Tasting Notes
Antonio Galloni 87-89
The 2013 La Violette shows good energy and tension. Sweet spices, violets, graphite, mint and floral notes add nuance to the supple, caressing fruit. The 2013 is a pretty, if somewhat simple, Pomerol with good near-term potential. Tasted twice.
Neal Martin 89
The 2013 La Violette has an attractive nose with raspberry, truffle and light marmalade scents. This is quite attractive. The palate is medium-bodied with pliant tannins. It’s pretty sweet for the vintage with decent purity. The 2013 is grainy in texture with a dash of white pepper and clove on the finish. Fine. Tasted at Bordeaux Index’s 10-Year On tasting.
Anticipated maturity: 2023-2033
Vinous 87-90
(100% merlot): Vivid ruby. Very pure, fresh blueberry and violet aromas are complicated by ink and flint. Enters bright and floral, showing lively, perfumed dark berry flavors, then turns a little astringent on the finish with a hint of tannic toughness emerging. Despite the wine’s atypically austere mouthfeel, this graceful wine displays La Violette’s typical delicacy and refinement. It just lacks the depth of fruit and velvety tannins of the best vintages. Production will be only 4,000 bottles–on the heels of the paltry 3,500 made in 2012.
Wine Advocate 91
The 2013 La Violette has a perfumed bouquet with candied orange peel infusing the red berry fruit, a touch of confectionary shop here, nicely defined and gaining intensity in the glass. The palate is medium-bodied with tannin, sappy red berry fruit, a hint of spice, nice cohesion as its leads into what for La Violette is a relatively lean finish, but it retains lovely balance and joie de vivre. Drink this now and over the next decade.
Anticipated maturity: 2016-2028
