Clos Puy Arnaud - Les Ormeaux 2016

Name: Clos Puy Arnaud - Les Ormeaux 2016
Brand: Clos Puy Arnaud
Rating: 3.6 (17 reviews)

Castillon Côtes de Bordeaux|Red wine|Organic

Bordeaux

Red

Sold individually

Drink or Keep

3.6/5 (17 customers)

93/100

RVF

89/100

Wine Spectator

merlot

purity

truffle brouillade

" A juice admirably orchestrated around a slender, tonic body for Les Ormeaux, with lightly salted tannins: the wine opens with a salient tension that will last over time." (Le Guide des Meilleurs Vins de France 2021 - RVF) Thierry Valette, the great winemaker from Castillon, needs no introduction: here again, he has achieved success! A stunning balance between density, maturity and freshness, clarity, purity on a minty spectrum, it's to die for. A precise, bewitching wine. Cuvée plaisir at its best, a bargain to buy by the case!

Features

Estate

Clos Puy Arnaud

Cuvée

Les Ormeaux

Vintage

2016

Designation

Castillon Côtes de Bordeaux

Region

Bordeaux

Grape varieties

75 % Merlot, 25 % Cabernet Franc

Terroirs

The plots are located on very shallow sandy loam plateaus over asteriated limestone at an altitude of between 75 and 100 m, benefiting from a remarkable location in terms of both ventilation and light.

Viticulture

Certified organic and biodynamic (Biodyvin and Demeter)

Harvest

Manual

Winemaking

Whole berries are vatted by gravity in cement tanks. Cold pre-fermentation maceration under inert gas, followed by natural fermentation at low temperature (max. 25°).

Breeding

Aged 6 months in cement vats and barrels, then blended for 12 months in cement vats.

Alcohol content

13.5%

Organic

Yes

Tasting & pairing

Eye

Purple

Nose

Bewitching, with floral and fruity hints of blackcurrant and blackcurrant leaf on a mentholated spectrum. Open, pleasant and classy.

Mouth

A divine nectar, sweet without harshness, beautifully orchestrated juice, volume, velvety tannins, perfect balance and a finish offering scents of truffle and eucalyptus. Style for this pure, digestible wine currently at its peak.

Serve

AT 14-16°C

Apogée

2020-2021

Drink before

2023

Food and wine pairing

The perfect accompaniment to poultry liver cake, entrecote steak, oeufs cocotte or a truffle omelette, a dish of cardoons with marrow and cheeses such as Rocher nantais or Cendré de Vergy.

Clos Puy Arnaud

More information on Clos Puy Arnaud

Castillon Côtes de Bordeaux

More information on Castillon Côtes de Bordeaux

Expert opinion

Bettane & Desseauve

Domaine rated (guide 2022) 4*Stars (Top-quality producers, the glories of French winegrowing)

About the domain :

Thierry Valette has always had a taste for wine: his great-grandfather owned Châteaux Pavie and Troplong-Mondot, two of Saint-Émilion's most prestigious crus classés. In 2000, he took over this 13-hectare estate in Belvès-de-Castillon (20 km east of Libourne), opting for the demands of biodynamic viticulture. Asteriated limestone predominates at Puy Arnaud. In the late 19th century, the 15 hectares of Le Clos were classified as Saint-Émilion Premier Cru! These soils bring a great deal of finesse, freshness and minerality to the grapes, enabling the bouquet to rival that of the "grands terroirs" (floral, spicy, truffle) as it gradually takes shape. The range asserts itself by its regularity and coherence: the cuvée pervenche, for medium aging, should be drunk within 5 years for its jovial fruit. Les-ormeaux releases a delicate juice, coupled with exemplary fruitiness in its gourmet balance. Velvety in texture, predominantly Merlot, this great wine shows great refinement in its tannic length, with well-expressed fruit and a stylish finish of great freshness. This is certainly one of the most accomplished cuvées on the Right Bank. On a blind tasting, this cru will surprise many, as it can compete with other more prestigious wines. It's one of the most original wines in Bordeaux!

RVF - La Revue du Vin de France / Guide des Meilleurs Vins de France

Wine rated (guide 2021) 93/100

Domaine rated (guide 2022) 2*Stars (These great estates, often endowed with fabulous terroirs, are must-haves which, thanks to their consistency and the excellence of their production, must be included in the cellars of discerning wine lovers).

About the wine:

The juice is admirably orchestrated around a slender, invigorating body for Les Ormeaux, with lightly salted tannins: the wine opens with a salient tension that will last over time.

About the domain :

Thierry Valette has owned this Castillon estate since 2000. Carefully crafted, the wine has established itself from the outset as one of the appellation's most interesting crus, with a deep, eminently racy style. The vineyard, now cultivated biodynamically, confirms all hopes. In addition to the first wine, Thierry Valette offers two thirst-quenching cuvées (Bistrot and Rouge) that reconcile us with fast-drinking Bordeaux. It's worth noting the coherence of the range and the determination to make both wines for immediate pleasure and vintages of great depth.

Wine Spectator

Rated 89/100 (Very good wine)

Jancis Robinson

Rated domain (guide 2022) Recommended

James Suckling

Rated domain (guide 2022) Recommended

Customer reviews

Customer rating

3.6/5

out of 17 reviews