CHÂTEAU LA CLOTTE
2015 Grand Cru Classé Saint Emilion
80% Merlot, 15% Cabernet Franc, 5% Cabernet Sauvignon. A tiny property (3 hectares) facing Ausone across the valley that contains the village of Saint Emilion. A little-known but excellent Cru Classé anyway, La Clotte was bought by the Vauthiers (of Ausone) in 2014, and no doubt will perform even better for them. Pauline Vauthier (who manages it) has turned in a cracker. There is a simple-seeming lift and honest freshness to this, a lovely fruit and solid density of fine tannins, both ripe and dark and fresh at the same time, a lovely acidity so that it is never heavy, it just flows appetisingly, in a way which is rare for this vintage. Rating: 92-93 L&S (Apr 2016)
* This is a pre-shipment/primeur offer. All orders are accepted under the TERMS of this offer which differ from the terms of the rest of the site.
Some of the Vauthiers’ 2015s are so supple that you could almost drink them from the barrel, but this one has more guts and structure. Violets and roses on the nose, raspberry and blueberry fruit, stylish oak and an undertow of firmish tannin. Drinking range: 2022 - 2028 Rating: 91 Tim Atkin MW, www.timatkin.com (May 2016)
Full and sunbaked on the nose. Lots of vitality. Not forced. Drinking range: 2024 - 2038 Rating: 17 Jancis Robinson OBE MW - www.JancisRobinson.com (Apr 2016)
The 2015 La Clotte, now part of Alain Vauthier's portfolio, is a blend of 80% Merlot, 15% Cabernet Franc and 5% Cabernet Sauvignon. Pauline Vauthier told me that they had pulled up one-hectare of vines because of the condition, leaving three in production. It was macerated by pigeage only, no remontage. Matured in 85% new oak, that wood feels quite prominent at the moment, although there is sufficient fruit to absorb it. The palate is medium-bodied with supple tannin on the entry, very smooth and nicely poised with fine precision on the finish. Elegant and poised, this already shows an improvement in this estate since the Vauthiers acquired the vineyard. Drinking range: 2020 - 2035 Rating: 90-92 Neal Martin, www.vinous.com (Apr 2016)
The 2015 La Clotte presents a striking interplay of aromatics, fruit and structure. Beams of tannin give La Clotte much of its distinctive personality. Espresso, mocha, leather, dark cherry, savor herbs and plum open up nicely in the glass. La Clotte is one of the least expressive wines in the Vauthier family's range this year, yet it offers outstanding potential, not to mention tons of class. The Cabernet Franc is particularly expressive here. The 2015 is 80% Merlot, 15% Cabernet Franc and 5% Cabernet Sauvignon projected to spend 18 months in oak, 85% new. Rating: 90-93 Antonio Galloni, www.vinous.com (Apr 2016)
This is 80% Merlot, 15% Cabernet Franc and 5% Cabernet Sauvignon. It has a very pure, fresh, black cherry fruit nose, all wrapped in a gentle, honeyed oak texture. This sense of freshness, perhaps lifted by the inclusion of 20% Cabernet, carries through onto the palate, perfumed, with lovely purity of fruit, with fine energy, and delightful acid energy undercutting it. Cool, structured, fresh, polished, with cherry stone sapidity, a cool acid-driven tension, but lovely medium-bodied fruit over the top. After the likes of Fonbel and Simard, I find a much more serious, limestone-derived build to this wine, which I really like. Absolutely delicious, and yet I sense there is probably still untapped potential here. Rating: 17-18/20 Chris Kissack, www.thewinedoctor.com (Apr 2016)
A fascinating wine with purity and length. Very tight and compacted. Full and silky texture. Curious and enlightening. Structured. Now owned by the Vauthier family of Ausone. First vintage. Rating: 94-95 James Suckling, www.jamessuckling.com (Mar 2016)
Château La Clotte
Please make sure that you have read the terms of this offer which are different from those of the main website. If you are unclear as to what is involved in primeur purchases please do call us, but see the 'practical notes' below.
Ordering
Prices are per case as listed 'in bond London'.
Pre-Orders are a firm commitment from you to buy the wines you order on release, subject to the price being below the upper price of the estimated band on our website. You may also set your own upper price limit, lower or higher than ours. Pre-orders will be fulfilled subject to availability. Providing this firm commitment to us effectively gives you priority.
Wines listed on the website (after any pre-orders and allocations have been fulfilled) can be ordered in the usual way via the website order form or by email or telephone 020 7221 1982, always subject to stock remaining.
Confirmation
All orders will be confirmed by email and are contractually binding unless written cancellation is received within seven days of the confirmation date, apart from pre-orders which are binding if the release price is below the top estimate or other price you have set.
Invoices are raised at the In Bond price, excluding any duty and VAT which will become payable at the prevailing rates on arrival of the wine if required duty paid.
Payment is required on sight of invoice, by cash, cheque, debit card or credit transfer. We reserve the right to charge 2% per month on invoices unpaid after 30 days.
Delivery
- Shipment to our bond (LCB Creek Road) and insurance are included in the in bond price.
- Delivery is free to Lea and Sandeman / Elephant storage accounts, both duty paid and in bond.
- Other deliveries (In Bond and Duty Paid) are also free subject to a minimum order from the offer of £1000, orders below this total will be charged £16.50+ VAT when the wine invoices are issued. We will group deliveries and this is a charge for your entire purchases, not a per-case charge.
- Delivery for 2016 Bordeaux primeurs will probably be completed by October 2019, but we make no guarantee as to specific delivery times, and some of the Sauternes may be later.
Practical notes - how it works
We start a sale in each customer's name and add all their primeur orders to one sale which is invoiced at the end of the campaign (or when the customer wishes) for immediate payment. We and our customers find that having a single invoice for the vintage is the simpler option, but do please note that confirmed orders are still binding as above even if the final invoice has not been issued.
When the wine is shipped, unless previously specified we will assume that delivery is to be to bonded storage with Elephant Storage, but in any case, we will contact you requesting any alternative instructions. If you have another bonded delivery address you would like the wine to go to, please tell us at the time of ordering. If the wines are required duty-paid we will issue invoices at the rates prevailing at the time for the excise duty (currently £25.98 per case) and the VAT (currently at 20%) on the total of the wine cost and the duty.
Half-bottles, Magnums and larger bottles.
One of the additional advantages of buying en primeur is being able to order the wine in the bottle size you want. Even if a wine is only listed in one size, you can order any bottle or case size you want if the property supplies it, but you must order the case/bottle size you require and check that the correct size has been invoiced.
Additional charges are as follows:-
- +£15 per case of 24 half-bottles
- +£15 per case of 6 Magnums (2 bottles equivalent, 1.5 litres each)
- +£35 per individually boxed Double Magnum (4 bottles equivalent, 3 litres)
- +£45 per individually boxed Imperial (8 bottles equivalent, 6 litres) for Salmanazars, Balthazars, Nebuchadnezzars and Melchiors please enquire for availability and price.