2006 Clos St Martin

That malty oak note again. Mild and easy and sweet – Derenoncourt? Reasonably bright fruit. Slighlty chunky on the end. (JR)

Tasted three separate times, this 2006 underperformed from the bottle and was nearly impossible to penetrate. It exhibits high tannin, an austere personality, and seemingly insufficient depth or concentration to balance out the wine’s structure. Masochists will probably rate it higher, but I felt this offering was burdened down by a foreboding structure to the detriment of concentrated fruit and overall equilibrium. Time will tell, but my instincts suggest this 2006 St.-Emilion is likely to dry out before it ever blossoms. Too bad – recent vintages such as 2000, 2001, and 2005 have been sublime.

Balanced and fruity, with mineral and licorice character. Medium- to full-bodied, with chewy tannins. James Suckling, Wine Spectator 2007