CLOS DE L'ORATOIRE

The 2020 Clos de l'Oratoire retains the precocious bouquet it demonstrated from barrel: black cherries, boysenberry and fresh fig hints. There's plenty of energy and a soupçon of exoticism. The palate is medium-bodied with fine tannins. A little firmness provides the backbone and adequate salinity with an unpretentious, approachable finish. This is a charming 2020 that will offer 15-20 years of drinking pleasure. Drinking range: 2027 - 2047 Rating: 91 Neal Martin, www.vinous.com (Feb 2023)

This is a compact and deliciously exotic wine with liquorice and black cherry fruit and highly perfumed oak. The flavour is fairly tightly packed and the finish is dry and crisp and while this is not a long wine, it has a mass of latent energy which crackles on the palate. It will need at least five years to settle and then perhaps a couple more to rearrange its flavours and then I expect to see a rewarding, velvety, medium-weight wine with a cool finish. Rating: 17+ Matthew Jukes www.matthewjukes.com (Jun 2021)

The 2020 Clos de l'Oratoire is wonderfully savory. Lavender, mint, sage, licorice and spice lend striking aromatic nuance to a Clos de l'Oratoire that emphasizes energy over volume, as has sometimes been the case in the past. The blueberry and blackberry fruit is finely sculpted in a wine that impresses with its vibrancy and drive. Clean, mineral notes inform the brisk finish. The 2020 is such a classy wine. Drinking range: 2028 - 2030 Rating: 92-94 Antonio Galloni, www.vinous.com (Jun 2021)

The 2020 Clos de l’Oratoire is very cohesive on the nose of plush blackberry, raspberry, melted tar and light licorice scents, the latter becoming more vocal with aeration. The palate is medium-bodied and quite firm and structured, with gentle grip on the entry and good acidity. Tightens up toward a finish that doesn’t want to give everything away at this prenatal stage. Give this 3–4 years once in bottle. because it has long-term potential. Drinking range: 2027 - 2047 Rating: 89-91 Neal Martin, www.vinous.com (May 2021)

A rather mineral and spicy red with medium to full body, showing blackberries and black walnuts. There’s a deep, polished tannin backbone to this. Racy and fine. Rating: 94-95 James Suckling, www.jamessuckling.com (May 2021)

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. A yield of 32.5hl/ha. Drinking range: 2025 - 2038 Rating: 92 Jane Anson, Decanter (May 2021)