Vauthier family's cuvées, with delightful wild strawberry, raspberry and iodine aromas, although it's quite tight on the nose at the moment. The palate is medium-bodied with a smooth, almost silky opening, a fine bead of acidity and impressive precision on the finish. It is not as intense as the 2022 as you would expect, but this is a sophisticated Saint-Émilion that should age with style (if desired).
Excellent quality from the off, this is gripping and fragrant, again slimmer than in recent years but again capturing and harnessing the potential finesse of the vintage, peony, iris, cassis bud, crushed rose petals. The fruit a little less evident that the flowers, this is more about texture and minerality. Winery at La Clotte now totally finished, vineyard is almost 50% replanted, just under 3ha in production, with another three years before the whole project with reception facilties are totally ready to go. 100% new oak. Harvest 1 to 5 October. Philippe Baillarguet cellar master.
Offering up aromas of blackberries, minty raspberries and sweet toasty oak, the 2024 La Clotte is medium to full-bodied, dense and vibrant, with tangy acids, chalky tannins and a penetrating finish.