Wine Advisor
La Clotte 2018
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Description
Tasting notes
Reviewed by: Lisa Perrotti-Brown
The 2018 La Clotte is a blend of 85% Merlot, 10% Cabernet Sauvignon and 5% Cabernet Franc. Medium to deep garnet-purple in color, it slips seductively out of the glass with spicy scents of powdered cinnamon, cloves and Sichuan pepper over a core of stewed plums, boysenberries and kirsch, plus a waft of menthol. The medium-bodied palate possesses impressive energy, featuring bags of ripe black and red berries flavors with a lively backbone and fine-grained texture, finishing on a lingering mineral note.
Reviewed by: Lisa Perrotti-Brown
The 2018 La Clotte is made up of 85% Merlot, 10% Cabernet Sauvignon and 5% Cabernet Franc. Deep purple-black in color, it leaps from the glass with gregarious scents of crushed blueberries, Morello cherries and black raspberries with touches of oolong tea, violets, mocha and cigar box plus a waft of cedar. Full-bodied with a solid frame of fine-grained tannins and oodles of freshness, it is packed with vibrant black and blue fruits layers, finishing long with great purity.
Reviewed by: Antonio Galloni
The 2018 La Clotte represents another big move forward for this château under the Vauthier family. Bright, focused and tightly wound, the 2018 is going to need at least a few years to soften, but its pedigree is evident, even in the early going. Sage, mint, lavender, rose petal and blood orange meld into the vibrant, polished finish.
Reviewed by: Antonio Galloni
The 2018 La Clotte is fabulous. In fact, I don’t remember a recent vintage that has been anywhere near as compelling as the 2018. Striking aromatics give the 2018 dimension and nuance. On the palate, the wine is every bit as arresting in its beauty. Rose petal, mint, sage, lavender and blood orange add vivacity throughout. The Franc really comes through in the wine's aromatic profile and saline-infused finish. I loved it.
Reviewed by: Antonio Galloni
The 2018 La Clotte is fabulous. In fact, I don’t remember a recent vintage that has been anywhere near as compelling as the 2018. Striking aromatics give the 2018 dimension and nuance. On the palate, the wine is every bit as arresting in its beauty. Rose petal, mint, sage, lavender and blood orange add vivacity throughout. The Franc really comes through in the wine's aromatic profile and saline-infused finish. I loved it.
Reviewed by: Neal Martin
The 2018 La Clotte has a vibrant, expressive bouquet, a mixture of black and red fruit, violets, incense and background marine scents that are all beautifully delineated and gain intensity with aeration (this bottle was monitored over 2–3 hours). The palate is medium-bodied with saturated tannins and a fine bead of acidity, paradoxically exerting weight but feeling nimble and pliant. There is some new oak to be assimilated toward the finish, so give this La Clotte 4–5 years to fully meld together, because it will be worth the wait.
About the Producer
Located in the Saint-Emilion appellation of Bordeaux, France, Chateau La Clotte sits on one of the oldest vineyards on the Right Bank of Bordeaux. The vineyard covers 4 hectares and is planted to Merlot, Cabernet Franc and Cabernet Sauvignon, mainly on clay and limestone soils. The vines are old, with an average age of almost 50 years, and planted at a density of 6,500 vines per hectare. During the ripening stage, the winery conducts regular experimental analyses in order to determine the final harvesting time. For the winemaking, the grapes are picked by hand, macerated at low temperatures and fermented in stainless steel tanks equipped with temperature control facilities. During this period, daily drenching, cap pressing and tank decanting and back-mixing are carried out to enhance the contact between the juice and the skins in order to extract more pigments and tannins. After fermentation, the wine is aged in 50% new French oak barrels, depending on the quality of the grapes, usually around 15 months. The wine produced by Château La Clotte is called Chateau La Clotte, Saint-Emilion Grand Cru Classe, France. The wines are of excellent quality, reasonably priced, rich in minerality, rich and full-bodied, and loved by the elite of the wine industry. Recent vintages of Château Claret have won praise from several wine critics and wine review magazines, including Robert Parker Points, James Suckling and Wine Enthusiast, for their excellent quality, including a 95+ score for the 2015 vintage. with a score of 95+.
