2025 Clos Puy Arnaud
"...This is one to look out for, a buy for me. Malbec and very high Cabernet Franc...94 points" janeanson.com
We first discovered Clos Puy Arnaud in the 2024 vintage, when it stood out immediately in a blind tasting among wines whose identities, reputations, and prices were completely unknown to us. The Cabernet Franc-driven Castillon Côtes de Bordeaux revealed a deep, intense core of dark fruit, lifted by the crunchy freshness we so often associate with the finest biodynamic wines — Palmer being a prime example.
With Cabernet Franc performing brilliantly once again in 2025, Clos Puy Arnaud has delivered an excellent follow-up. Awarding the wine 93–95 points, Antonio Galloni notes that “the two Cabernets are elevated in this year’s blend, adding strong savory accents that are quite pronounced, but there's plenty of depth and richness to pull it all together.”
If Clos Puy Arnaud was relatively unfamiliar to us, its owner, Thierry Valette, is not. Prior to his taking ownership of this estate in 2000, we frequently had lunch with him on our visits to Bordeaux, as his family owned Pavie and Troplong Mondot. You can read more about Valette's ownership of Clos Puy Arnaud below.
Offered en primeur. Landing spring 2028.
Magnums available with £25 ex-VAT bottling surcharge per six, please enquire for other formats.
All previous offers of 2025 Bordeaux can be found here.
| RED | 2025 | Clos Puy Arnaud | 75cl | £195 per case of 12 | Clos Puy Arnaud 2025 / / 75cl £195 per case of 12 |
IB | |||||
Tasting Notes"The 2025 Clos Puy Arnaud feels a little late-picked on the nose, with a very slight acetic element. Revisited at a négociant tasting, thankfully this is not evident. The palate is very sweet, lacking energy and rather monotone on the finish. I actually preferred the previous vintage. A slipped catch? (sic) 84-86 points" Neal Martin, Vinous.com------"Dark and somber, the 2025 Clos Puy Arnaud reveals aromas of smoke, gentian, spices and dark berries. Medium- to full-bodied, dense, structured and firm, it is built around an assertive tannic frame that leads to a brooding, introverted and somewhat dry finish. This is a blend of 50% Merlot, 45% Cabernet Franc and 5% Cabernet Sauvignon. At this stage, it feels out of step with the estate’s stylistic evolution in recent vintages; this will merit reassessment in bottle. 86-88 points" Yohan Castaing, RobertParker.com------"Bright at its core with a juicy and well-balanced expression. It’s medium-bodied with fine tannins. Supple and ripe with a pulpy finish. 90-91 points" jamessuckling.com------"The inky glass staining colour is immediately apparent here, and this holds the fingerprint of limestone lightly, very much a juicy, slate-strewn, tiptoe through the palate kind of wine, with joy and lift, great stuff that is just joyful. Will take a few years to fully soften, but there is so much reserved energy waiting to be released. Highly floral violet and peony, rose stem. This is one to look out for, a buy for me. Malbec and very high Cabernet Franc, clear austerity at this early moment but will be worth the wait for limestone junkies. Harvest September 1/3 in barrels of which 10% is new. 3.30 pH. Thierry Valette, former co-owner of Château Pavie, Nicolas Legrand winemaker. 94 points" janeanson.com------"The 2025 Clos Puy Arnaud is fabulous. Strong floral and savory top notes meld into dark red/purplish fruit, rose petal, mocha and spice. The two Cabernets are elevated in this year's blend, adding strong savory accents that are quite pronounced, but there's plenty of depth and richness to pull it all together. 93-95 points" Antonio Galloni, Vinous.com |
|||||||||||
YOU MUST BE 18 AND OVER TO PURCHASE AND CONSUME WINE AND ALCOHOL