2022 CHÂTEAU LE THIL Pessac-Léognan, Lea & Sandeman

CHÂTEAU LE THIL

2023 Pessac-Léognan

Grapes Merlot, Cab Franc
Colour Red
Origin France, Bordeaux
Village Pessac-Léognan
ABV 14%

Intense spice and fennel, high aromatics, bitter chocolate and fennel, with a fresh kick on the finish. 25% new oak. Production of Le Thil will be smaller than for the others because more Merlot here, so more impact by mildew, harvest September 8 to October 5. Drinking range: 2026 - 2036 Rating: 90 Jane Anson, www.janeanson.com (May 2024)


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The 2023 Le Thil is a rich, exuberant wine that makes its presence felt right away. Dark cherry, plum, new leather, licorice and spice are front and center. There's more Cabernet Franc in the blend than usual, which adds aromatic presence. This is an especially dense vintage for Le Thil, the reflection of clay soils that produced small berries in 2023. All the elements are nicely balanced. Drinking range: 2026 - 2038 Rating: 90-92 Antonio Galloni, www.vinous.com (May 2024)

The proportion of Cabernet Franc in the blend is now up to the heady heights of 8% here, with 92% Merlot, with more new plantings of Cabernet Franc coming online in future years. A wonderfully perfumed nose, with dried blackberry, plum, currant and dark chocolate. The palate is just lovely, with a broad and lightly velvety substance, medium-bodied, with dark fruits, underpinned by a peppery energy. Great fruit combined with the restrained and sinewy texture of the vintage here, plenty of energy, a sappy drive and a peppery finish; I can see this developing well. The alcohol is about 14% here. Rating: 90-92 Chris Kissack, www.thewinedoctor.com (Apr 2024)

Slightly shy and closed for the first sniff, the 2023 Le Thil reveals aromas of dark wild berries, spices and mulberries after time in the glass. Medium-bodied, juicy and elegant, it’s seamless and charming with structured tannins and a long, ethereal finish. This blend of 92% Merlot and 8% Cabernet Franc, matured 30% in new oak barrels, has turned out nicely. Drinking range: 2025 - 2035 Rating: 89-91 Yohan Castaing, www.robertparker.com (Apr 2024)

Château Le Thil

A very pretty little Château set in parkland, with 11 hectares of vines attached, on the top and south-facing slope of a clay-limestone hillock. The clay soil has prompted the planting of a high proportion of Merlot, and Florence Cathiard calls this 'the Pomerol of Pessac-Leognan'. The Cathiards of Smith Haut Lafitte bought the property in 2012, reuniting it with Smith, as it has previously been under the same ownership in the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries, and the two Châteaux were linked by a long drive. Viticulture is done in the same way as at Smith, using the Cathiards system of 'bio-precision'. This is a wine at a modest price which benefits from all the expertise of its great neighbour, and is excellent value.

This wine isn't currently part of a mixed case, but you can always browse our full selection of mixed cases here.
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