2000 Château Clarke, Baron Edmond de Rothschild, Listrac-Médoc, France

Distinctive excellence, complex and refined.

This wine consists of 70% Merlot and 30% Cabernet Sauvignon, aged from 14 to 18 months in oak, 60% to 100% of the barrels renewed each year. The 2000 vintage was legendary in Bordeaux, and this wine shows all the hallmarks of that vintage. There is a wonderful aromatic complexity leading to a soft palate that picks up weight and intensity on the long, luxurious finish. The balance and structure of the wine will allow it to age for another eight to 10 years, but it drinks lovely today with a bit of aeration.

Château Clarke bears the name of the Irish family that acquired the vast estate in 1771. After passing through several generations that kept the winemaking tradition alive for over two centuries, the property was acquired by Baron Edmond de Rothschild in 1973. A wine lover like many other members of his illustrious family, Edmond de Rothschild dreamed of owning an intimate, unassuming vineyard that he would turn into his masterpiece. With a strong passion for the art of living and the pursuit of excellence, he made Château Clarke the hallmark of his brand. The nearby Atlantic Ocean gives the terroir a freshness that is reflected in the aromatic brilliance of the wine. A terroir highly suited to cultivating the Merlot varietal, in a region more traditionally known for the production of Cabernet Sauvignon. Château Clarke thus possesses a deeply distinctive Médoc character.