Clos du Marquis 1997
Deep garnet colour, medium orange rim. Slow tears; a lot of 'legs'. Some deposit of material. On the nose, the bouquet of 'rancio', cherries, cassis and blackberries. Peppery.
On first sip, elegant St Julien fresh fruits (cherries and blackberry). Mid palate gives very persistent wood spice rounded up with dark fruits and supported by very 'gourmet' tannins. Some complexities from the blend of 4 grapes: 57% Cabernet, 28% Merlot, 3% Petit Verdot, 2% Cabernet Franc. Medium finish.
However, Clos du Marquis is much more than the second wine of its elder brother Château Léoville Las Cases. Its fruit is from the vineyards of Petit Clos and the parcels outside the Grand Enclos (at the origin of the Grand Vin Léoville Las Cas) and has established itself among the best wines of the Médoc. Benefiting from the same methods of cultivation and vinification as the Grand Vin. Unlike most second wines, Clos du Marquis is made to keep for years and offers a superb balance between elegance with grace.
For this Clos du Marquis made in the Hong Kong Handover year 1997 should make itself memorable. Its tannic structure allows a few years of care to unfold the fullness of its aromas and this is the right time to taste this well-aged claret which is not flabby at all. 1997 is a small vintage. Drinking now is ready.
Parker et al. does not give a high score and does not review again. How nice. The wine is still cheap for the standard.
