LA PETITE ÉGLISE
2015 Pomerol
There's a touch of the style of a ripe Pinot Noir about this - but obviously not quite. A supple elegance of juice and fine volume, raspberry top notes and dark hedgerow fruits, a touch of sweetness and real elegance. Like all Denis' wines this has the most fantastic length. Rating: 92-93 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 La Petite Eglise does not quite engage on the nose. Distant hints of red berry fruit laced with allspice and mint emerge from the glass. I am seeking more intensity and comeliness, which actually manifests with time. The palate is medium-bodied, fresh and fine-boned, with succulent, ripe tannins. There is a touch of dryness toward the finish but there is more complexity here compared to its peers. Tasted blind at the 2015 Bordeaux Ten-Year-On tasting at Farr Vintners. Drinking range: 2026 - 2040 Rating: 92 Neal Martin, www.vinous.com (Jun 2025)
This pure merlot is so wonderful to taste now with violet, berry and chocolate character. It's full-bodied yet in check and balance. Lovely, enticing finish. Second wine of Eglise Clinet. Drinking range: 2020 - Rating: 95 James Suckling, www.jamessuckling.com (Feb 2018)
Denis Durantou's 2015 La Petite Eglise is just as compelling from bottle as it was from barrel. Classy, polished and super-refined in every way, the Petite Eglise is all class. The bright red cherry, hard candy, mint and rose petal notes are beautifully delineated throughout. Even with all of its obvious fruit density, the 2015 remains light on its feet and gracious. There is no question Petite Eglise is one of the best second wines in 2015. Actually, Petite Eglise is not really a terrific second wine, it is simply a gorgeous Pomerol. That's all there is to it. Drinking range: 2020 - 2035 Rating: 93 Antonio Galloni, www.vinous.com (Feb 2018)
There’s very little to choose between the Grand Vin and the second wine at this stage, which makes this something of a bargain. Rose petal and red fruit aromas are complemented by fresh, grassy acidity, subtle oak and silky tannins. Lovely, focused Pomerol. Drinking range: 2022 - 2030 Rating: 94 Tim Atkin MW, www.timatkin.com (May 2016)
100% Merlot picked on 24 September. Fragrant Burgundian nose and a gentle, caressing palate with polished tannins providing a light structure. Accessible earlier so enjoy it on the fruit. Drinking range: 2019 - 2025 Rating: 89 James Lawther MW, decanter.com (Apr 2016)
The second wine of L'Église-Clinet. This is 100% Merlot, picked on September 24th. Yield 41 hl/ha. This will see 45% new oak. A lovely, gravelly, perfumed intensity to the nose, a really classic style here, with a firm, minerally seam to the fruit. The palate has a little plushness to the texture, fresh, broad, with keen yet supple fruit and a very fine, poised structure. Fresh, pure, classic, with a great frame, fine energy, especially so in the finish which has a fine flourish of fruit. The finish is long, polished, with medium-grain tannins in the finish. Impressive - this will surely be a good buy, if you can track any down. Rating: 16-17/20 Chris Kissack, www.thewinedoctor.com (Apr 2016)
The 2015 La Petite Eglise is pure Merlot picked on 24 September at 41 hl/ha and matured in 45% new oak. It has a vivacious, precocious bouquet for a deuxième vin, kirsch and raspberry coulis, a touch of orange blossom. It is not an exotic bouquet, but it knows how to have fun. The palate is medium-bodied with sappy red berry fruit, good depth in the mouth, perhaps just a little pinched on the finish at the moment, but it will have its fingers pried open by the end of its élevage. As such, give this a couple of years in bottle before broaching. Drinking range: 2018 - 2030 Rating: 90-92 Neal Martin, www.vinous.com (Apr 2016)
A gorgeous second wine, the 2015 La Petite Eglise exudes raciness. Sweet red cherry, kirsch, hard candy, blood orange, rose petal and mint give the Petite Eglise an exotic edge that is compelling. There is a level of Pinot-like sweetness and overall purity here that is impossible to miss. This sensual 100% Merlot will give readers immense pleasure over the next decade or so. Rating: 90-93 Antonio Galloni, www.vinous.com (Apr 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.