2003 CHÂTEAU L'ÉGLISE CLINET Pomerol, Lea & Sandeman

CHÂTEAU L'ÉGLISE CLINET

2003 Pomerol

Grapes Cab Sauv, Cab Franc, Merlot
Colour Red
Origin France, Bordeaux
Sub-district Pomerol & Lalande de Pomerol
Village Pomerol

The 2003 l’Eglise-Clinet is one of the standout Pomerols from what was a very challenging growing season for the appellation. Perversely, when juxtaposing bottle and magnum on one occasion, I preferred the former. It offers luscious black cherries, red plum and pot-pourri on the nose that disguises the heat of that summer. The palate is medium-bodied with a fine line of acidity, lightly spiced with traits of cumin that I discerned previously, leading to a rather decadent but irresistible finish. Superb. Drinking range: 2019 - 2030 Rating: 93 Neal Martin, www.vinous.com (Jul 2019)


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Tasted single blind at FINE magazine’s vertical in Dusseldorf. This has a precocious bouquet with blackberry, cassis, and blueberry, very opulent but still very well defined. There is a confidence, a sense of brio on this nose. The palate is very well defined on the entry with a touch of mint and vanilla pod interlacing the very pure dark berry fruits. There is still a touch of new oak to be subsumed, but this has succinct balance and purity. Top drawer: this is just superb for the vintage. Tasted February 2011. Drinking range: 2012 - 2025 Rating: 95 Neal Martin, www.vinous.com (May 2011)

Good red-ruby. Extravagant aromas of minerals, lead pencil, chocolate liqueur and roasted grain, with fruit in the background. Then supersweet and fat in the mouth, with flavors of plum, redcurrant, licorice and chocolate. Finishes with strong fruit but also plenty of chocolatey tannins that come across as a bit brutal today. This wine was racked a total of just three times, and needs at least a couple years of patience. Rating: 90 Stephen Tanzer's International Wine Cellar (May 2006)

‘Extremely deep crimson. Liquorice and other spices on the nose. Wonderfully exotic without being over the top. Great life here with a nice little undertow of quite severe oak to keep it from flab. Exciting, lively but not too sweet. Just in balance. Tar and liquorice. Interesting and really lively! -’ 18.5/20 Jancis RobinsonJancis Robinson OBE MW - www.JancisRobinson.com (Mar 2005)

Denis Durantou

Among the brightest stars of the exalted Pomerol appellation is Denis Durantou at Château l’Eglise-Clinet. Little more than a kilometre to the north, near enough to see one from t’other, across the Barbanne stream in Lalande-de-Pomerol is Château les Cruzelles, also owned by Denis. The 10ha of vines boast the highest proportion of Cabernet Franc in the area – 40% - with the rest being the more usual Merlot.

Aside from Château les Cruzelles proper Denis also produces here La Chenade, a Lalande-de-Pomerol cuvee he made with Cruzelles’ grapes even before he bought the estate in 2000. Denis also owns a small vineyard of 35 year old Merlot vines at Saint Etienne de Lisse at the eastern end of St Emilion that goes under the name of Saintayme.

And, a little further south-east, across the boundary in the Côtes de Castillon is Château Montlandrie that Denis bought in 2009. Much renovation has taken place at the 12ha vineyard that includes, almost uniquely for the Right Bank, new plantings of Cabernet Sauvignon that now make up 15% of the vineyard alongside the usual 65% Merlot and 20% Cabernet Franc.

Here's Denis' 'Haiku of the 2012 vintage' we posted on Youtube:

This wine isn't currently part of a mixed case, but you can always browse our full selection of mixed cases here.
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