Clos Lunelles, Cotes de Castillon, FR, 2022 (Futures) 0.75L x 6btls

Vinous 91-93:

The 2022 Clos Lunelles is packed with inky dark fruit, creme de casis, bittersweet chocolate, licorice, sweet spice and lavender. This unctuous, flamboyant Cotes de Castillon packs a serious punch. Even with all of its exuberance, Clos Lunelles is marked by strong mineral veins that are typical of these soils rich in limestone. -Antonio Galloni

Vinous 92-94:

The 2022 Clos Lunelles was cropped at 35hL/ha between 29 September and 1 October, then aged in 50% new oak. This is plush on the nose with black currant pastilles, crushed blueberry, vanilla and a touch of truffle, very pure in style. The palate is medium-bodied with fine tannins, well-balanced and focused. The 14.63% alcohol is disguised well with a much fresher finish than the preceding Monbousquet. - Neal Martin

Purchased in 2001 by Gérard Perse - Château Pavie, Pavie-Decesse, Monbousquet, Bellevue-Mondotte - Clos Lunelles shines with its vision of excellence, anchored to a first-class terroir composed of clay and limestone, in the natural extension of the Saint-Emilion limestone plateau. With state-of-the-art viticulture and ambitious technical means, the wines are a perfect example of concentrated yet elegant Bordeaux.

The Clos Lunelles vineyard covers 8.5 hectares of vines, composed of 80% Merlot, 10% Cabernet Franc and 10% Cabernet Sauvignon. As at Gérard Perse’s other properties, everything has been done in the vineyard to obtain low yields and perfect maturity. Traditional and precise vinification and long maturation followed by 18 months in French oak barrels (50% new) without fining or filtering gives a complex bouquet of black fruits and a rich, deep and substantial structure.

Tended by Robert Parker himself, Clos Lunelles expresses without reserve the style of a straightforward wine, built for immediate pleasure.