About the Wine
The name of this wine, created at the beginning of the 20th century when the vineyard was planted, was inspired by the Petit Clos adjacent to the Château de Léoville, the residence of the Marquis de Las Cases. Clos du Marquis is a historical brand by the Domaines Delon, a separate vineyard to Leoville Las Cases whose first vintage was released in 1902.
The creation of this brand was to allow a clear identification of two completely distinct terroirs. The situation remains unchanged today as the vineyard producing the Clos du Marquis is located on top terroirs of the Saint Julien appellation, surrounded by such prestigious Classified Growths as Léoville Poyferré and Léoville Barton.
The Clos du Marquis is produced from top terroirs of the Saint-Julien Appellation that were not part of the old Domaine de Léoville cadastre. These terroirs are located slightly to the west and are surrounded by prestigious Classified Growths, particularly Seconds Crus Classés of Saint-Julien and Pauillac: Léoville Poyferré, Léoville Barton, Pichon Longueville Comtesse de Lalande... The Clos du Marquis offers a fine expression of the Saint-Julien character: structure, complexity, harmony, distinction, and aging potential.
The vintage 2012 was characterized by a slow, late growth cycle due to a very cool and wet spring. The budburst was spread out over time and created a variation in the stages of development that was to be partially evened out by the dry, sunny period that began in mid-July. The color change and ripening occurred in ideal weather conditions that continued through to harvest-time. The grapes remained perfectly healthy despite rainy spells during picking.
Tasting notes: Red Wine. Cabernet Sauvignon 92% Merlot 6% Cabernet Franc 2%. The wine has a rich and crisp structure with ripe tannins, refined oak which melts into an explosion of fruit. It has the opulence and length of a Saint-Estèphe fine wine. Thanks to the appellation’s limestone-clay subsoils, its power is balanced out by a wonderful sensation of freshness.
Reviews
Firm and tannic, this dark berry-flavored wine comes from a specific parcel in the Léoville las Cases vineyard. It’s full of tannins and structure, firm and concentrated. In the end, both tannins and tight black currants promise to age. Drink from 2020. ~94 Wine Enthusiast
Tasted blind at the Bordeaux 2012 Southwold tasting. The 2012 Clos du Marquis has a very intense bouquet, the more fruit-driven of all the Saint Julien 2012s with layers of black cherries and cranberry fruit, an undercurrent of autumn leaves and cigar box. The palate is medium-bodied with a fine definition: smooth and very harmonious, quite intense on the entry, and yet without that long sustain on the finish. That does not matter too much, because what comes before is very precise and pure, the class of the terroir evident from start to finish. ~92 Robert Parker
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