B-21 Top Recommendation Read More
Crafted by the team at Chateau Leoville Las Cases, these highly rated vintages from Clos du Marquis boast rich and concentrated ripe red and black fruits layered over flinty graphite with elegant, complex tannins, some ready to drink now with over a decade of pristine aging, others benefiting from a few years of patient cellaring and all boasting the pedigree of the renowned Second Growth Chateau at a fraction of the price.
Created in 1902 as a second label of Leoville Las Cases, the unclassified Clos du Marquis has been bottled as a completely separate offering since the 1980’s, highlighting the unique characteristics of its distinct terroir just inland from some of the Medoc’s greatest vineyards. Across the D2 Route des Chateaux just west of the famed L’Enclos vineyard of Leoville Las Cases, the enclosed Petit Clos vineyard of Clos du Marquis is situated on St. Julien’s northern border near Pauillac and surrounded by Second Growths Leoville Poyferre, Leoville Barton and Pichon Longueville Comtesse de Lalande. Located on the St. Julien plateau at around 20 meters above sea level, the 45-hectare vineyard is planted mostly to Cabernet Sauvignon with about a third Merlot and a small amount of Cab Franc in an array of soils ranging from quaternary gravel over gravel-sand to gravel-clay subsoil with veins of compact clay, its proximity to the Gironde responsible for the diversity of soils and a unique microclimate that encourages ripening and protects the vineyard from frost. Ranging from the 93 pt. 2005 Clos du Marquis that’s “in a very attractive place today” according to Antonio Galloni of Vinous to the 95 pt. 2014 described as “tight and polished” by James Suckling to the more recent 93 pt. 2020 that Inside Bordeaux’s Jane Anson calls “a brilliant Marquis,” these top scoring Clos du Marquis vintages reflect its lengthy evolution and ability to age gracefully, whether ready for the glass now or requiring time in the cellar.
Upon tasting the 93 pt. 2005 Clos du Marquis ten years after its release, critic Neal Martin wrote, “Cannot afford Leoville Las-Cases? Then you know where to come,” these top scoring selections from Clos du Marquis reflecting the estate’s rich pedigree and terroir and over delivering value for Bordeaux lovers and collectors of powerful Left Bank blends. |