At a glance

Producer

Clos St. Martin

Region

Saint-Émilion Grand Cru, Bordeaux, France

Grape variety

Merlot (dominant), with Cabernet Franc and Cabernet Sauvignon

Wine type

Red

Body

Full-bodied and Smooth

Sweetness

Dry

Typical price

$200-350 (bottle, secondary market; rare vintage)

Tasting profile

Developed bouquet with leather, truffle, dried plum, black cherry, cedar, and earthy spice; palate smooth and resolved, with lingering tertiary notes and velvety mouthfeel.

Evolution: Primary fruit (plum, cherry, blackberry) has faded into complex secondary (tobacco, graphite, savory spice) and tertiary (forest floor, mushroom, dried fruit) flavors.

At peak: At peak, this wine would have offered a seamless blend of ripe Merlot fruit, plush texture, and refined Saint-Émilion minerality. Mature bottles will emphasize umami, earth, and silken texture.

Structure

Acidity

Medium to medium-plus, good freshness for the style

Tannins

Finely integrated, now softened from age

Alcohol

Typically 13-13.5% ABV

Aging potential

Reached optimal window; best consumed soon, though top cellaring may extend life for several years

Drinking window

Peak drinking

2011 to 2037

Optimal window

2008 to 2040

Current status

Ready to drink

Current condition

The wine is mature, likely at its peak, but bottles kept under ideal conditions can still offer enjoyment in 2024. Expect tertiary development.

2000 was a celebrated Bordeaux vintage, granting Clos St. Martin plenty of ripeness and concentration. By 2024, the wine will display full tertiary development; it may have marginally passed its apogee, but top bottles (especially magnums) can offer sublime mature claret character. Drink soon.

Food pairing

Best paired with roasted or braised lamb, aged ribeye, duck confit, wild mushroom risotto, or truffle cheese. Choose simple preparations to highlight the wine's nuance.

Serving

Serving temperature

16-18°C / 61-64°F

Decant

Yes (30-60 minutes) — Mature, sediment may be present; gentle decanting helps clarify and gradually opens aromatics.

Sustainability

Sustainability score: 4/10

Clos St. Martin is a boutique estate (1.33ha) with some sustainable practices typical of small Right Bank properties (manual harvest, careful chemical use, vineyard biodiversity encouraged), but no formal reporting or certification for 2000 era.

As of 2000, Clos St. Martin was a small traditional Saint-Émilion estate with limited documentation on environmental initiatives. Like many classified growths at the time, formal sustainability or organic certifications were rare. The tiny production and hands-on viticulture limit some environmental impact, but lack of certification and reliance on conventional packaging keep sustainability below today's leading examples.