Domaine Yannick Amirault - Bourgueil Le Grand Clos 2022

Bettane & Desseauve

About wine:

The flinty clay soils on the limestone crust of Bourgueil give Grand Clos an intense, mellow tannic structure with mouthwatering acidity, often taking on floral accents.

About the estate:

Yannick and Benoît Amirault are perfectionist winemakers who naturally converted to organic farming. They have 19 hectares of Cabernet Franc, two-thirds of which are in Bourgueil and the rest in Saint-Nicolas-de-Bourgueil, each with a good heritage of old vines.

Decanter

About wine:

Le Grand Clos has an appealing nose of blackcurrant and black cherry. The palate is silky and smooth, with magnificent maturity and slightly savory tannins in the background to support the fruit, which is almost succulent. A masterful wine that exploits the strengths of this ripe vintage. It is lush, but with enough mineral restraint and chalky texture to balance the ripeness. Sweet black fruit and savory minerality: what a beautiful combination!

Guide Hachette des vins

About wine:

Le Grand Clos 2022 is sure to delight even the most discerning palates. Draped in a superb crimson color, this wine offers a rich palette of jammy black fruits, toasted wood, and chocolate on the nose. Marked by a warm attack, the palate unfolds, voluminous and complex, with discreet woodiness, caramelized notes, and well-refined tannins. A beautiful cuvée that will express itself even better in a few years.

About the estate:

Present in Saint-Nicolas and Bourgueil, Yannick Amirault is one of the stalwarts of these two appellations. It is now his son Benoît who cultivates (organically) the estate's 19 hectares.

Robert Parker - Wine Advocate

About wine:

Historically the premier cru of the Bourgueil Abbey, Bourgueil Le Grand Clos 2022 comes from vines planted on a superb hill composed of flint and limestone. Complex and pure, it offers aromas of blackcurrant, blackberry, flowers, and spices, followed by a medium-bodied to full-bodied palate that is enveloping and charming, with a fleshy fruit core, velvety tannins, and a long, concentrated, and delicate finish. Aged for 15 months in 75% barrels and 25% jars, it has real potential to improve in the cellar over the next 3 to 5 years.

About the estate:

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

About wine:

A superb hint of graphite emerges from the Grand Clos, with a richness and smoothness that is unique to this year. A very mature expression that will evolve quietly over the next twenty years.

About the estate:

Benoît arrived at the family estate in Bourgueil in 2003 to continue the family adventure started by his father Yannick in 1997. Two-thirds of the vineyard is located in Bourgueil, with the rest in the neighboring Saint-Nicolas-de-Bourgueil appellation. You can sense the winemakers' perfectionism and their desire to express the terroir through very silky and civilized Cabernet Franc wines that retain their vibrant fruitiness. The estate has been certified organic since 2009 and the wines are gaining in purity every year thanks to increasingly precise vinification methods (conical wooden vats, barrels and stoneware jars). The 2022 and 2023 vintages delight us with their frank, clear expression and finesse.

Wine Enthusiast

About wine:

This wine should not be rushed; it should be tasted and savored. The silky Bourgueil caresses the inside of the cheeks with rich black fruits: plum, cherry, and raspberry. The mid-palate is sumptuous, with light notes of vanilla spices that linger throughout the tasting.

Vinous

About wine:

A richly fruity, silky, and concentrated style reflecting the hot, dry season, the 2022 Le Grand Clos offers ripe blackberries and raspberries as well as festive spices. At this early stage, the wine's structure is almost rectangular, with tannins drawing the contours and gripping angles. It is concentrated, long, and fragrant, but after five months in the bottle, it needs a few more years for the oak to integrate and its structure to soften.

James Suckling

About wine:

A balanced, seductive, and clever red with notes of wild berries, dry stones, currants, and exotic spices. It is medium-bodied with fine tannins. Texture and stone with a brilliant character. Succulent fruit meets a mineral structure that lingers in the dense and flavorful finish. Made from organically grown grapes. Drink now or cellar.