2019 Château La Clotte Saint-Émilion Grand Cru

The 2019 Château La Clotte Saint-Émilion Grand Cru is a poised and characterful Right Bank Bordeaux from a tiny 3.5-hectare estate at the heart of Saint-Émilion. Owned by the illustrious Vauthier family of Château Ausone since 2014, this wine marries grand-cru pedigree with artisanal scale. With its clay-limestone terroir, ultra-low yields and élevage in 85% new oak, it offers a refined, ageworthy expression of Merlot-led Saint-Émilion with remarkable purity and finesse.

Tasting Notes
In the glass, the 2019 Château La Clotte shows a deep, vibrant ruby-purple hue that hints at both concentration and freshness. The nose is immediately seductive and more floral than many of its peers, with lifted notes of violets and peony wrapped around pure black fruits. Aromas of blackberry, black cherry and ripe plum are layered with cedar shavings, subtle baking spice and a touch of graphite, all seamlessly integrated with the high-quality new oak. On the palate, this is medium-bodied yet intense, with a sleek, refined texture and beautifully fine tannins. The core of black fruit is very pure—think cassis, black cherry and black plum—interwoven with hints of blue fruits, cedar, and a gentle mineral undercurrent from the limestone. There is impressive freshness and energy, giving the wine a lively, mouthwatering feel and excellent balance. The finish is long, precise and remarkably clean, with persistent layers of dark and blue fruits and a sense of clarity that speaks to both terroir and meticulous winemaking. Built to age gracefully, this vintage should evolve well over 10–15 years, gaining complexity and tertiary nuances while retaining its elegance.

Production
Château La Clotte lies on a privileged strip of predominantly clay-limestone soils carved into the limestone plateau of central Saint-Émilion, directly neighboring the esteemed Château Pavie Macquin. The vines, mainly Merlot complemented by Cabernet Sauvignon and Cabernet Franc, draw deep character from this stony, mineral-rich subsoil, which naturally limits vigor and concentrates flavor. Yields are kept deliberately low at around 30 hl/ha to ensure depth and intensity in the fruit. Harvesting is carried out with great care, parcel by parcel at optimal ripeness, before gentle sorting and vinification. The wine is then matured in French oak barrels, 85% of which are new, in cellars literally hewn from the limestone rock beneath the estate—conditions that provide naturally cool, stable temperatures for a slow, refined élevage that polishes the tannins and integrates the oak without overwhelming the wine’s bright fruit and mineral core.

Food & Serving
This 2019 Saint-Émilion Grand Cru pairs beautifully with refined yet flavorful dishes such as roast lamb with herbs, dry-aged beef, duck breast with a red wine reduction, or veal chops with wild mushrooms. It also excels alongside game birds, truffle-infused dishes, and aged hard cheeses like Comté or Manchego. Serve at 16–18°C (60–64°F) to highlight its aromatic complexity and textural finesse. Decanting for about 1–2 hours in its youth will help open the floral bouquet and soften the tannins; as it gains bottle age, a shorter decant or careful splash into a carafe will be sufficient to let the wine fully express its elegance.

Producer
Château La Clotte is a historic, small-scale estate in the very heart of Saint-Émilion, elevated to new prominence after being acquired in 2014 by the Vauthier family, proprietors of the legendary Château Ausone. Under their stewardship, La Clotte has embraced the same obsessive attention to detail and quality-focused philosophy that has made Ausone one of Bordeaux’s most revered names. The estate’s dramatic limestone cellars, carved directly into the rock, and its exceptional clay-limestone plots place it among the appellation’s most enviable terroirs. While boutique in size, Château La Clotte has quickly become a sought-after insider’s choice within Saint-Émilion Grand Cru, recognized for producing wines that combine floral elegance, purity of fruit, and remarkable precision, vintages that stand proudly alongside some of the region’s most established stars.

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