Chateau La Clotte 2020

From holdings on the outskirts of the town of Saint-Émilion, the Vauthier family's 2020 La Clotte has turned out beautifully, mingling aromas of raspberries and mulberries with hints of petals, incense and vine smoke. Medium to full-bodied, concentrated and vibrant, it's suave and precise, concluding with a penetrating finish. The blend is 85% Merlot with 15% Cabernet Franc.

Anise, almond and marzipan on the nose. There is a subtle interplay of tannin and acidity, linear and direct, finishing with a clementine and orange rind bitterness that also gives a sense of forward propulsion across the palate. It has definition and personality, and continues its improvements under the Ausone team. Moulin St Georges has more breadth, depth and texture through the palate – this has more of a limestone squeeze, offering plenty of choice depending on what you are looking for.

A very minerally La Clotte with lots of sea salt character. It’s medium-bodied with brightness and firmness. Lovely fruit and intensity. Drinkable, but give it at least three to five years.

85% Merlot, 15% Cabernet Franc. Cask sample. Definitely on an upward curve these days. Lovely pitch of pure, dark fruit. A hint of liquorice as well. Energy and concentration on the palate, the plentiful but silky tannins providing power and persistence. Shows both muscle and finesse. (JL)

The 2020 La Clotte exudes depth and is intensely packed with dark red cherry, plum and blood orange fruit. Today, La Clotte is incredibly primary, with terrific fruit density but less in the way of aromatic complexity. That’s probably a very good thing for its long-term prospects, but readers will have to be patient. It spent 18 months in 100% new French oak, and there is some oak that still needs to integrate.

Licorice, flowers, chocolate, black and blue fruits with crushed stones create the aromatic profile. The wine is fresh, lifted, and packed with layers of perfectly ripe, salty plums. The ocean-influenced theme continues all the way through to the long, expansive, leafy, spice-tinged finish. With its concentration, balance, and elegance, this is the best vintage of La Clotte ever made. Prices have not yet caught up to the level of quality produced here. Drink from 2024-2050.

The 2020 Château La Clotte comes from more limestone, terraced hillsides and is 85% Merlot and 15% Cabernet Franc, vinified in concrete tanks and aged in new French oak. Cassis, ripe black cherries, toasted spice, and classy oak notes all emerge on the nose, and it's full-bodied, with beautiful concentration, building tannins, and a great finish. This beauty gains complexity with time in the glass and shows more tobacco, toasted nut, and damp earth. It’s another spectacular effort from this family.

This was pretty austere during En Primeur and is now beginning to put on weight, showing sleek raspberry and redcurrant fruit, studded with fennel, marzipan and orange rind with a mouthwatering finish. Clear limestone influence, just love watching what is happening at this property since the 2015 arrival of the Vauthiers. 100% new oak. An excellent, La Clotte, look out for it.

Composed of 85% Merlot and 15% Cabernet Franc, the 2020 La Clotte is deep garnet-purple in color. Very closed to begin, it offers glimpses of cedar, redcurrant preserves, and stewed plums, giving way to fragrant notes of violets, aniseed, and Sichuan pepper. The medium to full-bodied palate is chock full of black fruit with red berry accents and firm, grainy tannins, finishing long and spicy.

93-94

Covering 4 hectares, the La Clotte vineyard unfolds in terraces on the limestone hillside, facing south/southwest of the village of Saint-Emilion. The vines average 57 years of age. Clay-limestone soils. The symbiosis of peony notes and chalky nuances is evident and appealing, calling for freshness and complexity. The wine shows density, juiciness, fine-grained tannins, and a well-honed structure that brings energy and character. The aromatic expression on the finish is further amplified and extended. A superb success!

A firm and structured wine, this is fine and powerful. It has good potential with richness, structure and a succulent aftertaste. Drink this serious wine from 2027.