Château L'Église Clinet - Pomerol 2021 (750ml)
Price: $249.99
| Producer | Château L'Église Clinet |
| Country | France |
| Region | Bordeaux |
| Varietal | Merlot, Cabernet Franc |
| Vintage | 2021 |
| Sku | 200415 |
| Size | 750ml |
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Château L'Église Clinet Description
Denis Durantou took over Chateau L’Eglise Clinet in 1983. In his early years, it was not easy managing the estate. Durantou had to renovate the cellars as there was no floor, only dirt.
The vats were old, unclean, and lacked temperature control. He quickly added stainless steel, temperature-controlled vats, relined the cement tanks with epoxy, and increased the amount of new, French oak used to age the wine of Chateau L’Eglise Clinet. More importantly, he replanted much of the vineyard.
Improvements in the wine were easy to see. After producing a moderate wine in 1982, which was a shame as 1982 continues to be one of the all-time great vintages for Pomerol, things quickly started to turn around. It took just 2 years for Denis Durantou to start Chateau L’Eglise Clinet on the road to legendary status.
Today, it is one of the true stars of Pomerol! The wine of L’Eglise Clinet is concentrated, full-bodied, opulent and rich. Everything is in harmony and balance. This special Bordeaux wine offers purity of fruit, exotic spice components, freshness, and sensuous textures not found in most wines.
The portion of old vine Cabernet Franc, which is close to 70 years of age, is an important component of what makes this wine unique. However, they have some vines that are much older, planted in 1905 and in 1935. Those old Cabernet Franc vines and the rich, clay soils are a large part of what separates the style and aromatic complexity of L’Eglise Clinet from most of the other top Pomerol wines.
Prices keep rising and so does the quality at Chateau L’Eglise Clinet. Today, it is one of the top wines in Pomerol and if you are interested in tasting one of the best wines from Pomerol, it is well worth adding some to your cellar.
Wine Paring: Chateau L’Eglise Clinet is best paired with all types of classic meat dishes, veal, pork, beef, lamb, duck, game, roast chicken, roasted, braised, and grilled dishes. Also good with Asian dishes, hearty fish courses like tuna, mushrooms, and pasta.
Vinous: 96 Points
The 2021 L'Eglise-Clinet is stellar. Dark, dense and also a touch somber, the 2021 is laced with generous black fruit, gravel, spice, new leather, licorice and incense. Readers will have to give this time to come together. I especially admire its substance, textural resonance and overall balance. Readers lucky enough to own the 2021 can look forward to years of exceptional drinking once the tannins soften a bit.
Wine Advocate: 94 Points
The 2021 L'Eglise Clinet is one of the more muscular, powerful wines of the vintage, unwinding in the glass with aromas of dark berries, incense, licorice, spices and toasty new oak. Medium to full-bodied, with a broad attack that segues into a mid-palate framed by ripe, powdery, richly extracted tannins, it's a dense, youthfully introverted Pomerol that's defined more by its terroir and winemaking than it is by the vintage.
