2024 Clos de Sarpe
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Tasting notes
This is another impressive wine from Maylis Marcenat at Clos de Sarpe, who made just 20hl/ha this year. It’s always fascinating to taste the different components here, seeing what each brings to the blend – from the juice young Merlot and deep, plush old-vine Merlot to the spicy muscle of the Cabernet Franc. Sweet spice and pepper sit alongside the depth of fruit on the nose, which shifts to reveal cherry blossom aromas. The palate is silken in texture, with a tightly packed core. The taut acidity creates great length in the wine, driving through to a mouthwatering finish, while there’s a chalky, mineral undercurrent to the juicy blueberry and black cherry fruit. Aged in 60% new oak, with 10% cement. 13% alcohol and 3.35pH. Blend: 78% Merlot, 20% Cabernet Franc, 2% Petit Verdot
Critic scores
Average Score
Jane Anson, Inside Bordeaux
Neal Martin, Vinous
More reviews and scores
Lots of juicy cherries, red plums, incense, graphite, and candied violet notes define the aromatics of the 2024 Château Clos de Sarpe. Medium-bodied, it has a layered, ripe mouthfeel, good mid-palate depth, and ripe tannins. Both barrel samples I tasted showed promise, although the wine was a touch hard to read at this stage. Still, I have no doubt it will come together beautifully in bottle. This remains one of my favorite châteaux on the Right Bank and continues to be a hidden gem.
A wine that truly does need the ageing process to soften and wrap those slightly spiky tannins, because the ph is naturally extremely low on these pure limestone soils, and they did no chaptilisation. Honestly, it is pretty sharp right now (tasted two samples), but I know this is a good quality property and I look forward to retasting in bottle. Organic certified. 60% new oak in Burgundy barrels, 10% in concrete vats and the rest in one year old barrels, 20hl/h yield, particularly after poor fruit set and flowering on the older Merlot vines. Harvest began here on October 1, through to October 7. New winemaker since 2021 with Mailys Marsena taking over from her uncle.
The 2024 Clos de Sarpe has a vibrant nose with kirsch, crushed strawberry and cassis aromas. This is more on the extrovert side in the context of the vintage. The palate is medium-bodied and sorbet-fresh with clean, chiseled, saturated tannins toward the extended finish. This is a mineral-driven and classy Clos de Sarpe.
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.