96 point

This is a soulful, brooding Clos St-Denis thanks in part to its 65% whole cluster and 50% new oak. The color is vivid and deep, and the aromas are primary and intense. Vanilla, toast and chocolate are joined by tangy blackberries on the palate. Mineral tingle and muscular, balanced tannins nicely frame the full body. These vines sit at the top of the hill next to Ponsot.

92/95

60% whole bunch, 50% new wood. A solid mid purple colour. The bouquet suggests plenty of fruit to follow, with a little bit of new wood as well. This is very evenly poised across the palate, some orange rind, lifted, middleweight for grand cru, lacks the éclat of the best years. Some riper notes, a touch of mocha, alongside the whole bunch white pepper. Good persistence.

92/94

Matured with 60% whole bunches and 50% new oak, the 2021 Clos Saint-Denis Grand Cru has a crisp nose with touches of menthol and blood orange surfacing with time in the glass. The palate is medium-bodied with fine-grain tannins, a dash of white pepper, cohesive with another quite elegant, brown spice and cracked black pepper finish. Very fine.

91/94

(from a .28 ha parcel of 30+ year old vines in Calouère – the first vintage was 1979). There is enough wood to merit pointing out on the elegant, spicy and ripe aromas of mostly dark berries and discreet floral nuances. The delicious, vibrant and attractively textured if not especially dense flavors possess fine complexity on the dusty, youthfully austere and balanced finale where a touch of oak reappears. This understated effort should be approachable after only 5 to 7 years but reward 12 to 15 years of development potential.