2018 Château Le Chatelet Cuvée Merlot
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Tasting notes
Medium to deep garnet-purple in color, the 2018 le Chatelet (a blend of 80% Merlot and 20% Cabernet Franc) offers up notes of black raspberries, redcurrant jelly and stewed plums with suggestions of bouquet garni, unsmoked cigars and dusty soil. The full-bodied palate (15% declared alcohol) delivers fantastic freshness, lifting the dense, savory-laced black and red berry layers, finishing long and pleasantly chewy.
Critic scores
Average Score
Neal Martin
Jeff Leve, The Wine Cellar Insider
More reviews and scores
The 2018 Le Chatelet has quite an aromatic, floral bouquet of black cherries, wilted iris petals, potpourri and light earthy aromas,- all attractive and well defined. The smooth, harmonious palate is medium-bodied with supple tannins and well-integrated oak. Plenty of sweet back cherries and cassis to enjoy here, although I would like more personality to develop on the finish. Cellar for 4–5 years and you could have a very delicious Saint-Émilion on your hands.
A terrific effort and the finest I've tasted from this estate, the 2018 Château Le Chatelet (80/20 Merlot and Cabernet Franc) reveals a dense purple color to go with powerful notes of black and blue fruits, scorched earth, graphite, crushed stone, and dark chocolate. It's young, unevolved, and relatively closed on the palate, yet it gains complexity and breadth with time in the glass, has ripe tannins, a good mid-palate, and outstanding length. It's a gorgeous wine that will require 3-5 years of bottle age but should drink superbly over the following 10-15 years.