2017 Clos Saint-Martin

Cassis puree on the nose, followed by sweet blueberry and raspberry fruits with fine tannins. This is a charming 2017 that is sculputed and ready to drink even at 4 years old. The oak grilling is a little intrusive, but the fruit is juicy and lifted on the finish. Julien Viaud is the consultant here, having fully taken over from Michel Rolland.

The 2017 Clos Saint-Martin has what might be described as a rather reluctant nose compared with the previous two vintages, offering tight brambly red fruit, melted tar and cedar scents that require much coaxing from the glass. The palate is medium-bodied with fine, supple tannins. The fruit seems pure, more black than red, and though the finish has tightened up a bit, it still has that tinge of graphite. Tasted at a vertical of recent vintages at the château.

The 2017 Clos Saint-Martin is superb. Rich, racy and flamboyantly ripe, the 2017 is a real head-turner. Super-ripe red plum, blood orange, spice, mint and star anise all pulse through a juicy, Saint-Émilion built on textural lushness. I would prefer to cellar the 2017 to allow some of the baby fat to melt away, but the 2017 is an undeniably alluring and racy wine with a bright future. Today, it is a total pleasure bomb, but not at all overdone. Tasted two times.