2018 Château La Clotte Saint-Émilion Grand Cru

The 2018 Château La Clotte Saint-Émilion Grand Cru is a polished and deeply expressive right-bank Bordeaux from a tiny 3.5-hectare estate in the very heart of Saint-Émilion. Owned by the Vauthier family of Château Ausone since 2014, it combines grand cru pedigree with the intimacy of a truly boutique vineyard. With its clay-limestone terroir, low yields and élevage in 85% new oak, this cuvée offers a remarkably pure, modern expression of classic Saint-Émilion.

Tasting Notes
In the glass, the 2018 Château La Clotte shows a deep, opaque purple-black hue that hints at both intensity and youth. The nose is immediately inviting and layered, leaping from the glass with aromas of crushed blueberries, morello cherries and black raspberries. Subtler notes unfold with air: oolong tea, fresh violets, mocha, cigar box and a refined touch of cedar. On the palate, this is full-bodied yet beautifully balanced, with a core of vibrant black and blue fruits framed by fine-grained, polished tannins. The clay-limestone backbone brings freshness and lift, keeping the generous fruit in perfect check. Layers of dark berries, cherry, cacao and savory tea leaf build toward a long, pure finish that lingers with precision rather than weight. Still youthful and structured, it has excellent aging potential; cellaring for 5–8 years from vintage is recommended, with a comfortable drinking window of 10–20 years in a good cellar.

Production
Château La Clotte sits on an exceptional swathe of predominantly clay-limestone terroir, directly adjacent to Château Pavie Macquin in central Saint-Émilion. The vineyard is very small—just 3.5 hectares—allowing meticulous plot-by-plot care, and yields are deliberately kept low at around 30 hl/ha to concentrate flavor and structure. The wine is a blend of 85% Merlot, 10% Cabernet Sauvignon and 5% Cabernet Franc, harvested at optimal ripeness and vinified to capture both the richness of the vintage and the tension of its limestone soils. Aging takes place in 85% new French oak barrels, following a similar philosophy to that used at Château Ausone, giving the wine additional depth, texture and complexity while preserving the clarity of its fruit.

Food & Serving
This Saint-Émilion Grand Cru pairs beautifully with classic dishes such as roast lamb with herbs, côte de boeuf, duck breast, beef Wellington, and slow-braised short ribs. It also complements truffle dishes, mushroom ragouts, and aged hard cheeses like Comté or old Gouda. Serve at 16–18°C (60–64°F) to highlight its aromatic complexity and structure. For current or near-term drinking, decant for 1–2 hours to allow the tannins to soften and the bouquet to fully open; older bottles will benefit from a gentler, shorter decant just to remove sediment.

Producer
Château La Clotte is a historic Saint-Émilion estate, long known for its dramatic limestone cellars carved directly into the plateau beneath the vines. Its modern era began in 2014, when it was acquired by the Vauthier family, the renowned proprietors of the iconic Premier Grand Cru Classé A estate, Château Ausone. Under their stewardship, La Clotte has seen a qualitative renaissance, with a focus on strict yield control, precision in the vineyard and élevage at a standard comparable to some of the region’s most revered names. Today, it is considered one of the insider gems of Saint-Émilion, offering grand cru character and Ausone-influenced refinement from an intimate, characterful terroir.

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