2003 Clos des Jacobins

Dullish red-ruby color. Aroma of redcurrant liqueur could use a bit more vibrancy. Offers decent breadth in the mouth but lacks real flavor intensity and precision. Finishes with lingering berry flavor and dusty, drying tannins.

While this vintage will not stop consumers in their tracks, I believe better things will emerge from this vineyard since its acquisition by Bernard Decoster (the brother of Fleur-Cardinale’s owner) in 2004. The pleasant, one-dimensional, soft, medium-bodied 2003 reveals notes of herbs, black cherries, licorice, and smoke. Drink it over the next 5-7 years. Apr 2006, www.robertparker.com