2016 Château Clos Saint Julien

Brought in exclusively by American merchant Jeffrey Davies, the 2016 Clos Saint Julien knocks it out of the park and is a killer wine made by Catherine Papon-Nouvel, who’s also the genius behind the wines of Petit Gravet Aîné. This is a tiny 1.2-hectare vineyard located just west of Château Soutard that sits on the pure limestone plateau outside the village of Saint Emilion. The blend is equal parts Cabernet Franc and Merlot, raised all in new barrels. It boasts an awesome nose of ripe red and black fruits, flowers, spice box, and white truffles. Seamless, medium to full-bodied, and beautifully textured, it has fine tannins and just covers the palate with fruit. There are under 500 cases made, but it’s a gem of a wine I’d be thrilled to have in the cellar. (02/2019)