2021 Clos de Sarpe

I continue to absolutely love what this château does, and the wines have never been better. The 2021 Château Clos De Sarpe comes from a single 3.7-hectare vineyard on the eastern portion of the appellation and is 85% Merlot and 15% Cabernet Franc from tiny yields of 25 hectoliters per hectare, with a long 42-day maceration followed by aging in 70% new barrels. Sensational notes of pure crème de cassis and black raspberry fruit, crushed stone, spring flowers, and graphite, as well as a chalky, crushed stone-like minerality, all emerge from the glass, and this beauty hits the palate with medium to full-bodied richness, a deep, layered mid-palate, fine tannins, and nicely integrated background oak. It hit 14.5% alcohol and brings more depth, richness, and texture than most in the vintage. I would be thrilled to have bottles in the cellar, and it will ideally be given 4-6 years of bottle age and will evolve gracefully over the following two decades. Hats off to Jean-Guy Beyney and his niece Maylis Marcenat for another brilliant wine. This château deserves more attention in the market today, as they're producing some of the greatest wines from the Right Bank.

The 2021 Clos de Sarpe has an alluring bouquet of Morello cherries, raspberry and vanilla. This feels nicely contained. The palate is sweet and candied, yet there is the acidic thread to keep it fresh and on its toes, quite plush red fruit rounding out the seductive finish. Lovely.

The 2021 Clos de Sarpe is a wine of density, power and personality. Cedar, tobacco, scorched earth, licorice, incense and dried herbs lead into a core of deep, textured fruit. Dark red plum, white pepper, blood orange and exotic spice all run through this potent, deeply structured Saint-Émilion. This is a standout.