Wine Words & Video Tape

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Château Berliquet

IMG_5710

Address: 33330 St Emilion

Telephone: +33 (0)5 57 24 70 48

E-mail: chateau.berliquet@wanadoo.fr

Website: www.chateau-berliquet.com

The Thienponts have been on the payroll at Château Berliquet since 2008. This is forward, sometimes lush St Emilion Grand Cru Classé with interesting spicy qualities. There has been a large programme of vineyard works at this property, which lies close to Château Canon, and it appears to be delivering results. This estate has succeeded pretty well in the 2011-2013 period. The 2004, tasted recently, was made before the Thienpont’s arrived. It was a decent, fully mature, medium bodied wine of some complexity.

Vineyard/Terrior: Château Berliquet is a 9 hectare property on the clay-limestone St Emilion plateau and the slopes. Planted with 73% Merlot, 22% Cabernet Franc and 5% Cabernet Sauvignon. Grand Cru Classe.

Winemaking/Elevage: 70% new oak.

Tasting notes:

  • 2015 Deep; vibrant at edge; minerals, chalk with violet lift from the fruit; supple and attractive entry; these wines are nicely managed in the cellar; nicely balanced; nicely judged. [8.5ha in production, 75% Merlot, 25% Cabernet Franc, 35hl/ha. Tasted Pavie Macquin 3/4/16. Drink 2020-2030. 91-93+ [second tasting UGC 6/4/16] Mid depth; dark core; purple edge; little more minerally; black fruits beneath; harmonious entry on the palate; chalk and wet rocks; minerality again; little dry towards the back but the fruit returns on the end; grip on the finish. Appetizing, Will work very well. Drink 2022-2028. 90-91+
  • 2014 Deep in the middle; earthy purple at edge; black cherry; minerality; nice lift and spices; nice ripe fruit; supple; perfume a bit; cherry some plum tones; nice length at the back. Good length and elegant finish. [75% Merlot, 23% Cabernet Franc, 2% Cabernet Sauvignon,14% alc]. Tasted 3 April at Château Pavie-Macquin. Drink 2019-2030. 89-91+ [Earlier tasting note] Deep and saturated colour; fresh at edge; some gloss and depth; sweet ripe entry to the fruit; some purity; needs to fill out a fraction; quite mineral and wet rock; plenty of extract and chew with nicely pure fruit; good length; impressive length. Drink 2020-2030. Tasted UGC 1st April ’15. 89-91+
  • 2013 Bigger colour, deeper and tighter to the rim; little thicker on the nose; riper in feel with ripe plum flavours and black fruits; sweet entry with attractive ripe fruit on the palate; material attractive and ripe; soft and fleshy in the middle. Really good effort for the vintage. Berliquet has nice terroir adjacent to Canon, facing Angelus in one plot. Mixture of plateau and slope exposures. 2008 was the first year of Thienpont advising. New vineyard improvements and trellising system for Cab Franc online this year. [75% Merlot, 25% Cabernet Franc]. Tasted April 4, 2014 at Pavie-Macquin. Drink 2018-2028. 88-90
  • 2012 Deep and saturated looking; juicy fruit tones, ripeness with black fruits and spices; quite lush palate with black fruits; ripe palate with some liquorice notes. Nicely ripe with attractive sap. Drink now-2022. 90 UGC Oct ’14 [Earlier note] Deep and saturated; ripe and rich; glossy colour; lifted nose, plums, black fruits, spices and some menthol and tar with some jam; lots of ripe fruit on the palate; plums, spices and fruitcake; nice to drink already. Feels very forward and lush. 65% Merlot, 30% Cabernet Franc, 5% Cabernet Sauvignon. 89-91 Tasted Friday 12th April 2013 at Chateau Pavie Macquin [Earlier note] Deep and dark; blackcurrant cassis, spices, plums, nicely lifted; black cherry some prunes too; creamy palate with lots of lush fruit; little jammy but nice grip and tension at the end 88-90+ UGC Weds 10th April 2013
  • 2011 Deep and saturated looking; ripe, lifted aromatics – black fruits, liqource, plums and spices; chewy palate, pretty rich and oak influenced but works. Drink 2015-2021. 88 UGC Oct ’13 [Earlier note] Deep and intense looking; lots of jammy, strawberry fruit on the nose; lifted red fruits; sweet, ripe wine, late picked style but with fruit; maybe a little too jammy. Rather dry palate and finish. Tasted UGC 4/4/12. 84-86
  • 2010 Thick and glossy looking in the glass; mocha, black fruits; quite lush; little liquorice note; broad palate with black fruits and liquorice again; some chalk too; fruitcake spices here; tighter at the end with good acid which pulls things together nicely. Good effort. Drink 2016-2030. 92+ MW Institute Not ’14 [Earlier note] Deep and saturated; some chocolate, some red fruit; quite saturated; palate a little on the figgy, over-ripe side for me; thick middle palate and then dry tannin at the end. Late picked style and over-extracted for me. 86 [Earlier] Saturated again; thick looking; very ripe nose, some figs but plush, nice ripeness here; layered too; quite plush palate, little more tannin and chew. Bit lacking in sophistication. Tannin little chunky 86-88/100 6th April 2011 at UGC
  • 2009 Mid depth; ripe and pretty on the nose; some jam and lift; fat palate with layers of fruit and density; lots of saturation here but grip and intensity too. Big. 90/100 UGC Oct 2011 [Earlier] Dense purple at edge; sweet fruit nose; good chunky palate. Quite big. 88+/100 Primeurs April ’10
  • 2008 Dense and saturated colour; lifted unctuous style; strawberry and red fruits; feels likely to be quite thick; figgy, prune-y palate; loads of fruit and oak tannins; bit plodding and over-extracted. 86 MW Institute Nov ‘12
  • 2004 Mid red; earthy red at edge; tea, spice, leather with some meaty/savoury notes; spices, tea, soft; savoury notes but not gamey; little ‘Golden Virginia’ tobacco note; chocolate and spice. Mature. Drink now – 2018. Drink now. 86. Tasted April ’14.

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