"Another tiny St.-Emilion operation (7.5 acres, with one parcel of Merlot planted in 1901), Lucia’s brilliantly executed 2005 boasts an inky/purple/blue color along with a sweet perfume of blueberries, blackberries, charcoal, incense, Asian spices, and hints of coffee and pain grille in the background. This full-bodied, powerful, layered St.-Emilion is filled with fruit extract, glycerin, and tannin. It displays a certain accessibility, but it will undoubtedly be at its finest in 4-10 years, and keep for 25. This is another sumptuous wine from consultant Stephane Derenoncourt." (WA)
"Ruby-red. Sexy, rather Burgundian aromas of black raspberry, espresso and game. Sweet, rich and fine-grained, with concentrated berry and espresso flavors lifted by a licorice element. Very rich, broad wine with no shortage of underlying structure." (IWC)
"Rich, ripe, fleshy, flashy and filled with ripe, dark berries, blue fruit, spice and licorice. Concentrated and opulent in the mouth, this sext wine will be a lot of fun to drink. B ut not much is made, so it will become hard to find." (JL)
Winery Notes:
Château Lucia, previously named Château Lucie, belongs to Michel Bortolussi.
Lucia is located in Saint-Emilion, next to Clos-Fourtet. A Saint-Emilion Grand Cru, Château Lucia is what is generally referred to as a "garage wine". The famous enologist Stéphane Derenoncourt has been the consultant here since 2001.
The 3 hectares of vines are divided into three plots, including one that is 1.4 hectares and features vines originally planted in 1901. Grape varieties consist of Merlot and Cabernet Franc.
In the Bottle
Château Lucia is necessarily a rare wine due to the tiny size of the vineyard. It is beautifully round and concentrated with cherry and black fruit aromas, as well as wonderfully elegant tannin. |
