2016 Clos Manou, Médoc, Bordeaux

2016 Clos Manou, Médoc, Bordeaux

Product: 20168136402
 
2016 Clos Manou, Médoc, Bordeaux

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Available by the case In Bond. Pricing excludes duty and VAT, which must be paid separately before delivery. Storage charges apply.
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Description

The 2016 vintage is 50% Cabernet Sauvignon, 36% Merlot, 9% Petit Verdot, and 5% Cabernet Franc. It is poised and elegant, brimming with blackcurrant, pencil shavings and tobacco. This is classic Claret: beautifully balanced, with fine, velvety tannins, lively acidity to balance the ripeness of the fruit, and a subtle menthol lift on the finish. This is perfect for a Sunday lunch, summer barbecue or any occasion that calls for a classy, affordable Bordeaux. Drink now to 2028.

Geogina Haacke, Wine Buyer, Berry Bros. & Rudd (April 2021)

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Critics reviews

Antonio Galloni, Vinous89/100

Readers will find a heady, exotic Médoc in the 2016 Clos Manou. Super-ripe black cherry, chocolate, leather, smoke, licorice and espresso infuse this succulent, powerful wine. There is not a ton of subtlety here, and yet Clos Manou is irresistibly pleasing and flat-out delicious.

Drink 2020 - 2030

Antonio Galloni, vinous.com (Jan 2019)

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Wine Advocate88/100

The 2016 Clos Manou is blended of 50% Cabernet Sauvignon, 36% Merlot, 9% Petit Verdot and 5% Cabernet Franc. It was aged for a total of 17 months in 70% new French oak, 20% in one-year-old barrels and 10% in seven-hectoliter concrete eggs. Deep garnet-purple colored, it has lifted notions of red and black currants, chocolate-covered cherries and spearmint with hints of lilacs and tobacco. The palate is medium-bodied, elegant, fresh and uncomplicated with a pleasant chew to the finish. 5,000 cases were made.

Drink 2019 - 2028

Lisa Perrotti-Brown, Wine Advocate (Nov 2018) Read more

James Suckling93/100

You couldn’t wish for a more classic Médoc, but this has concentration and finesse rare for this basic appellation of the region. Lifts off at the finish, thanks to the fine dry tannins and lively acidity. A blend of 50 per cent cabernet sauvignon, 36 per cent merlot, nine per cent petit verdot and five per cent cabernet franc. Drink or hold.

James Suckling, jamessuckling.com (Feb 2019) Read more

Jeb Dunnuck92/100

The 2016 Clos Manou comes from complex limestone and sandy, gravelly soils in the northern part of the Médoc and is 50% Cabernet Sauvignon, 36% Merlot, and the rest Petit Verdot and Cabernet Franc brought up 70% new French oak. It’s another winner from this rock star of a vintage and offers classic cassis, graphite, spice, and cedar pencil aromas and flavors. Beautifully balanced, clean, elegant, and with good concentration, It’s a beauty to drink over the coming 15+ years.

Drink 2019 - 2034

Jeb Dunnuck, jebdunnuck.com (Feb 2019)

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About this WINE

Clos Manou

Clos Manou

Clos Manou is an 18-hectare estate in the northern reaches of the Médoc peninsula. Own and run by husband-and-wife Stéphane and Françoise Dief, the first vintage here was 1998. They follow organic and biodynamic principles, though have not sought certification.

In the northern reaches of the Médoc peninsula, husband-and-wife team Stéphane and Françoise Dief own and run Clos Manou. Their first vintage in 1998 was just 600 bottles; they have built the estate up over time to reach 18 hectares, broken into 55 distinct plots. In her book Inside Bordeaux, Jane Anson calls Clos Manou “very much an insider’s wine, not widely known outside of a few loyal followers.”

The Clos Manou vineyard is notable for its low-trained vines planted at high density, with grasses growing in between vines. This is a hands-on operation; harvest is entirely manual.

In the cellar, the Diefs make use of a vast range of fermentation and ageing vessels: there are concrete eggs, terracotta amphoras, concrete tanks of varying sizes and oak barrels from nine different coopers. Stéphane and Françoise do everything themselves; there is no external consultant here. There is minimal intervention in the cellar, and very little added sulphur.

The Diefs farm Clos Manou following organic and biodynamic practices, though they have not sought certification. They plan to have HVE-3 certification from the 2021 vintage.

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Médoc

Médoc

The Médoc is arguably the most famous red wine district in the world, home to many of the greatest and most renowned names of Bordeaux. It stretches north-west from the city of Bordeaux with the Gironde estuary to the east. The vineyards extend up to eight miles from the river and run for about 50 miles northwards. It is a surprisingly dull landscape, with the best land found on gravelly outcrops.

The most northerly, low-lying vineyards are classified as Bas-Médoc, whilst those on higher ground, closer to the city of Bordeaux, are entitled to the Haut-Médoc appellation.  Within that appellation, there are further communal or village appellations, namely Listrac and Moulis, and the four great names of St. Estèphe, Pauillac, St Julien and Margaux.  As a rule of thumb, the greatest wines are made at those properties closest to the river.

Recommended Châteaux from the Bas-Médoc:  Ch. Le Boscq, Ch. Patache d'Aux, Ch. Potensac, Ch. la Tour de By, Ch. La Tour Carnet, La Tour Haut-Caussan, Ch. La Tour-St-Bonnet, Ch. Verdignan, Ch. Rolland de By

Recommended châteaux from the Haut-Médoc : Ch. La Lagune, Ch. Cantemerle, Ch d’Agassac, Ch. Belgrave, Ch. Camensac, Ch. Charmail, Ch. Cissac, Ch. Citran, Ch. Lanessan, Ch. Liversan, Ch. du Moulin Rouge, Ch. Sociando-Mallet, Ch. La Tour Carnet, Ch. Verdignan, Ch. d’Arche, Ch. Beaumont, Ch. Lamothe-Bergeron

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Cabernet Sauvignon Blend

Cabernet Sauvignon Blend

Cabernet Sauvignon lends itself particularly well in blends with Merlot. This is actually the archetypal Bordeaux blend, though in different proportions in the sub-regions and sometimes topped up with Cabernet Franc, Malbec, and Petit Verdot.

In the Médoc and Graves the percentage of Cabernet Sauvignon in the blend can range from 95% (Mouton-Rothschild) to as low as 40%. It is particularly suited to the dry, warm, free- draining, gravel-rich soils and is responsible for the redolent cassis characteristics as well as the depth of colour, tannic structure and pronounced acidity of Médoc wines. However 100% Cabernet Sauvignon wines can be slightly hollow-tasting in the middle palate and Merlot with its generous, fleshy fruit flavours acts as a perfect foil by filling in this cavity.

In St-Emilion and Pomerol, the blends are Merlot dominated as Cabernet Sauvignon can struggle to ripen there - when it is included, it adds structure and body to the wine. Sassicaia is the most famous Bordeaux blend in Italy and has spawned many imitations, whereby the blend is now firmly established in the New World and particularly in California and  Australia.

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