Clos Lunelles, Cotes de Castillon, Bordeaux, FR, 2019

80% merlot, 10% cabernet franc and 10% cabernet sauvignon

93pts Jeb Dunnuck

Coming from the incredible team at Pavie, the 2019 Clos Lunelles boasts a big, ripe, incredibly sexy and mouth-filling style as well as notes of black plums, black cherries, tobacco, and Asian spices. It brings serious fruit and opulence and is full-bodied, has a round, expansive mouthfeel, sweet tannins, and some obvious underlying minerality. It's already drinking beautifully and should deliver the goods over the coming 10-15 years. While it leads with its fruit, I expect it to show more classic limestone character as it sheds some baby fat. Best After 2022

Clos Lunelles located in the Cotes de Bordeaux appellation was acquired by Gerard Perse and Chantal Perse in 2001. By that point in time, the Perse family was already well-known in Bordeaux for owning numerous estates including Chateau Pavie and Chateau Monbousquet.

Both those properties are situated in St. Emilion. Located in the commune of Sainte-Colombe, the vineyard known as Chateau Lapeyronie, in 2001, when it was acquired by the Perse family.

After that, the name of the estate was changed to Clos Les Lunelles. From there, in 2010, the nae of the property was again changed to Clos Lunelles.

The Clos Lunelles 8.5 hectare vineyard is planted to 80% Merlot, 10% Cabernet Sauvignon and 10% Cabernet Franc. The vineyard has a terroir of clay and limestone soils.

The vines are well placed on the peak of the limestone plateau in Cotes de Castillon. The vineyard of Clos Lunelles is planted to a vine density of 5,500 vines per hectare. The vineyard has old vines. In fact, the average age of the vines at Clos Lunelles are close to an impressive 45 of age.

Yields are always kept low at Clos Lunelles. To accomplish this, the vines are crop-thinned, deleafed, hand-harvested and table-sorted. To produce the wine of Clos Lunelles, extensive labor is involved. In fact, Clos Lunelles is one of the most labor intensive wines to produce in the entire appellation.