85% Merlot, 15% Cabernet Franc.Black core, narrow purple rim. Rich, ripe sweet blackberry and blueberry fruit with some oak spice on the nose. Lots of spice on the palate, too. Very chewy tannins and, again, not quite fresh enough to balance the density of fruit, alcohol and tannin. Big, bold and tannic. 16 points

The 2018 Clos de l`Oratoire is another stunning wine in Stephan von Neipperg`s range. The greater presence of Cabernet Franc, along with a move towards earlier picking, no SO2 at crush and less oak influence are some of the factors that have completely transformed Clos de l`Oratoire from the powerhouse it often was to a wine of total and exquisite finesse. Inky dark fruit, lavender, sage, and mint give the 2018 striking aromatic depth, but it is the wine`s total sense of harmony that impresses most. The 2018 is fabulous. That`s all there is to it. Tasted two times. 92-95 points

This is 85% Merlot and 15% Cabernet Franc, picked September 21st until October 4th. The yield was 36 hl/ha. A rather rich nose, of sweet, peppery, crushed black cherry fruit. The palate carries a broad and supple weight of similar fruit, plump and rich, with gripped black cherry, spiced with a sooty and peppery substance. It has a rich grip of ripe tannins throughout, and a rather reserved sense of acid freshness which appears and disappears in the middle of the wine. The finish is a big, ripe, bold, grippy, crushed fruit composition, with piles of drying tannin and some rather overwhelmed acidity. The élevage will be in 45% new oak. 89-91 points