2001 Clos Les Lunelles

(80% merlot and 10% each cabernet franc and sauvignon) Saturated ruby-red. Blackberry, black cherry, tar and tobacco on the nose, with a syrah-like gamey aspect. Concentrated, dense and silky, with black cherry and mineral flavors. This boasts strong material. With its rather strong tannic spine, this wine really calls for at least five years of patience and may ultimately merit an outstanding rating.

The new reference point estate in the Cotes de Castillon, Clos Les Lunelles was acquired in 2001 by Gerard and Chantal Perse. It is comprised of nearly 24 acres of vines (averaging 38 years) planted on clay and limestone soils. The 2001, a blend of 80% Merlot and 20% Cabernet Sauvignon and Cabernet Franc, was cropped at a meager 20 hectoliters per hectare. The poor person’s version of Pavie and Pavie-Decesse, it possesses a saturated purple color along with splendid aromas of espresso roast, blackberry and cherry liqueur, spice box, cedar, and smoky oak. Dense, opulent, and voluptuous, this marvelously rich, concentrated offering sets a new qualitative plateau for a Cotes de Castillon. Given its low acidity, intense fruit, and breadth of flavor, it can be drunk young, or cellared for 10-12 years. It is a sleeper of the vintage ... without a doubt! Jun 2004, www.robertparker.com