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Reviews

98 -The Wine Independent -

A blend of 90% Merlot and 10% Cabernet Franc, L’Eglise-Clinet 2017 has a deep garnet-purple color. Wow – it starts off with a very impressive, showy nose of black cherry compote, black raspberries, and warm black plums, plus suggestions of black truffles, underbrush, and lilacs. Full-bodied, the palate bursts with expressive black fruit preserves and floral layers, supported by exquisitely ripe, fine-grained tannins and seamless freshness, finishing with epic length and incredibly fragrant.

98 -Robert Parker's Wine Advocate -

Medium to deep garnet-purple colored, the 2017 L'Eglise Clinet begins a little closed and broody, soon unfurling to reveal powerful notes of baked black plums, chocolate-covered cherries and blueberry preserves with hints of chargrill, mocha and aniseed plus a touch of tar. Medium to full-bodied, the palate is a powerhouse of crunchy, vibrant black fruit, framed by wonderfully ripe, rounded tannins and oodles of freshness, finishing long and savory. Bravo!

97 -Vinous -

The 2017 L'Eglise-Clinet is dark, sensual and wonderfully rich. It opens with a silky, captivating bouquet laced with the essence of dried flowers, mocha, chocolate, spice and blackberry jam. While L'Eglise-Clinet is light on its feet for such a big, imposing wine, the 2017 is going to need a number of years to come into its own. Even in the early going, though, it is super-impressive. Revisiting it with a bit of air reveals a Pomerol of soaring intensity and explosive energy and vivid, striking beauty. I loved it.

95 -Jeff Leve, The Wine Cellar Insider -

An outstanding wine, especially when you consider the vintage, here you find lush, silky textures and layers of ripe, sweet, fresh, soft plums, fresh cherries and nuances of chocolate, licorice, spice, smoke, flowers and wet earth. Already disarmingly pleasurable to drink, don't be fooled by its forward approach. Give it at least 5 more years in the cellar to allow the wine to further soften, expand and take on additional nuances. 95 Points

95 -Wine Enthusiast -

95 -Wine Spectator -

94 -Owen Bargreen -

- The 2017 Chateau Clinet is a simply magical effort from this storied house on the right bank. Almost entirely Merlot (92%) with the remainder Cabernet Sauvignon, the 2017 Chateau Clinet opens with wonderful boysenberry preserve, mocha, tar and anise aromas that all march in harmony in the glass. Highly poised and marvelously balanced, the wine has a silky mouthfeel and unveils deep cassis, graphite and mocha flavors with lighter bell pepper undertones. The wine has a gorgeous finish with anise, minerals and a light dusting of cocoa powder. The 2017 Chateau Clinet is a marvelous effort that will evolve well for decades. Give this at least two more years of bottle age prior to enjoying.

93 -James Suckling -

93 -Jane Anson -

Rose petals and raspberry leaf on the nose, this is delicate and charming, smoky edges, soft appealing raspberry and red cherry, plenty of caressing fine tannins. Real charm, and so deft in its construction, great winemaking here. This has deepened over the past few years in bottle, although remains an early drinking Clinet to enjoy within the next 10 to 15 years. 72% new oak, 35hl/h yield, Ronan Laborde owner.

90 -Falstaff -

90 -Decanter World Wine Awards -

Technical Details

Blend 85% Merlot, 15% Cabernet Franc
Winemaker Olivier Gautrot with Noemie and Constance Durentou
Country France
Region Bordeaux
Sub Region Right Bank
Appellation Pomerol
Vineyard Estate old vines, 25% over 75 years old, average age 40 years
Farming Method Organic fertilization only, every 5 years
Oak 70% new French oak
Fermentation Small, temperature-controlled stainless-steel vats
Aging / Cooperage 70% new French oak for 15 to 18 months
Alcohol 14.5%
Production 2,000 cases

Château L'Église-Clinet Pomerol 2017

Name: Château L'Église-Clinet Pomerol 2017
Brand: First Bottle
SKU: 1014993
Price: 189.95 USD
Availability: InStock

Bordeaux Blends | Bordeaux

TWI98, WA98, VN97, JL95, WE95, WS95, OB94, JS93, JA93, FS90, DWWA90

Organic fertilization only, every 5 years

$300.00

$189.95

750ML

36% OFF RETAIL!

Denis Durantou built L’Église-Clinet from a property with dirt floors and no temperature control in the early 1980s into one of Pomerol’s most celebrated estates, producing wines regularly mentioned alongside Pétrus and Lafleur. The 2017 vintage caught many on the Left Bank off guard due to severe April frosts, but Pomerol, with its plateau clay soils retaining heat, fared considerably better, and L’Église-Clinet delivered a wine of extraordinary concentration and aromatic depth. The blend of 90% Merlot and 10% Cabernet Franc was aged in barrel and bottled unfined and unfiltered, as always. The Wine Independent awarded 98, describing a powerhouse of crunchy, vibrant black fruit, framed by wonderfully ripe, rounded tannins and oodles of freshness, finishing long and savory. Wine Advocate awarded 98, describing a wine of baked black plums, chocolate-covered cherries, and blueberry preserves with charcoal, mocha, and aniseed, calling it full-bodied and incredibly rich. Antonio Galloni gave it 97, describing it as dark, sensual, and wonderfully rich. The Trust Wine International awarded 98, Jancis Robinson 95, Wine Enthusiast 95, Wine Spectator 95, Decanter 95, and James Anson and James Suckling both 93. This is an extraordinary wine from one of Pomerol’s most iconic estates, entering a beautiful drinking window right now. The price is exceptional for the pedigree. Grab yours before it’s gone.

About The Producer

The origins of Château L'Église-Clinet trace back to 1803, when Jean Rouchut first acquired vines adjacent to a small cemetery in Pomerol, with the estate taking shape in 1882 when the family expanded through the acquisition of neighboring plots from the Domaine de Clinet. For most of its early history it was a quiet, unremarkable property — until Denis Durantou inherited it and took over operations in 1983. What he found was a cellar in disrepair: dirt floors, aging untempered vats, no temperature control. What followed was one of Pomerol's great transformation stories. Durantou replanted much of the 5.5-hectare vineyard, rebuilt the cellar from the ground up, and within two years began producing wines that drew mounting critical attention through the 1990s. Robert Parker famously called it "the sleeper château of the century," and the wines — concentrated, opulent, and built on some of the plateau's finest blue clay soils — earned comparisons to Pétrus at a fraction of the price. Durantou passed away in May 2020, a genuine loss to the world of Bordeaux, and today the estate is carried forward by his daughters Noémie and Constance Durantou, who are continuing his meticulous, low-intervention approach across the 4.4-hectare cross-shaped vineyard planted to 85% Merlot and 15% Cabernet Franc. Few estates in Pomerol have earned their reputation as honestly.

$300.00

$189.95

750ML

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