Chateau Clos de Bouard 2018

Expressive, with a mix of savory and tobacco leaf notes amid black cherry and black currant paste flavors. Frankly toasted on the finish, but there’s good energy and a nice hint of warm earth as well. Merlot, Cabernet Franc and Cabernet Sauvignon. Drink now through 2024. Tasted twice, with consistent notes. 5,416 cases made.

Deep ruby in color, you find espresso, licorice, black plum and cherry nuances on the nose and palate. Round, lush, soft, silky and fresh, the fruit is ripe, sweet and earthy, with good length, refinement and a hint of espresso and cocoa on the backend.

The blend of 85% Merlot, 11% Cabernet Franc and 4% Cabernet-Sauvignon is well suited to the vintage. The wine is both persistent and elegant, with spicy, velvety tannins and a return of dark fruit on the finish.

The nose is fruity, elegant, balanced and racy, offering freshness, a subtle sense of tension, indulgence, and minerality. It reveals notes of blackcurrant, fleshy/juicy plum and, more lightly, strawberry, combined with fine hints of lilac and fresh violet, touches of crisp small berries, very delicate hints of nutmeg, and an imperceptible toasted note. The palate is fruity, mineral, balanced and elegant, delivering tension, a fine zesty backbone, depth, and freshness. On the palate, the wine shows notes of juicy/ripe blackcurrant, juicy blackberry and, more lightly, juicy/fresh raspberry, paired with touches of crisp/fresh plum, discreet hints of cardamom, and an imperceptible hint of blond tobacco. The tannins are well-handled.

Big tannins and rich, succulent black fruits give a wine that is rich, solid and immensely concentrated. It is a blockbuster wine, dense and full of the ripest black fruits and promising a long aging. Drink from 2024.