2012 Chateau Yon Saint-Martin Saint-Emilion 750 ml

Parker’s 2012 Bordeaux Mea Culpa

In early 2015, Robert Parker quietly announced that he’d be revisiting Bordeaux’s 2012s. The critic many have come to call “The King” wrote that, compared to early tasting notes from Pomerol, St.-Émilion, and Pessac-Léognan, the vintage was far more impressive than it had first appeared.

In his revised 2012 vintage report, Parker painstakingly explained why the wines of St.-Émilion are now showing so magnificently. The spring of 2012 was cold and wet, making for a small, irregular fruit set. By July, most key sites of the appellation were a full two weeks behind. Any thought of a vintage that matched the richness and structure of 2009 and 2010 seemed to have been erased.

Then, in mid-July, le meteo did an about-face. The weather turned warm and dry right up until the fall equinox. When the rain finally began to fall in September, “The initial rains were ideal for serving as a catalyst for photosynthesis,” The Wine Advocate wrote. “By the end of September, it was clear that much of ... St.-Émilion had already been harvested under relatively fine conditions.”

Château Yon Saint-Martin is another Château of Yon Figeac. At one time, it was part of the largest single-owner wine parcel in all of Bordeaux. Dating back to the 2nd century, this parcel was recognized by the Romans as having an exceptional terroir; no wonder, then, that it’s one of the few St.-Émilion vineyards that has been continually occupied for 2,000 years. This blessed piece of land has since been subdivided into several of the most acclaimed châteaux in all of Bordeaux, châteaux such as Cheval Blanc, Figeac, and La Conseillante (now part of Pomerol). Yon Saint-Martin may be the least recognized château from this original parcel, but the terroir is the same. In 2012, the same consulting winemaker who guided Cheval Blanc did the same for Yon Saint-Martin — the late, and truly great, Denis Dubourdieu, the esteemed longtime chairman of the enology department at l’Université de Bordeaux.

The 2012 Château Yon Saint-Martin hails from 54 acres of sandy clay soil over iron, with vines averaging 35 years in age. The 2012 is a blend of 70% Merlot and 30% Cabernet Franc. Deep purple color with aromas of plum, cassis, black licorice, and oak spice combine beautifully together. Pure, silky, and supple in the mouth, with a length that lasts longer than it should for the price-point.

For wine boasting the same historic terroir not two miles away, and from the same winemaker, $500 for Cheval Blanc. For this 2012 Château Yon Saint-Martin, only on WineAccess — a home run at $22! Strictly one case per member.