L'Enclos Tourmaline 2017 (750ML)

95 JS / 94+ JD / 93 VM / 92+ WA

Fantastic purity and depth to this young wine and especially for the vintage. Medium to full body. Creamy and beautifully textured with gorgeous richness and balance. Harmonious. Love the texture. 100% merlot. Hard not to drink now, but better in 2022. 2,000 bottles made. - James Suckling

One of the riper, more powerful wines in the vintage, the 2017 Enclos Tourmaline boasts a deep purple color as well as a monster bouquet of blackberries, blueberries, plums, roasted herbs, and candied violets. Structured, tannic, full-bodied, and in need of a solid 4-5 years (or more) of bottle age, it should be one of the longer-lived wines in the vintage from Pomerol. This cuvee comes from a miniscule one-hectare plot, just beside Chateau Clinet, that prior to 2012 belonged to Chateau La Patache. It was purchased in 2012 by Hong Kong financer Peter Kwok and it’s been up with the top wines of the vintage ever since. The wine is always 100% Merlot, aged 20 months all in new barrels, and it hit 14.5% natural alcohol. There are a tiny 2,000 bottles produced. - Jeb Dunnuck

A big, powerful wine, Enclos Tourmaline races across the palate with inky dark plum, chocolate, spice, licorice and new oak. All the elements meld together in a rich, sensual Pomerol loaded with personality. Readers should expect a rich, potent style. - - Antonio Galloni, Vinous Media

Deep garnet-purple colored, the 2017 Enclos Tourmaline bursts from the glass with notes of plum pudding, baked blackberries and Black Forest cake plus hints of pencil lead, tar and new leather. Medium to full-bodied, the palate is laden with dried black berries and spicy layers, framed by chewy tannins, finishing a little firm and yet with lovely freshness. Give it a good 2-4 years in bottles and drink it over the next 12-15+. - Lisa Perrotti-Brown, Wine Advocate