2016 Clos St Denis

(13.4% alcohol; from what Thomas Dinel described as well-placed 65-year-old vines; vinified with 25% whole clusters and aging in two-thirds new oak): Bright medium red. Pungent aromas and flavors of red berries, crushed stone and rose petal. Silky, tactile and thick, combining a deep sweetness with penetrating acidity and saline minerality. Boasts superb volume for young Clos Saint-Denis but also outstanding energy. Really saturates the palate and vibrates on the very long aftertaste. A splendid Clos Saint-Denis in the making.

The 2016 Clos Saint Denis Grand Cru was showing just a touch of reduction on the nose. There is good fruit intensity here although the new oak will need time to be subsumed (two-thirds new). The palate is medium-bodied with impressive density and focus, fine tannin and the 25% whole cluster fruit very well assimilated. There is a subtle oyster shell note that just lingers on the aftertaste, completing what is the standout offering from Marchand-Tawse this year.