Ideal with duck or lamb

Clos de l’Esperance has a rich and round bouquet of ripe red and black fruit (cherry, blackcurrant), as well as a touch of vanilla. The tannins are quite smooth. The freshness and spiciness of the nose come through in the palate. The wine is altogether beautifully balanced and elegant. Ideal with duck or lamb.100% Merlot

James Suckling: "This is dark-fruited with nut shell and cedar notes. Medium-bodied. Juicy but firm with some chewiness at the end. 
Range: 91-92

Vinification:
Clos de l'Esperance is 100% Merlot grown on 40+ year old vines. After a manual harvest the wines go through a traditional vinification with 20 days of maceration to ensure good extraction of tannins and aromas. The wine is then aged in 225L and 500L barrels, amphoras and wine globes for a maximum of complexity and elegance in the final wine.

Clos de l’Esperance is the first investment of Jules Monroux at the age of 22. He is the 5th generation of winemaker in the Saint-Emilion area. His father, Antoine, owns and runs Chateau Franc Bigaroux in Saint-Emilion Grand Cru appellation. Clos de l’Esperance is a little 6 hectares vineyard of Merlot, planted on top of the Lussac Saint-Emilion appellation, on clay and limestone.

The wine is aged in different types of oak barrels (225L and 500L), as well as amphoras and wine globes, to get the complexity of the best wines of the appellation: structure, opulence and black fruit aromas.

Bordeaux wine spans almost 2000 years to Roman times when the first vineyards were planted. In the Middle Ages, the marriage of Henry Plantagnet and Eleanor of Aquitaine opened the Bordeaux region to the English market and eventually to the world’s stage. The Gironde estuary and its tributaries, the Garonne and the Dordogne rivers play a pivotal role in the history and success of this region. The Saint-Emilion are is bordered to the west by Pomerol. Merlot is the dominant grape in this area, followed by Cab Franc. The climate and damper, cool soils of the area make it difficult for Cabernet Sauvignon grapes to fully ripen and as such it is less often used. In favorable vintages, the wines have good aging potential.