Château Clarke 2015

Rich in extract, yet with first-class tannins, great freshness, fruit and breed, a juicy finish of impressive length; the finest Clarke ever tasted: great breed.

On the fleshy side for a Listrac, with good plum and blackberry coulis flavors inlaid with singed vanilla and alder notes. Light tobacco hints echo with the fruit through the finish. Drink now through 2020. 16,600 cases made, 1,500 cases imported.

This estate has belonged to the Edmond de Rothschild family since 1973. From one of the top performing properties in Listrac, this wine is well proportioned, rich and dense. It has weight but its main thrust is elegance, with stylish black-currant fruit, acidity and a dry core from the wood aging. The wine will age well and should not be drunk before 2023.

Aromas of red berries, elegance to the fore. Very precise on the palate, with a lovely balance of ripeness and tannin structure. Tannins are still evident and will benefit from a few more years ageing. Undoubtedly a fine wine with long ageing potential. A very hot and dry summer, with just 120mm of rain in five months, making it the driest at Château Clarke since 1889. Rain in August saved the vintage, together with a cool September.

Sweet and generous but also with quite a slug of dry tannins, and that really gives the wine some character and drive at the finish. You can drink it now, but better in 2020.

One of the few wines in the Medoc with vineyards planted to 100% Merlot, the wine is light to medium bodied, with a crisp bright, red berry, cedar and tobacco character with some tartness in the finish.

Lots of Strawberry, forest floor and hints of flowers all emerge from the 2015 Château Clarke and it's medium-bodied, elegant and balanced, with fine tannin and good acidity. This charming Listrac has lots to love and should drink nicely for 7-8 years.

Medium to deep garnet colored, the 2015 Clarke features notes of redcurrant jelly, black raspberries, and unsmoked cigars with a touch of bay leaves. The medium-bodied palate is chewy and a little thin in the middle, with an earthy lift on the finish.

The estate has made great strides, and this 2015 stands as a real crowning achievement. Round and flavoursome, the wine is clean and precise, with great length and fine tannins. A fine classic with ideally ripe fruit and tannins, ensuring it will age with confidence.

The 2015 is both solid and nicely rounded. The wine is built on fleshy substance, dark fruit and abundant yet well-integrated tannins.

The color is deep and the nose is pleasantly spicy. The wine is smooth, light and fresh, with nicely integrated aging. Best enjoyed for its fruit.

Medium garnet. At present, the bouquet is rather reserved. With a little air and after a few minutes, I pick up notes of red fruits and blackberries. On the palate, the wine is creamy and fruity. The structure brings freshness and is in harmony with the well-integrated tannins. A pleasant wine that can be enjoyed soon, yet with a perfectly respectable ageing potential.

A fruity wine, fuller-bodied than usual. A good tannic structure. Medium body and length.