(Wine Advocate Score 88-91) The 2013, which I tasted three different times, showed consistently well on all occasions exhibiting a dense, ruby/plum purple color. It has a sweet kiss of black olive tapenade, licorice, blackcurrants, graphite and incense. The wine is medium-bodied and shows excellent concentration, a moderately long finish with relatively sweet tannin and decent acidity. This is a beauty and a testament to not only the brilliant terroir, but also the sure-handed vineyard management and wine making team. From the Cote Pavie, this wine made in 2013 has turned out very well, with a shot at fetching a 90-point score when bottled. The final blend of 84% Merlot and 16% Cabernet Franc saw only 66% of the production going into the Grand Vin. The alcohol achieved is 13.6% and yields were frightfully low at 17 hl/ha. This estate is managed by a rather remarkable team, led by Stephane Derenoncourt and Nicolas Thienpont, but there are others as well.
