Clos de l'Oratoire 2014
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James
Suckling -
Wine
Spectator -
Robert
Parker
Product Details
Your Rating
Somm Note
Winemaker Notes
Blend: 90% Merlot, 10% Cabernet Franc
Professional Ratings
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James Suckling
This is already really delicious. The black-fruit aromas are really ripe, but there’s no hint of jammy stuff. Tastes simultaneously juicy and creamy, and the tannins are so graceful: The wine glides across the palate. If it were more subtle, the score would go even higher.
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Wine Spectator
Shows lovely fruit, with waves of blueberry, plum and boysenberry compote rolling over each other. The polished structure is well-embedded, while the finish lets a graphite note peek out. Emphasizes purity rather than extraction. Best from 2018 through 2028.
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Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
The 2014 Clos l'Oratoire has certainly lost its bashful personality since en primeur, now in bottle, much more exuberant with pure cranberry, boysenberry and orange rind aromas, nicely delineated with impressive intensity. The palate is smooth, almost velvety on the entry, a plush and quite luscious Saint Emilion with impressive volume and presence. It might lack a little delineation, but there is satisfying length as those mulberry and raspberry notes persist and linger long after the wine has departed. This surpasses my expectations.
Other Vintages
2022-
James
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Robert
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James
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Jeb
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Robert
Parker -
James
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Jeb
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James
Suckling -
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Jeb
Dunnuck -
Robert
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James
Suckling -
Jeb
Dunnuck -
Wine
Spectator -
Robert
Parker
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Robert
Parker -
James
Suckling -
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Spectator
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Wine
Spectator -
Robert
Parker -
James
Suckling
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Robert
Parker -
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Spectator
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Wine
Spectator -
Robert
Parker
Clos de l’Oratoire, located on Saint-Emilion's northeast slope, has 13 hectares of vines. The terroir of Fronsac molasse, consisting of a layer of sandy soil and a clay subsoil, is ideally suited to Merlot (80% of the vines).
Meticulous work is done all year long to maintain quality in the vineyard.
Fermentation takes place exclusively in temperature-controlled oak vats. Oak, a noble material in perfect synergy with fine wine, enhances its colour and flavour, and enables it to reach its full potential.
Every vat is handled according to its specific profile. Fermentation temperatures are kept relatively low and pigeage (punching down the cap) is done very slowly.
One of the world’s most classic and popular styles of red wine, Bordeaux-inspired blends have spread from their homeland in France to nearly every corner of the New World. Typically based on either Cabernet Sauvignon or Merlot and supported by Cabernet Franc, Malbec and Petit Verdot, the best of these are densely hued, fragrant, full of fruit and boast a structure that begs for cellar time. Somm Secret—Blends from Bordeaux are generally earthier compared to those from the New World, which tend to be fruit-dominant.
Marked by its historic fortified village—perhaps the prettiest in all of Bordeaux, the St-Émilion appellation, along with its neighboring village of Pomerol, are leaders in quality on the Right Bank of Bordeaux. These Merlot-dominant red wines (complemented by various amounts of Cabernet Franc and/or Cabernet Sauvignon) remain some of the most admired and collected wines of the world.
St-Émilion has the longest history in wine production in Bordeaux—longer than the Left Bank—dating back to an 8th century monk named Saint Émilion who became a hermit in one of the many limestone caves scattered throughout the area.
Today St-Émilion is made up of hundreds of independent farmers dedicated to the same thing: growing Merlot and Cabernet Franc (and tiny amounts of Cabernet Sauvignon). While always roughly the same blend, the wines of St-Émilion vary considerably depending on the soil upon which they are grown—and the soils do vary considerably throughout the region.
The chateaux with the highest classification (Premier Grand Cru Classés) are on gravel-rich soils or steep, clay-limestone hillsides. There are only four given the highest rank, called Premier Grand Cru Classés A (Chateau Cheval Blanc, Ausone, Angélus, Pavie) and 14 are Premier Grand Cru Classés B. Much of the rest of the vineyards in the appellation are on flatter land where the soils are a mix of gravel, sand and alluvial matter.
Great wines from St-Émilion will be deep in color, and might have characteristics of blackberry liqueur, black raspberry, licorice, chocolate, grilled meat, earth or truffles. They will be bold, layered and lush.