Deep garnet-purple in color, the 2023 Clos L'Eglise bursts with bold notions of blackberry pie and plum preserves leading to a perfumed undercurrent of iris, licorice, dark chocolate, and tar. The full-bodied palate is intense and expansive, with firm rounded tannins and seamless freshness, finishing long on a lingering anise note. The blend is 90% Merlot and 10% Cabernet Franc, with pH 3.70. (LPB) 94-96+

The 2023 Clos l'Église presents a gorgeous contrast of intense dark fruit against a mineral backbone that confers energy. There's a ton of nuance here. Graphite, crushed rocks, plum, mocha, spice, leather and dried herbs are all vividly sketched. There's a bit more Cabernet Franc in this year's blend, as one of the Merlot parcels is being replanted. That results in an especially nuanced Clos l'Église that captures the best the year had to offer. (AG)