2013 Le Dome
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Tasting notes
Kirsch, damson, tobacco, fig, cigar box and incense, grilled oak a little overly intrusive. Needs time to relax, as there are nuanced floral, tobacco leaf and saffron aromatics that makes it very different in the other vintages in this lineup, more evolved than most at 10 years old. A little bulky, perhaps because the oak has integrated less due to the lighter style of the vintage, but this has plenty to enjoy, and no need to wait. Neil Whyte winemaker, Jonathan Maltus owner. 80% new oak for ageing, malolactic in new oak.
Critic scores
Average Score
Neal Martin
Richard Hemming MW, jancisrobinson.com
More reviews and scores
Tasted blind. Lightish garnet. A little like dried cherry – a touch oxidised? Better on the palate, chalky tannins but not much charm. Dry finish. Thin. (JH)
The 2013 Le Dôme is a very respectable Saint Emilion from Jonathan Maltus OBE, a wine that I appreciated from barrel and likewise in bottle. It has a crisp, focused bouquet with blackberry, wild hedgerow and subtle orange blossom notes. The palate is medium-bodied with quite firm tannin but they are cloaked in plenty of crisp, almost citrus-fresh fruit. It is still a tad masculine compared to recent vintages, but it will soften up and drink well for the next decade.
80% Cabernet Franc, 20% Merlot. Juicy and fresh – a little burnt-meat character and pencil shavings on the finish. Pretty compact and austere – good stuff, worth ageing. (RH)
About the producer
The man behind highly regarded Saint-Émilion wine Le Dôme is a Nigerian-born Brit who sold his engineering firm in 1992 to move to Cahors and restore a pile of ruins. After meeting a local vineyard owner at a dinner party, he ended up selling his production to Oddbins and was caught by the wine bug.