2014 Clos de l`Oratoire (St-Emilion)

The Clos de l`Oratoire 2014 is a blend of 90% Merlot and 10% Cabernet Franc picked from 3 to 10 October and vatted for 30 days, matured in 50% new wood. It has a slightly pinched nose at first, nicely defined but actually finding it hard to follow the exuberant d`Aiguilhe `14. The palate is medium-bodied with fine tannin, plush redcurrant and strawberry fruit with a strong oak influence towards the finish. Not bad at all, although I find the d`Aiguilhe more captivating at this early juncture. 88-90 points

Sourced from a cool site in the north-east of Saint Emilion, this is very much a Merlot dominated wine. (The Cabernet Franc plantings are only six years old.) Dense and quite firm, with plum and blackberry fruit, lots of toasty oak, succulent tannins and a rich, yet refreshing finish. 91 points