Clos de l'Oratoire 2020
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Suckling
James -
Dunnuck
Jeb - Decanter
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Parker
Robert -
Spectator
Wine
Product Details
Your Rating
Somm Note
Winemaker Notes
Professional Ratings
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James Suckling
Some black pepper with crushed stone. Black berries, black cherries, and bark. Medium-bodied with lovely fruit and balance, and a gorgeous finish of peaches and tangerines. Fantastic. Drinkable but will age beautifully.
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Jeb Dunnuck
This wine seems to always deliver, and I loved the 2020 Clos De L'Oratoire. Lots of black cherries, subtle cassis, notes of lead pencil and violets, medium to full-bodied richness, and a balanced, elegant texture all make for a beautiful Saint-Emilion. It picks up more minerality with time in the glass, and its purity of fruit is top-notch. It will keep for at least two decades.
Barrel Sample: 93-95 -
Decanter
Confident and grippy with liquorice, cherry, rosemary, dried herbs and chocolate. It lifts and tightens through the plate, good tension, broad-shouldered, powerful and intense. 40% new oak.
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Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
The 2020 Clos de l'Oratoire is seamless and charming, offering up aromas of sweet cherries, blackberries, violets and licorice, followed by a medium to full-bodied, velvety and harmonious palate. This gourmand, Merlot-dominant bottling will offer a wide drinking window. Best After 2023
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Wine Spectator
Reveals ripe plum and blackberry fruit that meld nicely with hints of anise, black tea and singed alder. The focused and fine-grained finish has a late savory sparkle for range. Merlot and Cabernet Franc.
Other Vintages
2022-
Suckling
James -
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Jeb -
Parker
Robert - Decanter
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Dunnuck
Jeb -
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James -
Parker
Robert - Decanter
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Dunnuck
Jeb -
Suckling
James -
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Robert - Decanter
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Spectator
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Dunnuck
Jeb -
Suckling
James -
Spectator
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Parker
Robert - Decanter
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Spectator
Wine -
Parker
Robert -
Suckling
James -
Dunnuck
Jeb
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Suckling
James -
Spectator
Wine -
Parker
Robert -
Dunnuck
Jeb
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Suckling
James -
Dunnuck
Jeb -
Spectator
Wine -
Parker
Robert
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Suckling
James -
Spectator
Wine -
Parker
Robert
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Parker
Robert -
Suckling
James -
Spectator
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Spectator
Wine -
Parker
Robert -
Suckling
James
-
Parker
Robert -
Spectator
Wine
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Parker
Robert -
Spectator
Wine
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.