March 13, 2025
Clos Manou 2022: An insiders wine from Bordeaux that’s only €22.50 IB per bottle.
“A real standout, leaning into the vintage with its clearly ripe dark fruits and plush chocolate and liquorice lacing, but never feeling over the top. A buy.” - Jane Anson
Clos Manou is one of the Médoc’s most exciting under-the-radar estates, producing wines that challenge expectations of the region. Founded by Françoise and Stéphane Dief in the late 1990s, the estate has built a cult following for its meticulous approach, small-scale production, and ability to rival classified growths at a fraction of the price. Situated in Saint-Christoly-Médoc, Clos Manou started with just 0.12 hectares and has since expanded to 18 hectares, planted on gravel, limestone, and clay soils—some of which date back to 1850. The Diefs take inspiration from Burgundian practices, focusing on massal selection, high-density planting, and minimal intervention to craft wines of purity and finesse.
Clos Manou’s winemaking philosophy centres on precision and innovation. Hand-harvesting, optical sorting, and whole-cluster fermentation contribute to the wine’s structure and aromatic complexity, while ageing in 100% new French oak, Austrian Stockinger barrels, and amphorae adds further texture and depth. The estate’s limited production ensures remarkable quality, with Clos Manou often mistaken for top classified growths in blind tastings. The wines are rich and structured, displaying notes of blackcurrant, graphite, and spice, yet maintaining freshness and balance. Despite its rising reputation, Clos Manou remains a family-run estate, staying true to its humble roots while redefining what is possible in Bordeaux’s Left Bank.
Clos Manou is a Bordeaux Supérieur that far exceeds its classification. Often mistaken in blind tastings for wines from top classified estates, it delivers a dense, richly textured style, with notes of blackcurrant, graphite, cigar box, and spice, alongside finely integrated tannins and remarkable freshness. The wine has gained a dedicated following among Bordeaux enthusiasts and critics alike, often earning high praise for its balance, complexity, and value. While the Médoc is dominated by large-scale estates, Clos Manou operates more like a right-bank garage winery, with an obsessive focus on quality over quantity.
We first tasted the wines in the 2016 vintage and we very impressed with them. Now a few vintages along, the wines are getting better and better each vintage. In 2022 there is a unanimous high critical scores and we invite you to read the reviews below. We’re at a nice moment in time where the wine’s quality is high but people don’t quite know about Clos Manou yet. When they do, then we’d expect prices to be going up.
Take our tip and buy a few cases for the cellar, you won’t regret being ahead of the curve.
Clos Manou 2022
€22.50* In Bond per bottle
94 Points | Jane Anson Inside Bordeaux
No secret that I am a fan of this small production, high quality estate in the Médoc region, owned by Françoise and Stéphane Dief. Once again here it shows you why. This is absolutely staying in the lines of 2022 in terms of its full-on inky colour, but there are vibrant violet edges, and this feels sleek but restrained. A real standout, leaning into the vintage with its clearly ripe dark fruits and plush chocolate and liquorice lacing, but never feeling over the top. A buy.
94 Points | Vinous, Neal Martin
The 2022 Clos Manou has a well-defined and succinct bouquet with blackberry, wild hedgerow, blue fruit and crushed stone aromas unfurling with aeration. This is heads above other Médoc wines that I tasted from this flight. The palate is medium-bodied, detailed and very harmonious, with seamlessly integrated oak, a fluidity that marks this out and exquisite mineralité on the finish. This is brilliant. Drinking Window: 2026 - 2046
94 Points | Decanter, Georgina Hindle
Notes of coffee, tobacco, figs, cinnamon, violets and bramble fruits on the nose - smells quite opulent and inviting. Sleek and super smooth on the palate with a crystalline texture to the ripe fruit flavours. This has concentration but also such bite giving a thrilling sensation on the palate with hints of salinity and graphite that give freshness and nuance. Intentional and determined, this has clear power but delivered with such a joyful juiciness that makes it so appealing and so drinkable. A long finish leaves a lasting impression. Wonderful stuff.
*Prices are accurate as of the blog publication date and may be subject to change.