Learn everything about Chateau Clarisse Puisseguin St. Emilion with wine tasting notes, wine, and food pairing tips, best vintages, a history of the property, and information on the vineyards and winemaking. If you want to read about other important, Bordeaux Chateaux: Links to all Bordeaux Wine Producer Profiles
Chateau Clarisse History, Overview
Chateau Clarisse was founded in 2009 when the Right Bank vineyard was purchased by Didier and Olivia Le Calvez from the Estager family.
The Calvez family renamed the property after their daughter, Clarisse. After changing the name of the property from Croix de Justice to Chateau Clarisse, their next move was to bring in the team of Stephane Derenoncourt to consult on the vineyard management and winemaking for the estate.
The cellars and wine-making facilities of Chateau Clarisse were updated and renovated after the purchase. Since their original purchase, the Le Calvez family has continued to increase the size of their vineyards.
They have expanded from the original 5.11 hectares of vines to their current 20-hectare size with several purchases over the years. Most recently, Didier Calvez purchased 4 hectares of adjacent vineyards in 2017.
Chateau Clarisse Vineyards, Terroir, Grapes, Winemaking
The 20-hectare vineyard of Chateau Clarisse is planted to 80% Merlot and 20% Cabernet Franc on a terroir of clay and limestone soils. One of the keys to the vineyard is its elevation which rises up to 105 meters, one of the highest peaks in the appellation. The vineyard is planted to a vine density of 6,500 vines per hectare to 7,500 vines per hectare.
New plantings are taking place in the vineyards, which will increase the overall vine density as well as the amount of planted hectares. The vineyard is farmed using only organic farming techniques with an eye to biodynamic farming methods. Chateau Clarisse was certified organic in 2019 for both their vineyards in Puisseguin Saint Emilion and in Cotes de Castillon.
To produce the wine of Chateau Clarisse, the wine is vinified in traditional, temperature-controlled, cement vats. The grapes are whole berry fermented. Malolactic fermentation takes place in a combination of cement vat and French oak barrels. Pump-overs take place 3 times a day.
The wine of Chateau Clarisse is aged in 33% new, French oak barrels for 14 months. On average, the production is close to 7,000 cases per year.
Chateau Clarisse produces two red wines, including a high-end Cuvee produced from one hectare of old vines, Chateau Clarisse Vieille Vignes. The Vieille Vignes is made from 100% old vine, Merlot. Those vines are close to 65 years of age.
The grapes are whole berry fermented. Malolactic fermentation takes place in 50% new, French oak barrels. The wine is aged in 50% new, French oak barrels for 16 months. Only 250 cases are produced of Chateau Clarisse Vieille Vignes each vintage.
Chateau Clarisse also produces a white Bordeaux wine from Chardonnay, which is sold as a Vin de France.
The best vintages of Chateau Clarisse are: 2023, 2022, 2021, 2020, 2019, 2018, 2017, 2016, 2015, 2014 and 2012.
When to Drink Chateau Clarisse, Anticipated Maturity, Decanting Time
Chateau Clarisse is better with at least 2-3 years of aging in good vintages. Young vintages can be decanted for up to 1 hour, helping the wine soften to help develop the aromatic character.
Older vintages might need very little decanting, just enough to remove the sediment. Chateau Clarisse offers its best drinking and should reach peak maturity between 2-9 years of age after the vintage.
Serving Chateau Clarisse with Wine, Food, Pairing Tips
Chateau Clarisse is best served at 15.5 degrees Celsius, 60 degrees Fahrenheit. The cool, almost cellar temperature gives the wine more freshness and lift. Chateau Clarisse is best paired with all types of classic meat dishes, veal, pork, beef, lamb, duck, game, roast chicken, roasted, braised, and grilled dishes.
Chateau Clarisse is also good when matched with Asian dishes, hearty fish courses like tuna, mushrooms, and pasta.
Starting with the 2014 vintage, the de Calvez family began producing a new, 100% Merlot wine from 2.3 hectares of vines located in the Cotes de Castillon appellation which will also be called Chateau Clarisse.
Château Clarisse Wine Tasting Notes
26 Vintages 42,101 Views Sort by Vintage-Rating
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2023
Château Clarisse Cuvée Vieilles Vignes (Puisseguin-St. Émilion)
Flowers, herbs, spice, and leafy nuances create the core here, in the nose, and on the palate. The wine is fresh, with a marine influence to the fruits from start to finish. Drink from 2026-2037. 89-91 Pts. 615 Views Tasted May 4, 2024 |
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2022
Château Clarisse Cuvée Vieilles Vignes (Puisseguin-St. Émilion)
Sweet black plums, black cherries, chocolate, espresso, and licorice on the nose, are also found on the fresh, forward, chalky palate. Drink from 2025-2034. 91-93 Pts. 1,325 Views Tasted May 8, 2023 |
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2022
Château Clarisse Cuvée Allegria (Castillon Côtes de Bordeaux)
Medium-bodied, sweet, red, fleshy fruits with a floral edge and a vibrant, fruit and chocolate-filled, creamy, finish. Drink from 2023-2036. 90-92 Pts. 1,269 Views Tasted May 8, 2023 |
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2022
Château Clarisse (Puisseguin-St. Émilion)
Espresso, flowers, and cherries with a bit of oak on the medium-bodied, soft, round, fruit-filled, sweet, ripe, fresh palate that needs to integrate. Drink from 2025-2032. 89-91 Pts. 1,227 Views Tasted May 8, 2023 |
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2021
Château Clarisse Cuvée Vieilles Vignes (Puisseguin-St. Émilion)
Black cherries, licorice, chocolate and flowers create the aromatics. On the palate, the wine is soft, polished, fresh and fruity, with a dash of citrus that adds more lift to the backend. Drink from 2024-2035. 325 Views Tasted Mar 9, 2024Espresso, chocolate and plums on the nose and a round, soft-textured, forward palate ends with a sweet, dark plum and cocoa, chalky finish. Drink from 2023-2029. 88-90 976 Views Tasted May 20, 2022 |
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2021
Château Clarisse (Castillon Côtes de Bordeaux)
Espresso, licorice and red fruits combine to create this soft-textured, forward, charming, fresh, energetic, crisp, strawberry and chalky red plum, filled wine that can be enjoyed on the young side. You can enjoy this on release. Drink from 2024-2032. 303 Views Tasted Mar 9, 2024The medium-bodied, soft, fresh, sweet, polished wine offers red plums and cherries, with a touch of mint leaf on the backend. You can enjoy this on release. Drink from 2023-2032. 86-88 978 Views Tasted May 20, 2022 |
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2021
Château Clarisse (Puisseguin-St. Émilion)
Espresso, flowers, and cherries with a bit of oak on the medium-bodied palate that needs to integrate. Drink from 2022-2028. 86-88 915 Views Tasted May 20, 2022 |
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2020
Château Clarisse Cuvée Vieilles Vignes (Puisseguin-St. Émilion)
With alluring plum and floral aromatics, the wine is soft, polished, fresh, sweet and vibrant with a solid core of ripe, lifted, cherries and red plums, finishing with silky tannins and freshness. Drink from 2023-2036. 447 Views Tasted Mar 21, 2023 |
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2020
Château Clarisse (Puisseguin-St. Émilion)
Medium-bodied, soft, silky, and fresh, there is a nice vibrancy to the core of sweet, polished, lifted red fruits on the nose, and palate, leaving you with an olive-tinted, savory finish. This charmer will be easy to enjoy on release. Drink from 2023-2033. 384 Views Tasted Mar 21, 2023Floral, smoky, fruity and savory, the wine is medium-bodied, fresh and focuses on its ripe, red berry core of fruits. Soft-textured and forward, this charmer will be easy to enjoy on release. This is the second vintage where the wine is 100% biodynamic. 90-92 Pts 974 Views Tasted May 20, 2021 |
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2020
Château Clarisse Cuvée Allegria (Castillon Côtes de Bordeaux)
Dark plums cherries, spice and toasty oak crowd into the nose. On the palate, the wine is lush, supple and packed with more of those, sweet, ripe, dark red fruits, even darker chocolate and espresso. This should drink well on release. This is the debut vintage for Clarisse in the Cotes de Castillon appellation. Drink from 2023-2036. 412 Views Tasted Mar 21, 2023 |
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2019
Château Clarisse (Puisseguin-St. Émilion)
Soft, fresh, supple and fruity, the wine is medium-bodied, vibrant and easy to drink with all its sweet, cherry charms on the nose, palate and in the finish. Drink from 2022-2029. 522 Views Tasted Mar 29, 2022Silky soft, medium-bodied and fresh, with layers of forward, ripe red fruits. There is a good purity and sweetness in the berries and a polished finish. 90-92 Pts 1,637 Views Tasted Jun 8, 2020 |
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2019
Château Clarisse Cuvée Vieilles Vignes (Puisseguin-St. Émilion)
Flowers, licorice, smoke and juicy plums create the attractive perfume. On the palate, the wine shows its soft, vibrant, refined, sweet fruits with ease, finishing with supple cherries, plums and a touch of cocoa in the end note. Drink from 2023-2034. 631 Views Tasted Mar 29, 2022 |
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2019
Château Clarisse (Castillon Côtes de Bordeaux)
The debut vintage from their new Cotes de Castillon estate provides a nose with flowers, chocolate and black cherries. Soft, supple, medium-bodied and fresh, the wine will show well on release. Drink from 2022-2032. 617 Views Tasted Mar 29, 2022 |
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2018
Château Clarisse Cuvée Vieilles Vignes (Puisseguin-St. Émilion)
Luscious, rich, sweet, round, earthy, juicy red fruits, smoke, licorice and chocolate nuances are found in every delicious sniff, swirl and sip. This will be just fine to enjoy on release and for at least another decade after that. 588 Views Tasted Mar 9, 2021Earthy chocolate covered cherries with flowers, licorice and spice on the nose and palate. The wine is lush, sweet, round and fruity. You find a nice blast of black cherries in the finish. 90-92 Pts 1,252 Views Tasted Apr 19, 2019 |
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2017
Château Clarisse Cuvée Vieilles Vignes (Puisseguin-St. Émilion)
Soft, luscious, chocolately red fruits, licorice and coffee bean notes are delivered in a soft, round, textured format. The wine, produced from 100% old vine Merlot, leaves you with a side dish of chocolate on top of the ripe, juicy plums. 1,268 Views Tasted Apr 26, 2018 |
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2016
Château Clarisse Cuvée Vieilles Vignes (Puisseguin-St. Émilion)
Deeply colored, the wine is full, richly flavored, supply textured and loaded with fresh, ripe, sweet, juicy fruits. 1,924 Views Tasted Sep 21, 2019Inky purple in color, this wine is dense, rich, flavorful and packed with fruit, silky tannins and shows good length in the finish. From a blend of 75% Merlot and 25% Cabernet Franc from old vines that are on average 65 years of age, this is the first year where the farming was 100% biodynamic. 1,418 Views Tasted Apr 29, 2017 |
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2016
Château Clarisse (Puisseguin-St. Émilion)
With a crushed rock character, this wine is fresh with ripe, deep fruits, polished textures and nuance. Made from a blend of 80% Merlot and 20% Cabernet Franc, this is the first vintage that is 100% biodynamic. 1,870 Views Tasted Apr 29, 2017 |
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2015
Château Clarisse Cuvée Vieilles Vignes (Puisseguin-St. Émilion)
From 100% old vine Merlot, with vines that average 65 years of age, comes a daydream of blackberry liqueur, minerality, molten chocolate and pure, black cherries. Fat, lush, juicy and rich, round and supple, this wine is a Jeffrey Davies Selection Exclusive. 1,664 Views Tasted Apr 29, 2016 |
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2015
Château Clarisse (Puisseguin-St. Émilion)
Forward, soft, lush and ripe with a blast of sweet fruits and freshness. This wine was made from a blend of 85% Merlot and 15% Cabernet Sauvignon. 2,011 Views Tasted Apr 29, 2016 |
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2014
Château Clarisse Cuvée Vieilles Vignes (Puisseguin-St. Émilion)
This blend of 85% Merlot and 15% Cabernet Franc made from vines that average 65 years of age produced a wine packed with rich, lush, ripe, sweet fruits, supple, soft, elegant textures and a long, sweet, fruit filled finish. This will drink well on release and can age a bit too. This wine is a Jeffrey Davies Selection Exclusive. 89-90 Pts 1,796 Views Tasted May 1, 2015 |
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2014
Château Clarisse (Puisseguin-St. Émilion)
Forward, approachable, soft, generous and sweet, with ripeness to the fruit, dark color and an easy to like finish. The wine was made from a blend of 80% Merlot and 20% Merlot. 87-89 Pts 2,404 Views Tasted May 1, 2015 |
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2013
Château Clarisse (Puisseguin-St. Émilion)
Good volume, sweet berries, plush textures and a fresh, dark berry finish make this one of the top value Bordeaux wines in this vintage. From a blend of 90% Merlot and 10% Cabernet Franc, the wine, produced from yields of 15 hectoliters per hectare and is aging in 50% new, French oak. 86-88 Pts 1,857 Views Tasted May 1, 2014 |
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2012
Château Clarisse Cuvée Vieilles Vignes (Puisseguin-St. Émilion)
Smoky and floral with black raspberry, fresh herbs, round tannins and a sweet, chocolate-covered, black cherry finish. Produced from 100% old vine Merlot, this is a Jeffrey Davies Signature Selection exclusive for the American market. 88-90 Pts 1,714 Views Tasted Apr 26, 2013 |
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2012
Château Clarisse (Puisseguin-St. Émilion)
Easy to like, forward and approachable, from a blend of 90% Merlot and 10% Cabernet Franc, the wine ends with round textures, fennel and fresh black raspberries. 1,992 Views Tasted Oct 25, 2014Ripe, sweet, round, forward, filled with licorice, this wine is open and forward in style. This is a Jeffrey Davies Signature Selection exclusive for the American market. 87-89 Pts 1,976 Views Tasted Apr 26, 2013 |
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2011
Château Clarisse Cuvée Vieilles Vignes (Puisseguin-St. Émilion)
Deep in color, the nose served up scents of licorice, thyme, fresh herbs, dried flowers, cocoa and black cherries. Soft textured and forward, this early drinking charmer, made from 100% Merlot ends with sweet and tart, fresh cherries in the finish. 1,419 Views Tasted Oct 23, 2014 |
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2011
Château Clarisse (Puisseguin-St. Émilion)
Coffee bean, cocoa, plum and cherries with soft, round textures and a forward personality. This is a Jeffrey Davies Signature Selection exclusive for the American market. 86-88 Pts 3,069 Views Tasted Apr 20, 2012 |
