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  • Country ranking ?

    1 382
  • Producer ranking ?

    12
  • Decanting time

    8h
  • When to drink

    2025-2030
  • Food Pairing

    Beef, venison & hard cheeses

The Tb points given to this wine are the world’s most valid and most up-to-date evaluation of the quality of the wine. Tastingbook points are formed by the Tastingbook algorithm which takes into account the wine ratings of the world's best-known professional wine critics, wine ratings by thousands of tastingbook’s professionals and users, the generally recognised vintage quality and reputation of the vineyard and winery. Wine needs at least five professional ratings to get the Tb score. Tastingbook.com is the world's largest wine information service which is an unbiased, non-commercial and free for everyone.

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The Story

This single-vineyard of three hectares is situated next to Château Angelus and represents the highest manifestation of Cabernet Franc in a wine of this level from Bordeaux. Eighty per cent of the vineyard is dedicated to this variety – the rest is old-vine Merlot.

The vines were planted in the 1950’s on sandy soil over an extended ironstone layer (crasse de fer). The yield is reduced by up to three runs of green harvesting. Concentration and definition are therefore the watchwords for this benchmark wine.

The grapes are harvested at the precise moment of ripeness, handpicked into shallow trays, and after double-triage are transported by conveyors into pristine wooden vats. Vinification involves both rotational pumping and pigeage. Secondary fermentation in French oak barrels is followed by a traditional approach to ageing.

The production of LE DOME is not large at around 1,000 cases. What little exists, however is made with no expense spared in the pursuit of excellence.

VINEYARD

Location Côtes, Saint Emilion
Grid Ref 44°53'42.79"N 0°10'44.88"W
Size 3.20 hectares
Soil Sand over Crasse de Fer
Varieties Cabernet Franc: 75% Merlot 25%
Wines Le Dome

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Vintage 2011

The 2011 vintage is not easy to handle.

Smith Haut Lafitte not only makes great white and red wine from Bordeaux in Pessac Léognan, they are also at the cutting edge of technology. They were one of the first Bordeaux wine producers to begin using optical sorting, which came in handy with the difficult 2011 Bordeaux harvest. Fabien Teitgen, long-time general manager, joined us for a long detailed conversation about what happened at Smith Haut Lafitte for the 2011 Bordeaux vintage.

“In my opinion, 2011 is balanced with a low pH and a medium alcohol level. So for those who picked at the right time, their wines will be balanced, with good concentration and good freshness. This vintage is not so easy to handle. »

 

Château Cos d’Estournel, Saint-Estèphe, began its 2011 Bordeaux harvest on Monday, September 5.

Jean Guillaume Prats told us that 2011 set a modern record for an early start to their harvest at Château Cos d’Estournel. He added: “It was the second earliest harvest on record. To find an earlier date, we had to go back to 1893! » Although the precise date to begin picking was not set in stone, the original plan was not to begin their Bordeaux harvest on September 5. But due to a ferocious storm that swept through the region, the massive 2011 Bordeaux storm hit the northern Médoc, any hope of waiting has gone out the window. “We had initially planned to start around September 9, with the young vines. After the storm, we gave ourselves time over the weekend to assess the situation and make the appropriate decision: wait and see how it will evolve in the coming days depending on the weather. We are “lucky” that this vintage is extremely early. The damage in terms of phenolic maturity of the grapes should be very minor. If it was a later year, like 2008, 2009 or 2010, the effects would be much worse.

" said Prats

 

The day starts before sunrise

Château Haut Brion and Château La Mission Haut Brion began harvesting their young Merlot vines on August 29. It’s early for the First Growth domain. To give you an idea of when Haut Brion started picking its young Merlot vines in 2010, September 8. In this vintage, the harvest continued until October 9.

Between the two properties of Pessac Léognan, with red and white grapes to pick, they have a busy schedule. Harvesters begin their day working on the grapes for their Bordeaux white wine, often starting their day before sunrise.

Jean-Philippe Delmas explains why they harvest early in the morning: “The goal of picking white grapes early in the morning is to ensure that the fruit stays fresh. This helps the berries retain their unique, fresh flavors. This year, we picked our white grapes between 7 a.m. and noon. The reason is that at this time of the day, the skin is dry. There is nothing left of the dew of the night. »

Château Lafite Rothschild began harvesting Cabernet Sauvignon from their northernmost plots, located not far from Château Cos d’Estournel, on Friday September 2. 2011. This is one of the first harvests recorded for the property. You will read quotes from many Bordeaux wine producers that 2011 Bordeaux, for many châteaux, will be their earliest harvest on record since 1893! However, producers located in certain districts of Bordeaux have brought forward their harvest calendars even earlier than expected.

Due to the enormous deluge and rain in the northern Médoc, centered near the border of Pauillac, Saint-Estèphe, to avoid possible rot problems, many châteaux in this vicinity decided to start picking sooner than they had originally planned. The most notable property is the famous Premier Cru, Château Lafite Rothschild. It is possible that the storm, which dropped half an inch of massive rain in a twenty-minute period, caused flooding in Lafite Rothschild's cellars.

“With our 2011 harvest, we harvested earlier because the cultivation of the vines was earlier than usual, due to the very hot spring. But the ripening weather conditions in summer were cool and cool, so the wine is of a cooler style than a late vintage. The pleasant weather conditions at the end of August and September were very good for phenolic maturity.” Fabien Teitgen from Château Smith Haut Lafitte.

Bordeaux 2011 /The earliest harvest recorded since 1893

 

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Tasting note

color

Deep, Purple and Dark

ending

Long, Extensive and Lingering

flavors

Blackcurrant, Toasty, Cedar, Leather, New-oak and Cassis

nose

Youthful, Complex, Generous and Tempting

taste

Average in Acidity, Warming, High tannin, Balanced, Well-Integrated, Multi-dimensional, Full-bodied, Rich, Elegant, Full and Silky tannins

Verdict

Full-bodied and Impressive

Written Notes

Dark, ruby red colour. Reserved yet powerful nose with spices and dark flowers. Medium-bodied, very tannic and quite harsh on palate with moderately high in acidity. Sour cherries, spices, and wood in finish. Bit like an untamed beast.
  • 86p
Inky in color and from a blend of 80% Merlot, 20% Cabernet Franc, the wine reached 13.10% alcohol. With espresso bean, licorice, earth and black cherry, this wine is densely packed with tannin, black cherry liqueur, licorice and coffee. Structured to age, this will take time to come around. 92-94 Pts
  • 93p
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Information

Origin

St Emilion, Bordeaux

Soil

Sand over Crasse de Fer

Vineyard size

3.2ha

Grapes

20% Merlot
80% Cabernet Franc

Age of vines

50-60

Vintage Quality

Average

Ageing

  • in oak 100%

Investment potential

Average

Fake factory

None

Glass time

4h

Drinking temperature

18C

Inside Information

Robert Parker, in Bottle Tasting

POINTS 94 : I’m not sure you can still call this the flagship wine of proprietor Jonathan Maltus given the other top wines he’s producing. Le Dome, which is dominated by an incredibly high percentage of Cabernet Franc (80%) and the balance Merlot (20%), is a special effort that must be tasted to be believed. The 2011 boasts gorgeously juicy blue, red and black fruits intermixed with floral and spice aromas. This supple, velvety-textured, opulent, medium to full-bodied, ethereal St.-Emilion is another stunning effort. It is amazing how well Maltus does whether the vintage provides great raw materials, or if he is confronted with more difficult challenges as he was in 2011. Drink this brilliant effort over the next 10-15 years.

 

Robert Parker

POINTS 94-96. Proprietor Jonathan Maltus produced 1,000 cases of this phenomenal 2011. A blend of 80% Cabernet Franc and 20% Merlot, this backward, slightly unformed St.-Emilion is bursting with exciting potential. An inky/blue/purple color is accompanied by notes of wet steel, lead pencil shavings, Asian spice, spring flowers, blueberries and black raspberries. While the aromatics are suppressed, the flavors explode across the palate with thrilling intensity and purity. This should be a remarkable success story in this vintage, which has been somewhat forgotten as it follows the great years of 2009 and 2010. Give the 2011 5-6 years of cellaring in order to develop more aromatic complexity, and drink it over the following two decades.

 

Wine Spectator

POINTS 90–93. This has some good flesh, with a succulent edge to the boysenberry and fig flavors, backed by mocha and anise on the finish. Offers a thick feel, but isn't heavy in the end. This should stretch out nicely.—J.M.

 

Jane Anson, South China Morning Post

POINTS 95 Plots by Canon, Angelus, sand over crasse de fer, next to three premiers. 80 %cab franc, 20% merlot, the percentage of franc has been this high since 2007. Gorgeous colour, glass staining, rich. This is seriously good. Beautifully fresh, and with serious persistency. 13.10%ABV. 1000 cases. 30 hl/h.

 

Decanter

FOUR STARS Deep colour. Characteristically fresh, fragrant and long (80% Cabernet Franc). Tight, powerful, tannic frame. A touch less elegance than seen lately. Drink 2018-2030. (17.5 points)

 

Winedoctor

POINTS 16.5-17.5/20. Mostly Cabernet Franc here (80% of the vineyard is dedicated to this variety), the rest old-vine Merlot. A dark and dense hue. The aromatics have a floral purity to them which appeals, white flower petals coming out ahead of the darker fruit tones. The palate begins in a supple and controlled fashion, gentle and almost unassuming, but as the texture plays out on the palate the tannins that lie underneath make themselves known. They are ripe, concentrated, broad but very taut, powerful but integrated and fine. This is an impressive wine with excellent integration and a long, tannic finish. And the texture is so supple and integrated, laid so finely over the tannins.

 

Tim Atkin MW

Le Dôme POINTS 94. Englishman Jonathan Maltus’ garage red has an unusually high percentage of Cabernet Franc for Bordeaux, and the freshness and perfume are wonderfully apparent here. Sweet ginger bread and vanilla on the nose, with plush, textured notes of black fruits and molasses on the palate. Concentrated, yet supple, with very fine tannins and a finish that lingers on the palate. Very seductive. 8+ years.

 

Stephen Tanzer's Int. Wine Cellar

POINTS 91-94.(80% cabernet franc and 20% merlot): Very deep ruby. Initially brooding aromas of red cherry, strawberry jam, flowers and white pepper; this really began to express itself with air. Then smooth, rich and highly perfumed in the mouth, with enticing red fruit and mineral flavors leading to silky-sweet tannins. The finish is complex and multilayered, with a very slight hint of cabernet franc leafiness that adds to the wine's appeal. Incidentally, the cab franc on this site was planted in 1956 in response to the merlot shortage due to the severe frost earlier that year. An excellent Le Dome, but for the money, I'd go with Vieux Chateau Mazerat or Le Carré this year from Jonathan Maltus's very impressive line-up of 2011 wines.

 

 

Wine Enthusiast

POINTS 92–94. While the wood is prominent, so is its concentrated, perfumed fruit. With its immense structure, this wine is spicy and very intense. —R.V.

 

Wine Enthusiast in Bottle

94 POINTS : This elegant and expressive wine shows perfumed Cabernet Franc flavors that come from the black fruits and concentrated tannins. It is full of ripe fruit, although the stylish nature of the wine dominates. Drink from 2018. —R.V

 

 

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