Closerie Saint Roc – Les Noyers

The first releases of new plot selection wines from Closerie St Roc (the other being Les Pins), made in very limited quantity. Hailing from Puisseguin, but almost literally at the gates of St.Emilion and Pomerol, the selected plot has a hillside location, with shallow sandy soil on a limestone bedrock between 50-80 centimetres below the surface. Planted with 80% Merlot and 20% Cabernet Franc, the wine is naturally vinified using indigenous yeast, with no sulphur addition, fining or filtering.  Aged in oak for 18 months, it is ultra-fresh and lifted with abundant aromatics. Earthy, savoury and slightly gamey with a combination of dark briary and red berry fruit, loganberries and mulberries in particular. At first this is rather compact and even strict and then it starts to open in and through the mid palate, revealing its deceptively broad-shoulders and muscle yet always remaining restrained, elegant and sleek.  Long, taut, lively and fresh from start to finish and with a fascinating salt and wild pepper minerality. Delightfully crumbly tannins on the finish. Very impressive already and packed with potential.