Clos des Jacobins Saint-Émilion 2018 - Grand Cru Classé

Bettane & Desseauve

About the estate:

This 8.5-hectare vineyard, now owned by Bernard Decoster’s family, has continued to improve throughout the decade, reaching a level never seen before. La Commanderie, another family-owned vineyard, produces a wine that is more supple and immediately appealing. These coastal wines need time to fully reveal their finesse.

Guide Hachette des vins

About the estate:

After gaining experience in the Bordeaux wine region, Thibaut and Magali Decoster took over two Saint-Emilion estates in 2004: Clos des Jacobin, 8.5 hectares on clay-limestone soils at the foot of the hillside, classified since 1955, and Château la Commanderie, 6 hectares atop a gravelly ridge, classified since 2012. In 2017, they took over the management of Château Candale and Roc de Candale (8 hectares on clay-limestone soil), opened a restaurant and a boutique, combining their two passions: winemaking and the art of living.

RVF - La Revue du Vin de France / Guide des Meilleurs Vins de France

About the estate:

Long owned by the Cordier family, Clos des Jacobins passed into the hands of the former perfumer Marionnaud in 2001, and then to the Decoster family (heirs to the Legrand electrical group) in 2004. After a turbulent start to the new millennium, this historic estate on the “West Coast” of Saint-Émilion has regained true stability under the dedicated leadership of Thibaut and Magali Decoster, asserting its style with serene, richly fruity, and expressive wines. With the support of Hubert de Boüard, the estate’s consultant, this positive trend is expected to continue, reflecting the agronomic improvements gradually implemented in the vineyard’s management. The Decoster family, which also owns Château La Commanderie in the Ripeau area, acquired Château Candale (February 2017) east of Saint-Émilion; its restaurant now serves as a showcase for the wines produced at all three estates.

Wine Enthusiast

About the wine:

While this wine is rich, it also has style and delightful potential. The blackberry notes and hints of oak aging indicate that it is still young. These elements will blend harmoniously as the wine ages, resulting in a mature, fruit-forward Merlot that will be ready to drink starting in 2025.

Vinous

About the wine:

Clos des Jacobins 2018 is absolutely magnificent. Smooth, supple, and beautifully textured, this 2018 displays an elegant personality with real poise. Delicious notes of black cherry, mocha, espresso, spices, and gravel blend together in this creamy Saint-Émilion, which is truly a pleasure to drink right now. A well-balanced hint of French oak lingers on the long finish. 2026–2038

James Suckling

About the wine:

Aroma of blackcurrant, spiced cherries, cloves, dried flowers, and citrus peel. Full-bodied with firm, powdery tannins. Creamy with concentrated notes of spice. Best enjoyed starting in 2024.

Terre de Vins

About the wine:

Clos des Jacobins offers perfectly ripe fruit and a lovely freshness. On the palate, it’s crisp and savory, with “al dente” fruit, nice structure, well-defined tannins, and pleasant tension. It’s a fresh and approachable wine, with a certain richness, very much in keeping with the spirit of the vintage.

Yves Beck

About the wine:

This bouquet offers subtlety and complexity, with hints of licorice and blackcurrant, as well as a touch of cinnamon. On the palate, finesse is the defining characteristic of this wine; the tannins are fine, perfectly integrated, and somewhat firm. They lend the wine body and complement the liveliness of the acidity. The fruit also unfolds delicately, reaching its full expression on the finish. A lingering finish. A fine achievement. 2025–2042

Vert de Vin

About the wine:

The nose is elegant and offers refined power, intensity, depth, and concentration. It features notes of juicy, pulpy blackberry and juicy raspberry, along with more subtle hints of small berries, combined with touches of vibrant, fleshy damson plum, violet and lily, wild blackcurrant, and wild black berries, as well as subtle hints of caramelization, toast, a very subtle hint of tobacco, hazelnut, and vanilla. The palate is beautifully defined, fresh, elegant, harmonious, rich, and precise, offering lovely power, refined structure, fullness, and fleshy, pulpy fruit. On the palate, this wine expresses notes of fleshy, juicy blackberry, pulpy, juicy plum, and, to a lesser extent, fleshy raspberry, combined with subtle hints of crushed red berries, lily, violet, and vibrant black plum, as well as delicate hints of chocolate, caramelization, and a very subtle hint of hazelnut and toast. Good length and good persistence. The tannins are well-integrated, refined, and provide structure. A very subtle hint of saltiness on the finish and in the aftertaste.