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Tasting notes
Loads of blueberries, with hints of wet earth and fresh mushrooms. Full-bodied, with layers of ripe tannins and juicy fruit. Goes on for minutes. Best wine from this estate ever. James Suckling, jamessuckling.com
Critic scores
Average Score
James Suckling
Decanter
More reviews and scores
Deep colour. Brooding, spicy nose. Rich, dense palate. Generous fruit but a little monolithic at this stage. Plenty of lift and freshness though. Powerful tannic frame. Drink 2015-2025
Mineral and sandalwood, with ripe blackberry on the nose. Full-bodied, with silky tannins and an attractive combination of toasted oak and fruit. Racy and polished.
One of the most distinctive wines made in Bordeaux, Le Dome has one of the highest percentages of Cabernet Franc of any claret I can think of. Composed of 80% Cabernet Franc and 20% Merlot, it exhibits a certain delicacy and elegance (due to the Cabernet Franc component) in addition to resounding power, concentration, depth and multidimensional personality. Black/purple to the rim, it offers strikingly intense notes of spring flowers, raspberries, mulberries and wood smoke, medium to full body, sweet tannin and a cunning intensity and texture that suggest finesse and delicacy. However, the wine’s richness, length and lingering depth build incrementally in this exceptional St.-Emilion. It will be drinkable in 4-5 years and should age for two decades or more. This is Jonathan Malthus’ finest wine to date. Feb 2012, www.robertparker.com
About the producer
The man behind highly regarded Saint-Émilion wine Le Dôme is a Nigerian-born Brit who sold his engineering firm in 1992 to move to Cahors and restore a pile of ruins. After meeting a local vineyard owner at a dinner party, he ended up selling his production to Oddbins and was caught by the wine bug.