Tasted blind at the Bordeaux 2012 Southwold tasting. The 2012 Clos du Marquis has a very intense bouquet, the more fruit-driven of all the Saint Julien 2012s with layers of black cherries and cranberry fruit, an undercurrent of autumn leaves and cigar box. The palate is medium-bodied with fine definition: smooth and very harmonious, quite intense on the entry and yet without that long sustain on the finish. That does not matter too much, because what comes before is very precise and pure, the class of the terroir evident from start to finish. Tasted January 2016.

This is a soulful Clos du Marquis with currants, blackberries and hints of earth. Full body, velvety tannins and a long and flavorful finish. A fascinating earthy undertone.

The 2012 Clos du Marquis has more horsepower on the nose compared to the 2012 Talbot. The fruit is slightly darker, though the oak is well-integrated. The palate is medium-bodied with a lightly spiced entry, granular in texture, a touch of white pepper sprinkled over the red fruit with just a very slight but welcome bitterness on the finish that lends it edge.

Firm and tannic, this dark berry-flavored wine comes from a specific parcel in the Leoville las Cases vineyard. It's full of tannins and structure, firm and concentrated. At the end, both tannins and tight black currants promise aging.

A textbook St.-Julien, with a core of plum sauce and blackberry paste framed with roasted apple wood and backed by a solid graphite spine. Has the lightly chewy edge of the vintage, but offers good, pure fruit for balance.