2016 Chateau Clos Marsalette - Pessac (750ml)

The red from Count Stephan von Neipperg and Didier Miqueu's Martillac estate — the same ownership behind Canon-La-Gaffelière — planted on ancient gravelly rises deposited by the Garonne with a complex marine sediment subsoil. Clean and precise bouquet with blackberry and bilberry scents and a fine undercurrent of minerals; medium-bodied on the palate with mulberry and blackberry on the entry, a touch of black olive, and quite a saline second half that is both fresh and detailed. Expressive and harmonious on the nose — blackcurrant, blackberry, cherry, sweet spices, floral notes, and well-blended vanilla and light tobacco; silky texture with fine, coated tannins, lovely freshness on the mid-palate, and a lingering, slightly smoky finish. Harvested October 4–18 and aged 15–18 months in 35% new French oak. 2016 is one of Bordeaux's finest recent vintages — now fully open and drinking beautifully. Drink now–2030