By Charles Lea on 21/05/2020
I am still reeling from the news of the death last week of Denis Durantou, owner and winemaker of Chateau l'Église Clinet, La Petite Église (its second wine) Cruzelles, Montlandrie, La Chenade and Saintayme. He was only 62. I've been so disengaged (delegation) from the last two Bordeaux primeur campaigns, that I didn't even know he was ill.
By Edward Richardson on 11/05/2017
The ever dependable right-bank stable of Denis Durantou has just been released. These are wines where the price-to-quality ratio is always off the scale - even more so so in a fresh and juicy vintage like 2016. The SAINTAYME and LA CHENADE will provide enormous pleasure almost immediately.
By Charles Lea on 12/05/2016
'Yet another ridiculously fine wine to load up on, courtesy of Denis Durantou.' So said Neal Martin of 2015 CHÂTEAU LES CRUZELLES, Denis Durantou's lead wine from his Lalande de Pomerol property. And this is another cracker and great value at £180 a dozen. 91-93 Neal Martin, 92-93 James Suckling.
By Charles Lea on 10/05/2016
‘…the best value you will find across entire Bordeaux’. Neal Martin in The Wine Advocate – erobertparker,com.
On the market this afternoon are the first two wines from the Denis Durantou ‘Église Clinet’ stable.
By David Porter on 06/05/2015
Quite a late call to release today – but the wonderful wines from Denis Durantou on the right bank really deserve to have their moment in the spot-light.
By Charles Lea on 02/06/2013
You will have seen our earlier push on Denis Durantou's 'little wines', not to mention the little video about the 2012 vintage. Of course 'little wines' is a misnomer since they are far from little and offer some of the best value in Bordeaux - just at a more accessible price than his 'big wine' l'Église Clinet.
By Charles Lea on 23/05/2013
2012 Bordeaux - Denis Durantou's 'Haiku of the vintage' & Las Cases, Saint Pierre, Vieux Chateau Certan, and yes.
By Charles Lea on 02/05/2013
Not a lot of time for anyone to react to the sheer number of releases on the market this morning, but briefly, the wines of Denis Durantou, Saintem (also confusingly called Saintayme - it is exactly the same wine), La Chenade, Montlandrie and Les Cruzelles are all oustanding value buys and come strongly recommended.
By Charles Lea on 31/05/2011
As attentive readers of earlier blog posts like this one about the ‘tango of en primeur’ will know, we are avid fans of Denis Durantou, maker of Chateau l’Eglise Clinet. Denis also makes a line-up of considerably less expensive but great value wines from the surrounding appellations, and these are offered today. Montlandrie, Cruzelles, Saintayme, and La Chenade all come strongly recommended, although my own favourite in the 2010 line-up was the Montlandrie, which is really the epitome of the Castillons I keep saying are brilliant value this year. When I said this to Denis he quickly re-shuffled the order of the bottles in the tasting, and said "this is how I rate the terroirs of my properties". The new order had Montlandrie second only to l’Église Clinet itself, and above Cruzelles and even La Petite Eglise.
By David Porter on 01/05/2014
As expected Denis Durantou released his flagship wine L’Église Clinet. Considered by many as the wine of the vintage, and in very limited quantity, this was always going to be in demand, even if it is true that we can offer a couple of cases of the the Neal Martin 95 point 2007 at £825 per case duty-paid.
By Charles Lea on 30/04/2011
"Under the midday sun, on a lane in Pomerol, two men are locked in a frenetic waltz that might also be a fight. “This is the tango of the en primeur,” explains Denis Durantou, maker of the sublimely voluptuous Chateau L’Eglise Clinet." (Victoria Moore in The Daily Telegraph 29th April 2011)
