CLOS MANOU
2017 Médoc
This is quite dark and brooding at the moment. A coiled spring. There is rich, dark berry fruit all wrapped up in some very nicely integrated oak. It has an attractive sweetness balanced by really ripe, powdery tannins. The wine has plenty of power and drive and that vital ‘pep’ which keeps it energetic and intriguing. No hint of rusticity or excess weight. The finish is clean and long. It’s a very smart Médoc from the northern reaches beyond St Éstephe. Rating: 88-90 L&S (Apr 2018)
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The 2017 Clos Manou is dark and sumptuous in the glass with no hard edges and exceptional balance. Super-ripe black cherry, chocolate, spice, new leather and licorice all meld together in this racy, flamboyant wine. Drinking range: 2020 - 2027 Rating: 91 Antonio Galloni, www.vinous.com (Mar 2020)
The 2017 Clos Manou comes from Saint Christoly-du-Médoc and Conquèques that is matured in 70% new oak and 5% in terracotta jars. This has a perfumed bouquet with vivid redcurrant and cranberry fruit, becoming more glossy with aeration. Cassis emerges with time. The palate is medium-bodied with supple tannins, a fine bead of acidity with a gentle grip. This is lightly spiced with a slightly tarry finish. Overall, a lovely Médoc that will give a lot of pleasure. Drinking range: 2022 - 2036 Rating: 90 Neal Martin, www.vinous.com (Feb 2020)
The 2017 Clos Manou comes from a 16.50ha vineyard in Saint Christoly in the northern Médoc planted at 9 to 10,000 vines per hectare. It was cropped at 55hl/ha and sorted and saignée down to 25hl/ha. It has quite an elegant bouquet with well defined red berry fruit mixed with graphite and sous-bois aromas. The palate is medium-bodied with powdery tannin, moderate depth and a light but focused finish. Drinking range: 2021 - 2030 Rating: 88-90 Neal Martin, www.vinous.com (May 2018)
The probable blend for the 2017 Clos Manou is 60% Cabernet Sauvignon, 30% Merlot, 6% Petit Verdot and 4% Cabernet Franc. Deep garnet-purple colored, it opens with crushed black currants, black cherries and mulberries with touches of baking spices, tilled soil and Provence herbs. The palate is medium-bodied, elegant and fresh with a swift, uncomplicated finish. Rating: 85-87 Lisa Perrotti-Brown, RobertParker.com (Apr 2018)
From the northern part of the Médoc, the 2017 Clos Manou checks in as 60% Cabernet Sauvignon, 30% Merlot and the rest Petit Verdot and Cabernet Franc. It offers a deep ruby color as well as top-notch notes of black cherries, sappy underbrush, and violets. It’s seamless, beautifully balanced, has ripe tannin, and surprising length. It’s a hidden gem in the vintage. Rating: 89-92 Jeb Dunnuck, www.jebdunnuck.com (Apr 2018)
A very balanced and refined wine with freshness and brightness. Medium body, fine tannins and a juicy finish. Rating: 91-92 James Suckling, www.jamessuckling.com (Apr 2018)
Clos Manou
"We turned our garage into a makeshift wine cellar and made our first wine in 1998.” Françoise and Stéphane Dief. Which sounds impossibly idyllic! In a region of grand estates with long complicated histories the arrivistes of Clos Manou are a refreshing change. Starting with just .12ha of vines, the Diefs have patiently spent 15 years building their holding up to 18ha, along the way absorbing the obscure Cru Bourgeois of Château Cantegrive. The estate may be 'new' but amongst their holdings are Bordeaux’s oldest vines – they have a small pre-phylloxera parcel from the 1850’s. The estate is centred on the village of Saint-Christoly de Médoc in the increasingly popular area of the Haut-Médoc to the north of Saint Estèphe. All of Clos Manou’s vineyards are high-density plantings – some 10 000 vines per hectare – and all are converted to organic farming as soon as is practical. Grape variety proportions are 45% each Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot, with 6% Cabernet Franc and 4% Petit Verdot. The first wine is aged in 100% new wood. The second wine is called Petit Manou.