93-95pts Jeb Dunnuck
The 2023 Clos Lunelles is smoking good, with a classic limestone-driven perfume of framboise, chalky minerality, flowers, and sweet spices. It's beautifully ripe, full-bodied, has velvety tannins, and a great finish. It's unquestionably a brilliant wine, and I'd wager one of – if not the – wine of the vintage in Castillon. Bravo.
92-94pts The Wine Independent
Deep garnet-purple in color, the 2023 Clos Lunelles offers up compelling scents of juicy blueberries, black cherries, and fresh blackberries followed by hints of licorice, dark chocolate, and tar. The full-bodied palate is dense and plush, with wonderful tension and a spicy lift on the finish. The blend is 70% Merlot, 20% Cabernet Franc, and 10% Cabernet Sauvignon, with pH 3.63.
92-94pts The Wine Cellar Insider
Flowers, licorice, spice, chocolate-coated black cherries, mint, and black plums get the aromatics going. On the palate, the wine is concentrated, with a salty, black with red fruit core of ripe, sweet, fresh berries. The salty-chocolate fruits linger on the palate, and in the finish with their mineral-driven essence. The wine was made from blending 70% Merlot, 20% Cabernet Sauvignon, and 10% Cabernet Franc, 14.42% ABV, 3.63 pH. Drink from 2028-2040.
92-93pts James Suckling
A juicy red with hints of salt and pepper to the blackberries and blueberries. Medium-bodied, crunchy and pretty. Precise and bright.
91-93pts Vinous
The 2023 Clos Lunelles is a powerful, deep wine. A blast of dark-toned fruit, spice, menthol, chocolate, herbs and dried flowers infuse the palate with notable depth. Clean saline notes extend the finish. There's a bit more Cabernet Franc in the blend, and that comes through in the wine's flavor profile and overall feel. This is a fine vintage for Clos Lunelles.
-Antonio Galloni
90pts Decanter
Gorgeous aromatics, fragrant and expressive. Almost chewy on the palate, present but velvety soft tannins, lovely ripe blackcurrant and red cherry fruit but with crisp fruit and a clean vein of minerality and salinity through the middle. Fresh and characterful with some body and bite. Nice purity to the expression. Approachable and fun. A little lean and spicy towards the finish. Ageing 50% new oak, 50% one year barrels.
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