2001 Clos de Sarpe
Buying options
Tasting notes
This was a standout in our vertical – and a wine that holds a special place for Marcenat. As she told us, “For me, it’s better than 2000 – with more freshness, more balance, more everything.” The 100% new oak is integrated, with the nose now showing plenty of tertiary complexity: iron, sousbois and a subtle leafiness mingles with the still fresh, soft strawberry fruit. There’s a transparency here, yet still plenty of concentration – the palate still lithe with soft, plummy red fruit and high juicy acidity that supports the fruit and fills the long finish, complemented by an earthy note. Superb. Blend: 85% Merlot, 15% Cabernet Franc
Critic scores
Average Score
Robert Parker
Lisa Perrotti-Brown MW, Wine Advocate
More reviews and scores
From an underrated vintage (especially for the Right Bank), the 2001 Château Clos de Sarpe is a bigger, richer wine than the 1999 and has a rocking bouquet of blackcurrants, tobacco, chocolate, Asian spices, and a touch of white truffle and minty herbs. Youthfully colored, medium to full-bodied and both elegant and powerful, it's drinking spectacularly well today yet has another two decades of longevity ahead of it.
The 2001 Clos de Sarpe is deep garnet-brick in color and sings of potpourri and Indian spices with a baked raspberries and plum preserves with a hoisin undercurrent plus a waft of tapenade. The palate is medium to full-bodied with a firm frame of chewy tannins and bags of mature black fruit preserves and exotic spices, finishing with great freshness and depth.
About the producer
This small Saint-Emilion Grand Cru Classé estate is a FINE+RARE favourite. Run by Maylis Marcenat, the fourth generation of her family to do so, the 3.7-hectare vineyard has old vines and limestone soils, producing wines of incredible freshness and great ageability.