94 Wine & Spirits

"This vineyard, at the gravelly base of a limestone slope, sits on the left bank of the Vienne River; the vines date from 1962 through 1975. If you open the wine now, give it plenty of time in a decanter to evolve past its oak; what slowly emerges is a scent of persimmon, of strawberries and meaty spice, along with a riper note of figs and black cherries. It builds into something juicy, luscious and beautiful, as it will in the cellar. A wine to serve with venison roasted with autumn vegetables."

93+ John Gilman - View from the Cellar

"The 2009 les Varennes du Grand Clos is an excellent wine in the making, soaring from the glass in a ripe and complex mélange of black cherries, sweet cranberry, juniper berries, bitter chocolate, lovely, gravelly soil tones, cigar smoke and a pungent topnote of violet. On the palate the wine is deep, full-bodied, powerfully built and absolutely seamless, with a sappy core of fruit, excellent focus and balance, ripe, firm tannins and outstanding length and grip on the still very primary finish. I love the shape and focus of this wine, which is a bit less austere out of the blocks than was the case with the 2005, but is every bit as deep and long. 2016-2050."