Saint-Julien

2007

58% Cabernet Sauvignon
35% Merlot
5% Cabernet Franc
2% Petit Verdot

Region: Bordeaux

ESTATE HISTORY 

The name of Clos du Marquis, created in 1902, was inspired by the Petit Clos adjacent to the Château de Léoville, residence of the Marquis de Las Cases. The Clos du Marquis offers a fine expression of the Saint-Julien character : structure, complexity, harmony, distinction and ageing potential.

TERROIR

The vineyard is planted on the Saint-Julien plateau, 20 metres above sea level. This soil is composed of humic podzol over sandy-clay gravel. 

The vines stretch over about 45 hectares (111 acres) with an average age of thirty years. The presence of organic matter in the top soil is due to the presence of a forest on this land in the past. This characteristic brings a typical Saint-Julien style to the wine. The grapes ripen later in this vineyard than in the Enclos, the latter being warmed by the micro-climate of the nearby Gironde river.

VITICULTURE

Sustainable farming. Not only is the soil worked traditionally using the age-old knowledge of the terroir but also integrated agricultural methods is used to show true respect of the surrounding environment.   

WINEMAKING

Maturation in new oak barrels.

TASTING & FOOD PAIRINGS

90 points Wine Advocate/Neal Martin
Good fruit and precision with scents of blackberry, cedar and a touch of tobacco. The palate has a supple entry with good acidity and tannic structure, harmonious although not complex, yet the finish is composed and shows some well integrated oak. I think this will improve with bottle age and may merit a higher score.