Clos de Sarpe
Chateau Clos de Sarpe is run by the third generation of the Beney family. The vineyard is treated like a small garden with a deep respect for nature. The wine is a style traditional; tannic, intense and seriously concentrated. It requires lots of ageing for St. Emilion, but the reward is in the glass.
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Vinous - Neal Martin (83)
The 1982 Clos de Sarpe is clearly cut from a different cloth compared to vintages from the 1960s and 1970s. This has more fruit: mulberry, red plum and strawberry, smudged but with commendable presence. There are scents of clove and field mushrooms developing in the glass as secondary aromas take over. The palate is medium-bodied with bitter cherry and tobacco on the entry, the tannins drying a little with a mushroom-tinged, quite piecey finish that cuts away quickly. Drink soon.Inc. VAT£294.00 -
(6x150cl) 1998Vinous - Neal Martin (88)
The 1998 Clos de Sarpe was the first vintage to use 100% new barrels (the previous vintage had been matured in 50% new oak and the remainder in tank). It is also the first year where the Grand Vin came exclusively from the older vines; the younger vines were from the deuxième vin. It has quite a high-toned bouquet with mulberry and blackcurrant fruit, peppermint and a touch of clove. This is far superior to the previous vintages that were aged in tank. The palate is medium-bodied with supple tannins, a little more roundness and certainly more generosity than the 1985 or 1990. This does not possess finesse or refinement, but the oak gives the wine cohesion that was missing up until this point. Bottles of perfect provenance will still give pleasure.Inc. VAT£1,505.69 -
(12x75cl) 2012The Wine Cellar Insider (92)
With smoke, stone, plum and coffee notes, the wine offers a structured, powerful, mineral-driven and tannic finish. This is one of the more structured wines of the vintage. 89-92 PtsInc. VAT£740.81 -
Jeb Dunnuck (97)
An off-the-hook Saint-Emilion, the inky colored 2016 Château Clos de Sarpe is mostly Merlot but includes 15% Cabernet Franc. A beautiful, floral character gives way to more blueberry, raspberry, spice, and cedar notes, and it's medium to full-bodied, fresh, and elegant on the palate, with thrilling purity of fruit. It's still tight and reserved at the moment, with a focused feel on the palate, but has tons of potential. Give bottles 5-7 years of bottle age and enjoy over the following 15+. Tasted twice.Inc. VAT£416.00 -
(6x75cl) 2018Vinous - Antonio Galloni (96)
The 2018 Clos de Sarpe has turned out beautifully. Rich and unctuous in the glass, yet with terrific freshness, the 2018 dazzles from start to finish. There is plenty of the flamboyance Clos de Sarpe fans expect, and yet the 2018 is so measured and vibrant. Inky red/purplish fruit, lavender, rose petal and blood orange meld into the sumptuous finish. A slight move away from the very pushed style of years past has paid off big time. The 2018 is simply magnificent.Inc. VAT£300.04 -
(12x75cl) 2019Jeb Dunnuck (96+)
I love this estate, and their 2019 Château Clos De Sarpe offers the newer, balanced, elegant style of recent vintages while still bringing beautiful fruit and opulence. Cassis, blueberries, graphite, tobacco damp earth, and violet notes are just some of its nuances, and this beauty hits the palate with full-bodied richness, a deep, layered mid-palate, awesome purity of fruit, good acidity, and a great finish. It's going to take a decade of bottle age to hit maturity and will evolve for 30 to 40 years. This classic, beautiful, old-school yet pure and balanced Saint-Emilion deserves a place in your cellar.Inc. VAT£678.41 -
Vinous - Antonio Galloni (96)
The 2020 Clos du Sarpe is an exotic beauty. Blackberry jam, graphite, menthol, licorice, crushed rocks, incense and white truffle give Clos du Sarpe its exotic profile. The aromatics alone are mesmerizing, but everything about the 2020 is so alluring. The 2020 needs time to soften, but it is compelling.Inc. VAT£88.00 -
Vinous - Antonio Galloni (96)
The 2020 Clos du Sarpe is an exotic beauty. Blackberry jam, graphite, menthol, licorice, crushed rocks, incense and white truffle give Clos du Sarpe its exotic profile. The aromatics alone are mesmerizing, but everything about the 2020 is so alluring. The 2020 needs time to soften, but it is compelling.Inc. VAT£296.38 -
(1x75cl) 2021Jeb Dunnuck (94)
I continue to absolutely love what this château does, and the wines have never been better. The 2021 Château Clos De Sarpe comes from a single 3.7-hectare vineyard on the eastern portion of the appellation and is 85% Merlot and 15% Cabernet Franc from tiny yields of 25 hectoliters per hectare, with a long 42-day maceration followed by aging in 70% new barrels. Sensational notes of pure crème de cassis and black raspberry fruit, crushed stone, spring flowers, and graphite, as well as a chalky, crushed stone-like minerality, all emerge from the glass, and this beauty hits the palate with medium to full-bodied richness, a deep, layered mid-palate, fine tannins, and nicely integrated background oak. It hit 14.5% alcohol and brings more depth, richness, and texture than most in the vintage. I would be thrilled to have bottles in the cellar, and it will ideally be given 4-6 years of bottle age and will evolve gracefully over the following two decades. Hats off to Jean-Guy Beyney and his niece Maylis Marcenat for another brilliant wine. This château deserves more attention in the market today, as they're producing some of the greatest wines from the Right Bank.Inc. VAT£110.93 -
Vinous - Antonio Galloni (95)
The 2023 Clos de Sarpe is fabulous. Deep, rich and explosive, the 2023 possesses tremendous textural density and power to match. A burst of dark-toned fruit, chocolate, new leather, incense and dried herbs hits the palate. This builds beautifully through the layered mid-palate and into the explosive, punchy finish. Clos de Sarpe isn't quite as opulent as it used to be, but it remains one of the most distinctive wines in Saint-Émilion and Bordeaux, for that matter.Inc. VAT£320.00
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Vinous - Neal Martin (83)
The 1982 Clos de Sarpe is clearly cut from a different cloth compared to vintages from the 1960s and 1970s. This has more fruit: mulberry, red plum and strawberry, smudged but with commendable presence. There are scents of clove and field mushrooms developing in the glass as secondary aromas take over. The palate is medium-bodied with bitter cherry and tobacco on the entry, the tannins drying a little with a mushroom-tinged, quite piecey finish that cuts away quickly. Drink soon.Inc. VAT£294.00 -
(6x150cl) 1998
Vinous - Neal Martin (88)
The 1998 Clos de Sarpe was the first vintage to use 100% new barrels (the previous vintage had been matured in 50% new oak and the remainder in tank). It is also the first year where the Grand Vin came exclusively from the older vines; the younger vines were from the deuxième vin. It has quite a high-toned bouquet with mulberry and blackcurrant fruit, peppermint and a touch of clove. This is far superior to the previous vintages that were aged in tank. The palate is medium-bodied with supple tannins, a little more roundness and certainly more generosity than the 1985 or 1990. This does not possess finesse or refinement, but the oak gives the wine cohesion that was missing up until this point. Bottles of perfect provenance will still give pleasure.In Bond£1,222.68 -
(12x75cl) 2012
The Wine Cellar Insider (92)
With smoke, stone, plum and coffee notes, the wine offers a structured, powerful, mineral-driven and tannic finish. This is one of the more structured wines of the vintage. 89-92 PtsIn Bond£576.00 -
Jeb Dunnuck (97)
An off-the-hook Saint-Emilion, the inky colored 2016 Château Clos de Sarpe is mostly Merlot but includes 15% Cabernet Franc. A beautiful, floral character gives way to more blueberry, raspberry, spice, and cedar notes, and it's medium to full-bodied, fresh, and elegant on the palate, with thrilling purity of fruit. It's still tight and reserved at the moment, with a focused feel on the palate, but has tons of potential. Give bottles 5-7 years of bottle age and enjoy over the following 15+. Tasted twice.In Bond£326.00 -
(6x75cl) 2018
Vinous - Antonio Galloni (96)
The 2018 Clos de Sarpe has turned out beautifully. Rich and unctuous in the glass, yet with terrific freshness, the 2018 dazzles from start to finish. There is plenty of the flamboyance Clos de Sarpe fans expect, and yet the 2018 is so measured and vibrant. Inky red/purplish fruit, lavender, rose petal and blood orange meld into the sumptuous finish. A slight move away from the very pushed style of years past has paid off big time. The 2018 is simply magnificent.In Bond£234.00 -
(12x75cl) 2019
Jeb Dunnuck (96+)
I love this estate, and their 2019 Château Clos De Sarpe offers the newer, balanced, elegant style of recent vintages while still bringing beautiful fruit and opulence. Cassis, blueberries, graphite, tobacco damp earth, and violet notes are just some of its nuances, and this beauty hits the palate with full-bodied richness, a deep, layered mid-palate, awesome purity of fruit, good acidity, and a great finish. It's going to take a decade of bottle age to hit maturity and will evolve for 30 to 40 years. This classic, beautiful, old-school yet pure and balanced Saint-Emilion deserves a place in your cellar.In Bond£524.00 -
Vinous - Antonio Galloni (96)
The 2020 Clos du Sarpe is an exotic beauty. Blackberry jam, graphite, menthol, licorice, crushed rocks, incense and white truffle give Clos du Sarpe its exotic profile. The aromatics alone are mesmerizing, but everything about the 2020 is so alluring. The 2020 needs time to soften, but it is compelling.In Bond£70.00 -
Vinous - Antonio Galloni (96)
The 2020 Clos du Sarpe is an exotic beauty. Blackberry jam, graphite, menthol, licorice, crushed rocks, incense and white truffle give Clos du Sarpe its exotic profile. The aromatics alone are mesmerizing, but everything about the 2020 is so alluring. The 2020 needs time to soften, but it is compelling.In Bond£227.00 -
(1x75cl) 2021
Jeb Dunnuck (94)
I continue to absolutely love what this château does, and the wines have never been better. The 2021 Château Clos De Sarpe comes from a single 3.7-hectare vineyard on the eastern portion of the appellation and is 85% Merlot and 15% Cabernet Franc from tiny yields of 25 hectoliters per hectare, with a long 42-day maceration followed by aging in 70% new barrels. Sensational notes of pure crème de cassis and black raspberry fruit, crushed stone, spring flowers, and graphite, as well as a chalky, crushed stone-like minerality, all emerge from the glass, and this beauty hits the palate with medium to full-bodied richness, a deep, layered mid-palate, fine tannins, and nicely integrated background oak. It hit 14.5% alcohol and brings more depth, richness, and texture than most in the vintage. I would be thrilled to have bottles in the cellar, and it will ideally be given 4-6 years of bottle age and will evolve gracefully over the following two decades. Hats off to Jean-Guy Beyney and his niece Maylis Marcenat for another brilliant wine. This château deserves more attention in the market today, as they're producing some of the greatest wines from the Right Bank.In Bond£89.00 -
Vinous - Antonio Galloni (95)
The 2023 Clos de Sarpe is fabulous. Deep, rich and explosive, the 2023 possesses tremendous textural density and power to match. A burst of dark-toned fruit, chocolate, new leather, incense and dried herbs hits the palate. This builds beautifully through the layered mid-palate and into the explosive, punchy finish. Clos de Sarpe isn't quite as opulent as it used to be, but it remains one of the most distinctive wines in Saint-Émilion and Bordeaux, for that matter.In Bond£246.00
