2011 Clos du Marquis, St-Julien

A really impressive Clos du Marquis, which has overcome the challenges of the vintage to produce a dark, serious, muscular blend with dense, but finely crafted tannins, sappy, concentrated, graphite and black fruit flavours and fresh acidity. This is a wine for the long haul, but should develop beautifully in bottle. 10+ years.

94 points Tim Aitken MW

The 2011 Clos du Marquis has plenty of fruit on the nose: raspberry, cranberry and pomegranate, sous-bois mixed with cigar humidor and wild mint scents that emerge with aeration. The palate is medium-bodied with a fine sappy entry and cohesive with a fine bead of acidity. This is not a deep, fleshy nor fruit-driven Clos du Marquis, but it is finely proportioned with a lovely saline finish. Drink now and over the next 6-8 years.

91 points Neal Martin vinous.com Oct 2021 Drink 2021-2030

Often mistaken for the second wine of Château Léoville Las Cases, Clos du Marquis is in fact a distinguished estate in its own right. Created in 1902 by the Delon family, the wine is sourced from exceptional vineyards outside the famed Grand Clos of Léoville Las Cases, producing a classically styled Saint Julien with impressive depth, finesse and ageing potential. It has long been regarded as one of the Médoc's smartest buys, consistently delivering the pedigree and precision for which the Delon family is renowned.

The 2011 vintage favoured careful vineyard management and rewarded producers with wines of freshness, balance and classical structure. The gravelly soils of Saint Julien produced Cabernet Sauvignon led blends of purity and definition, while patient bottle ageing has softened the wine's youthful edges, revealing increasing complexity and harmony.

Deep garnet with subtle brick highlights, the bouquet opens with aromas of cassis, black cherry and redcurrant layered with cedar, graphite and cigar box. As the wine evolves, notes of tobacco leaf, forest floor, dried herbs and pencil shavings emerge, adding savoury complexity and unmistakable Left Bank character. The palate is medium to full bodied, combining refined black fruits with finely integrated tannins, lively acidity and a mineral thread that carries through to a long, poised finish. Elegant rather than opulent, it captures the timeless appeal of classical Saint Julien.

A superb companion for roast lamb, beef Wellington, duck breast, mushroom pithivier or mature Comté. Drinking beautifully today, this refined Bordeaux will continue to reward careful cellaring over the coming decade.

Cellaring: Drink now to 2038.