LA PETITE ÉGLISE
2013 Pomerol
Relatively paler than the Cruzelles, there is a saline freshness and purity with an interetsingly grown-up flavour, and a marginally coarser, but energetic texture. Rating: 90 L&S (Apr 2014)
* This is a pre-shipment/primeur offer. All orders are accepted under the TERMS of this offer which differ from the terms of the rest of the site.
Fragrant perfumed spring violets the nose has lots of charm and although there is freshness the mid palate is rich ripe fruited with fleshy black plum. Supple in the middle rich fruited at the back the finish is fresher and lighter long and elegant. 2018-28. Rating: 89-93 Derek Smedley MW, www.dereksmedleymw.co.uk (May 2014)
Denis Durantou makes second wines that are better than most people’s grands vins, such is the quality of his work in the vineyard and cellar. This varietal Merlot is a very refined Pomerol, with silky tannins, considerable finesse and chalky minerality. 2018-25 Rating: 94 Tim Atkin MW, www.timatkin.com (May 2014)
(100% merlot): Bright ruby-red. Very pure aromas and flavors of fresh black fruits, cinnamon and fresh herbs. Quite stylish, with beautiful mineral hints that linger nicely. Stands out for its purity and precision. Rating: 86-88 Ian d'Agata, www.vinousmedia.com (May 2014)
(100% Merlot) 50% new oak, 7000 bottles. Lovely nose but rather a beetrooty finish which is too sour and raw. It feels a little too forced and the tannins are out of whack. Perhaps they will soften to allow the fruit through but it’s quite closed so I am not confident. Rating: 16 Matthew Jukes www.matthewjukes.com (Apr 2014)
Pure Merlot picked between 27 and 2 October, the second wine of L'Eglise-Clinet is being matured in 50% new wood. It has a very pure bouquet with strawberry, orange zest and a touch of cassis - moderate intensity but precise. The palate is medium-bodied with good structure on the entry, good body in the mouth. As usual, there is more complexity here than almost every other Pomerol cru, with a lovely touch of spice towards the finish. This is very fine. Rating: 88-90 Neal Martin, www.vinous.com (Apr 2014)
A very pretty center palate of sweet, ripe fruit with soft tannins and bright acidity. Medium to full body, clean finish. Rating: 87-88 James Suckling, www.jamessuckling.com (Apr 2014)
The 2013 La Petite Eglise is soft, silky and polished, with attractive aromatic top notes from the high presence of sand in this site. Orange peel, sweet red berries and cinnamon linger on the bright, articulate finish. Rating: 87-89 Antonio Galloni, www.vinous.com (Apr 2014)
100% Merlot. Pure black fruit – lovely clarity and expression here. Firm, chalk-dust tannins, then quite a light, delicate body. Doesn’t seem to deliver all the promise of the nose. The structure is very attractive – strong without being austere – but the flavour stops just a little short. Drinking range: 2016 - 2026Richard Hemming MW - www.JancisRobinson.com (Apr 2014)
Château L'Église Clinet
In a region of modest architecture, the high-spired church in Pomerol tends to dominate the sky-line. Gathered around it, a trio of estates trumpet their proximity with their name – Domaine de l’Eglise, Clos l’Eglise and Château l’Eglise Clinet. Infact, Clos l’Eglise Clinet and l’Eglise Clinet, separated only by a narrow lane, used to form a single estate until they were divided in inheritance in the latter half of the 19th Century. Initially, confusingly, called Clos de l’Eglise, the estate appended the lieu dit name and became Clos de l’Eglise Clinet, before finally settling on l’Eglise Clinet. The château, such as it is, is quite modest – the château proper being left with the Clos l’Eglise portion when the estate divided. The Château l’Eglise Clinet story really begins when Denis Durantou took over in 1983 and turned a traditional if unexciting property into one of Pomerol’s superstars. New equipment in a small new chai were installed and meticulous attention has been paid to the vineyard. There are 6ha of vines given over to 85% Merlot and 14% Cabernet Franc with the last 1% being a plot of very old Malbec vines. Following Denis' untimely death, his daughters Noémie and Constance are running the show- with the same passion. We love the wines here - and they continue to represent real class and real value from top to bottom. The Durantou family also own Château les Cruzelles in Lalande-de-Pomerol, Saintayme in Saint Emilion and Chateau Montlandrie in the Côtes de Castillon.
Please make sure that you have read the terms of this offer which are different from those of the main website. If you are unclear as to what is involved in primeur purchases please do call us, but see the 'practical notes' below.
Ordering
Prices are per case as listed 'in bond London'.
Pre-Orders are a firm commitment from you to buy the wines you order on release, subject to the price being below the upper price of the estimated band on our website. You may also set your own upper price limit, lower or higher than ours. Pre-orders will be fulfilled subject to availability. Providing this firm commitment to us effectively gives you priority.
Wines listed on the website (after any pre-orders and allocations have been fulfilled) can be ordered in the usual way via the website order form or by email or telephone 020 7221 1982, always subject to stock remaining.
Confirmation
All orders will be confirmed by email and are contractually binding unless written cancellation is received within seven days of the confirmation date, apart from pre-orders which are binding if the release price is below the top estimate or other price you have set.
Invoices are raised at the In Bond price, excluding any duty and VAT which will become payable at the prevailing rates on arrival of the wine if required duty paid.
Payment is required on sight of invoice, by cash, cheque, debit card or credit transfer. We reserve the right to charge 2% per month on invoices unpaid after 30 days.
Delivery
- Shipment to our bond (LCB Creek Road) and insurance are included in the in bond price.
- Delivery is free to Lea and Sandeman / Elephant storage accounts, both duty paid and in bond.
- Other deliveries (In Bond and Duty Paid) are also free subject to a minimum order from the offer of £1000, orders below this total will be charged £16.50+ VAT when the wine invoices are issued. We will group deliveries and this is a charge for your entire purchases, not a per-case charge.
- Delivery for 2016 Bordeaux primeurs will probably be completed by October 2019, but we make no guarantee as to specific delivery times, and some of the Sauternes may be later.
Practical notes - how it works
We start a sale in each customer's name and add all their primeur orders to one sale which is invoiced at the end of the campaign (or when the customer wishes) for immediate payment. We and our customers find that having a single invoice for the vintage is the simpler option, but do please note that confirmed orders are still binding as above even if the final invoice has not been issued.
When the wine is shipped, unless previously specified we will assume that delivery is to be to bonded storage with Elephant Storage, but in any case, we will contact you requesting any alternative instructions. If you have another bonded delivery address you would like the wine to go to, please tell us at the time of ordering. If the wines are required duty-paid we will issue invoices at the rates prevailing at the time for the excise duty (currently £25.98 per case) and the VAT (currently at 20%) on the total of the wine cost and the duty.
Half-bottles, Magnums and larger bottles.
One of the additional advantages of buying en primeur is being able to order the wine in the bottle size you want. Even if a wine is only listed in one size, you can order any bottle or case size you want if the property supplies it, but you must order the case/bottle size you require and check that the correct size has been invoiced.
Additional charges are as follows:-
- +£15 per case of 24 half-bottles
- +£15 per case of 6 Magnums (2 bottles equivalent, 1.5 litres each)
- +£35 per individually boxed Double Magnum (4 bottles equivalent, 3 litres)
- +£45 per individually boxed Imperial (8 bottles equivalent, 6 litres) for Salmanazars, Balthazars, Nebuchadnezzars and Melchiors please enquire for availability and price.