93pts Jeb Dunnuck
The 2020 Chateau Clos De Bouard is terrific. Exhibiting a deep ruby/purple hue as well as classy notes of black raspberries, cassis, spicy oak, and dried flowers, it hits the palate with a medium-bodied, seamless mouthfeel, ripe, velvety tannins, and a beautiful sense of elegance and purity. It's not massive but absolutely shines for its complex, layered, finesse-driven style. Drink bottles over the coming 10-12 years. Best After 2023
92pts Vinous
The 2020 Clos de Boüard has a ripe, slightly ostentatious nose featuring a mélange of black and blue fruit laced with iris flower and touches of menthol. The palate is ripe and quite structured, a little spicier than recent vintages, and exerts decent grip toward the finish. I would have liked it to fan out more, but I appreciate its focus and poise.
91pts James Suckling
Notes of ripe currants and black cherries with dried flowers, leafy herbs and walnut. Medium- to full-bodied, chewy and structured with velvety tannins and a firm, but refreshing finish.
90pts Decanter
Bilberry and cassis fruits, a ton of chocolate and liquorice. This is austere but has focus and a feeling of carefully placed, teased out autumnal fruits. An extremely severe selection took place this year, with a full 30% being sent off for bulk wine to keep quality high.
History
Among the different renowned families in St Emilion, one name eventually rings more bells than the others: "De Boüard". With Jean-Bernard Grenié, Hubert de Boüard has raised Ch. Angelus up to the firmament of the Right Bank wines, making it one of the most iconic French wine symbols. But as you might have guessed, he has also achieved to share his passion with his family, starting with his 2 daughters Stéphanie & Coralie.
It's safe to say that when you are born and raised in the middle of such an environment, a move towards the wine world is obvious. It was just a question of time. When Stephanie joined her father last year at the head of the 1st GCC “A”, Coralie had already made her move in the vines.
After joining the flagship estate, she followed the step of her father in Lalande de Pomerol, becoming co-owner of Ch. La Fleur de Boüard. With her brother Mathieu, she made this property one of the "must have" estates of this appellation. But the success story of Coralie wouldn't stop here.
The occasion was too good to miss it. When Castel sold Ch. La Tour Musset in Montagne St Emilion, it was the perfect opportunity. So Coralie and her husband took it. "It was a personal wish" she said. And one of the first decisions was renaming it. So, Chateau Clos de Boüard was born.
With 3 blocks of vines located in Parsac, near famous St Emilion neighbors like Ch. Fombrauge, Ch. Fleur Cardinale, Ch. Valandraux, and Ch. Troplong Mondot, it has an excellent geographic situation. Furthermore, the average age of the vines are 35 years, it has clay limestone soils, and a perfect exposition that gives the estate exceptional potential.
Planted with 19ha Merlot, 2,59Ha Cabernet Sauvignon and 7,34ha Cabernet Franc, Ch. Clos de Bouard aims at producing 150,000 Bottles per year. And you can already expect strict parcel selection, integral vinification, long ageing in new oak barrels, etc. To sum up, you can expect the best.
Coralie explains without any embarrassment that she wants to make the Clos de Boüard as good as it can be. With her experience working with her father, her passion for the vines, her knowledge of the latest winemaking innovations and her ambition, the future success of this young estate is clearly evident.
