CHÂTEAU L'ÉGLISE CLINET
2015 Pomerol
Much greater density than the Petite Église, but less immediate liveliness. Hard to penetrate - it has a minerally gravelly feel to the tannins which slowly build. The calm intensity increases, and spice and freshness too. Fresh on a long finish with a round spiced plum sort of fruit. Rating: 93-94+? L&S (Apr 2016)
* 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.
The 2015 L'Eglise-Clinet has a compelling nose, with plush red fruit, malty, light white pepper and cumin scents emerging with time. Perhaps this is not as sophisticated as the best Right Bank wines this vintage, but it just needs time. The palate is medium-bodied, fleshy and smooth, with gentle grip and a hint of clove toward the finish. I am intrigued to see how this will evolve in bottle. Tasted blind at the 2015 Bordeaux Ten-Year-On tasting at Farr Vintners. Drinking range: 2027 - 2052 Rating: 96 Neal Martin, www.vinous.com (Jun 2025)
The 2015 L'Eglise-Clinet has a classy pencil-shaving-tinged bouquet that combines beautifully with the black fruit, truffle and smoke developing with time in the glass. There is some top notch Cabernet Franc here. The palate is medium-bodied with supple tannins, smooth and generous with a very pure finish that has a more velvety and plush texture than I observed 12 months earlier. I have encountered better showings but it will still turn around to develop into a formidable Pomerol. Tasted blind at the Southwold 2015 Bordeaux tasting. Rating: 95 Neal Martin, www.vinous.com (Jul 2019)
The violets, roses and dark fruits are so evident but they entice you in a subtle and fresh way. Full-bodied, dense and tannic, yet everything is so in tune with everything else and there are no hard edges or loose ends. It’s like a whirlpool that draws you down and then shows you its beauty. The harmony and complexity is phenomenal. Try in 2024 but I don’t want to wait. Rating: 99 James Suckling, www.jamessuckling.com (Feb 2018)
The 2015 L'Eglise-Clinet is one of the wines of the vintage. Even better from bottle than it was from barrel, the 2015 towers out of the glass with stunning power and richness. Super-ripe black cherry, plum, licorice, tobacco and menthol are some of the many notes pulse through this riveting Pomerol. There is plenty of structure, but the tannins are nearly buried by the sheer intensity of the fruit. Hints of lavender, smoke, spice, licorice reappear to round out the finish. L'Eglise-Clinet is 90% Merlot, 10% Cabernet Franc, aged in 70% new oak. More importantly, the 2015 is a total pleasure bomb. This a fabulous wine from Denis Durantou. Don't miss it. Drinking range: 2025 - 2050 Rating: 99 Antonio Galloni, www.vinous.com (Feb 2018)
The clay-based soils gave this wine a remarkable density and concentration in 2015. It’s a smooth, opulent wine with dense tannins, plenty of supporting oak and layer upon layer of fruit underscored by a minerally freshness. Lovely, ageworthy Pomerol. Drink: 2022-35 Drinking range: 2022 - 2035 Rating: 95 Tim Atkin MW, www.timatkin.com (May 2016)
Quite soft. Perfumed - floral and possibly violet. Easy and friendly. Quite gentle tannins. Very sweet and round. 14.6% alcohol is not evident. An unexpectedly mild, well-mannered wine. Undramatic. Looks almost modest at this point. Drinking range: 2023 - 2036 Rating: 17+ Jancis Robinson OBE MW - www.JancisRobinson.com (Apr 2016)
Only 4.2ha. 90% Merlot, 10% Cabernet Franc. Seductive fruit and aroma. Inhabitual fragrance at the en primeur stage. Floral, berry fruit and chocolate notes. Voluptuous fruit hides the power of ripe tannins behind. Firmness and persistence on the finish. Both solid and seductive. Great potential. Drinking range: 2023 - 2045 Rating: 95 James Lawther MW, decanter.com (Apr 2016)
This is 90% Merlot, picked from September 21st to the 25th, and 10% Cabernet Franc. Yield 41 hl/ha. This will see 70% new oak. A very clean, pure and convincing nose, with very fresh and bright fruit, polished and very poised, more reined in than the plushness I tasted from the vats in October 2015. This now seems more serious and intense, still concentrated, still showing beautiful black cherry concentration, but framed now, correct, with a little suggestion of a minerally frame. The palate is fresh, pure, perfumed, with a supple, middleweight fruit texture, and a fine grip to it. Overall the wine is intense, pure, structured, with real freshness and intensity. A really minerally weight which ties it to the Pomerol plateau, with a very firm, ripe grip of tannins underneath. It culminates in a long, lightly bitter, roasted-pip finish. Splendid. This is set to be a great L'Église-Clinet. Rating: 18-19/20 Chris Kissack, www.thewinedoctor.com (Apr 2016)
The 2015 L'Eglise-Clinet is a blend of 90% Merlot and 10% Cabernet Franc, picked between 21-25 September at 41 hl/ha and matured in 70% new oak. Denis Durantou poured two samples for me. First from Darnajou barrel. Here, a very composed, effortless bouquet with extremely pure raspberry coulis, strawberry, almost confit-like scents that display ethereal delineation. This is not a powerful or intense bouquet, rather one that is sophisticated and refined, bunches of violet emerging with time. The palate is medium-bodied with sappy red berry fruit, crisp acidity, mineral-rich and tensile. There is tangible energy and refinement on the finish that lingers long and tenderly in the mouth, a wine constantly having something more to say. The second came from Demptos barrel. This was deeper on the nose, showing a touch more fruit, slightly higher toned. The palate is medium-bodied with fine tannin, structured in the mouth, perhaps the barrel impressing its character more on the wine than the Darnajou. Together, they should combine to create a quite magical 2015 L'Eglise-Clinet. Drinking range: 2022 - 2045 Rating: 96-98 Neal Martin, www.vinous.com (Apr 2016)
Denis Durantou's 2015 L'Eglise-Clinet is magnificent. A wine that has it all, the 2015 is vertical, dense and also remarkably translucent, all at the same time. The purity, freshness and energy of the 2015 is remarkable and yet the wine has immense depth. Readers will have to be patient, as the 2015 carries considerable tannic heft. In 2015 L'Eglise-Clinet is a wine of stature and true pedigree. The 2015 is a blend of 90% Merlot and 10% Cabernet Franc brought in between September 21 and 25. Don't miss it. Rating: 95-97 Antonio Galloni, www.vinous.com (Apr 2016)
Very restrained and graceful now, this has serious cut and persistence to the blood orange, bitter cherry and plum fruit flavors. Shows a minerally edge through the finish, with ample flesh that should expand a bit more with the élevage. Fresh and long. Rating: 94—97 James Molesworth, The Wine Spectator (Apr 2016)
Lively and energized. Full body, intense and dense tannins. Great wine. Goes on for minutes. Such focus and clarity. Rating: 98-99 James Suckling, www.jamessuckling.com (Mar 2016)
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.