| Score: |
94 VM.
"Opaque ruby. Blackberry, candied plum, cassis, licorice, bitter chocolate and potpourri on the complex, intensely perfumed nose. Dense, concentrated and seamless on the palate, offering primary black and blue fruit and floral pastille flavors and a smoky mineral accent that adds back-end vivacity. Finishes with broad, supple tannins, an echo of licorice and outstanding mineral-driven persistence. My annual visit to the Clusel-Roch cellar was guided by Brigitte and Gilbert's son Guillaume, who has begun to make a name for himself with his energetic pure Gamays from the granite-rich soils of the Coteaux du Lyonnais. He is moving steadily into his future role in command of this estate, which was an early convert to biodynamic farming and which has become one of the most visible advocates of the bio movement in the region. The 2013s and 2012s here are very much in keeping with the house style: fresh, nervy and graceful. Guillaume said that the family is ‘very happy with both vintages because the fruit was correct for making elegant, not heavy wines.’ He is especially pleased by the approachable character of the 2012s, which he said possess ‘harmonious tannins that don't distract from early drinking but have the strength to help the wines age.’" Josh Raynolds, Vinous, Dec 2014 |