Chateau La Clotte Grand Cru Classe, Saint-Emilion Grand Cru 2022

The 2022 Château La Clotte is another serious wine in the lineup. Mulled black cherries, liquid violets, spicy wood, and smoky, chocolaty nuances are just some of this wine’s nuances, and it's medium full-bodied, has a pure, layered mouthfeel, silky tannins, and a gorgeous finish. It's one hell of a gorgeous Saint-Emilion that deserves 4-5 years of bottle age and will evolve for two decades.

Delivers precise and vivid black cherry and raspberry fruits, with fennel, aniseed, cocoa bean, sea spray, grip, plenty of personality and lift, such a confident and nuanced vintage of La Clotte, now going from strength to strength. 100% new oak, last year organic conversion.

The 2022 La Clotte is very, very young. Dense and packed to the core, the 2022 is going to need a number of years to be at its best, as it is quite raw today. Intense dark red fruit, cedar, tobacco, mint and dried flowers open with some coaxing. A healthy dollop of Cabernet Franc (15%) adds aromatic presence while lending salinity to the mid-palate and finish. The 100% new oak here is evident.

The 2022 La Clotte has turned out very well in bottle, offering up aromas of cassis, cherries and incense framed by a deft touch of toasty new oak. Medium to full-bodied, supple and suave, it's pure and seamless, with a lively spine of acidity and a long, saline finish. This small four-hectare estate on the outskirts of Saint-Émilion is establishing itself as one of the gems in the Vauthier portfolio.

The 2022 La Clotte, part of the Vauthier family stable of properties, has been impressive in recent vintages. The bouquet offers wonderful purity and delineation with blackcurrant, crushed violet and a hint of camphor. This is almost Margaux-like in style. The medium-bodied palate features a patina of new oak on the entry that will need to be absorbed as it matured entirely in new wood with moderated toasting. The finish is silky smooth, though it will require five or six years in bottle to fully integrate the oak.

A blend of 85% Merlot and 15% Cabernet Franc, La Clotte 2022 is deep garnet-purple in color. It sashays out with provocative notes of spiced plums, boysenberry preserves, and potpourri, leading to hints of star anise and black olives. The full-bodied palate is rich, plush, and perfumed, delivering fantastic freshness and a long, wonderfully pure finish.