2001 Clos St Martin

Bright deep ruby. Smells like proper bordeaux – clean, not forced. Juicy but then over-forced tannins. Shame because at first it stood out from its peers. Too much press wine? (JR)

One of St.-Emilion’s tiniest vineyards, Clos St.-Martin’s micro-production should be snapped up should readers see a bottle on retailers’ shelves. Like its 2000 and 1998 siblings, the 2001 is a candidate for “wine of the vintage.” It offers a wonderful crushed stone-like minerality intermixed with a liqueur of raspberries, blackberries, and even a hint of blueberries. The wood is well-concealed beneath lavish concentration, great stature and palate presence, and a full-bodied, layered, noticeably tannic finish. This fabulous effort is another example of a 2001 right bank that is not far off the pace of their prodigious 2000. Anticipated maturity: 2010-2025.

Slightly oaky, but very glamorous and exciting. Liqueur nose. Full. Exciting. Coats the palate. Very, very rich. Good. Not too confected, but a tannic end. (JR)