CHÂTEAU L'ÉGLISE CLINET
2018 Pomerol
90% Merlot, 10% Cabernet Franc. 70% new oak. Classy nose of rich oak and sweet dark fruit. The concentration on the palate is impressive - density and elegance. There is power wrapped up in a tight frame. Powdery tannin adds grip. The acidity is under the radar but keeps it focused. One of the top wines of the Right Bank. Drinking range: 2030 - 2045L&S (Apr 2019)
* 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.
An unmissable wine from the late Denis Durantou, the kind of wine that reminds you why it is still sometimes worth buying En Primeur to be sure you get your allocation. This is always a serious Pomerol that rewards patience, and here wraps up its hedonistic chocolate-dipped blueberry and blacberry fruits in poised, carefully chiselled tannins. Olives, tar, liquorice and campfire smoke curl out of the glass after a few moments. 70% new oak, harvest September 18 to 28. Low and slow fermentation at around 22C, ensuring that even once the grapes were off the vines they were still unhurried. 45hl/ha yield. Drinking range: 2027 - 2044 Rating: 97 Jane Anson, Decanter (Oct 2021)
The 2018 L’Eglise-Clinet was picked from September 18 to 26 for the Merlot and September 28 for the the Cabernet Franc, and matured in 70% new oak. I gave the bottle a precautionary four-hour decant, which was vital in appreciating this magnificent Pomerol. The aromatics are precocious, pure and finely chiseled, featuring copious black plum and blueberry plus heart-melting violet petal scents. The palate closely approximates the barrel sample with its stunning precision and symmetry. Velvety-smooth from start to finish, this will turn into a fabulous wine from the late Denis Durantou, though be warned: I suspect it might close down for a period after bottling. Drinking range: 2028 - 2050 Rating: 97 Neal Martin, www.vinous.com (Mar 2021)
The 2018 L'Eglise-Clinet is insanely beautiful and vivid, not to mention one of the wines of the vintage on the Right Bank. Vertical and explosive in feel, the 2018 is rapturous from the very first taste. Inky dark red and purplish fruit, mocha, lavender, crushed rocks and rose petal are some of the many aromas and flavors that build through to the exceptionally long, vibrant finish. But L'Eglise-Clinet is so much more than that. It's a Pomerol of tremendous distinction and class. Give it a few years in bottle and then enjoy over the next several decades. Drinking range: 2028 - 2068 Rating: 98 Antonio Galloni, www.vinous.com (Mar 2021)
Incredible purity of fruit here with blackberry, black olive, concrete, stone and violet in the nose. It’s full-bodied with a powerful palate of fruit that shows a wet-earth and black-truffle undertone. The tannins are intense and chewy, yet wonderfully polished and poised. Superb length in the finish. One built for long cellaring. Try after 2027.James Suckling, www.jamessuckling.com (Feb 2021)
Incredible purity of fruit here with blackberry, black olive, concrete, stone and violet in the nose. It’s full-bodied with a powerful palate of fruit that shows a wet-earth and black-truffle undertone. The tannins are intense and chewy, yet wonderfully polished and poised. Superb length in the finish. One built for long cellaring. Drinking range: 2027 - Rating: 99 James Suckling, www.jamessuckling.com (Jan 2021)
One of the true “wow” wines in the vintage, the 2018 Château l'Eglise-Clinet is a blockbuster offering stunning notes of black currants, roasted herbs, truffle, earth, and graphite. It's a ripe, voluptuous, and incredibly opulent wine that has full-bodied richness, no hard edges, silky tannins, and gorgeous length. The blend is 90% Merlot and 10% Cabernet Franc, all harvest in September, and raised in 70% new oak. It has remarkable purity, as well as balance, and will benefit from 5-6 years of bottle age and evolve for two decades or more. Rating: 96-98 Jeb Dunnuck, www.jebdunnuck.com (May 2019)
0% Merlot, 10% Cabernet Franc; 70% new oak. Barrel sample. Black core with purple rim. Pure cassis fruit on the nose and a touch of vanilla but quite introverted still though it opens up in the glass. There's more finesse here than in the Petite Église but there's so much sweet charry oak on the palate it is a bit overwhelming. Thick and chewy on the finish. Very rich but could be more elegant. Second sample from the same barrique taken the same day: still dense but with a little more freshness and the tannins are finer, the oak less intrusive. Not sure how it will age and have given perhaps optimistic drink dates. (JH) Drinking range: 2024 - 2033 Rating: 16.5 Julia Harding MW, www.JancisRobinson.com (Apr 2019)
Maintaining freshness in the wine was a priority for Denis Durantou at L’Eglise Clinet. “The pH developed quite quickly,” he said. “We had to test it every day; we had made a conscious decision to pick before it got too high. At a maximum of 3.7 pH, we pick. As soon as we have an evolution—a flavor change—we decide to pick.” Merlot was picked September 18-26 and Cabernet Franc on September 28. The resulting wine has a 3.63 pH and 14.5% alcohol and will be aged in 70% new barriques. A blend of 90% Merlot and 10% Cabernet Franc, the 2018 L'Eglise Clinet is deep purple-black in color and opens with beguiling truffles, forest floor, mossy bark and black tea scents, slowly unfurling to reveal a core of Black Forest cake, plum preserves, licorice and candied violets plus wafts of tar and cast iron pan. Full-bodied, concentrated and jam-packed with muscular fruit, the velvety-textured palate delivers layer upon layer of savory and earthy accents, finishing with a lingering mineral lift. Rating: 96-98 Lisa Perrotti-Brown, RobertParker.com (Apr 2019)
This is incredibly powerful with fantastic depth and length. It goes on for minutes. Full-bodied yet so tight and intense. Blackberries and hints of spice. It has such energy and persistence. It is a wine that makes you really reflect. Bravo. Tiny production. Rating: 99-100 James Suckling, www.jamessuckling.com (Apr 2019)
The assemblage in this vintage is 90% Merlot, picked September 18th to the 26th, and 10% Cabernet Franc, picked September 28th. It presents a very elegant nose, with toasted black cherry fruits, tightly defined, with a fresh and fragrant edge, along with a chalky lift which immediately suggests freshness and poise. The palate is pure, cool, brightly defined, with a lovely layer of spiced black plums, wild cherries, cinnamon and toast, underpinned by a bed of ripe, svelte and tightly knit tannins. There are swirls of vanilla flower on the palate, dressed with cocoa bean and toast, and it has a rather elegant and understated texture for the vintage. The tannins certainly feel typical of 2018 though, being rich, ripe, polished and velvety. A restrained and nicely judged style, with some fine potential. The élevage will be in 70% new oak. Rating: 96-98 Chris Kissack, www.thewinedoctor.com (Apr 2019)
This is rich, with layers upon layers of black chocolate, ripe fleshy blackberries and raspberries tempered by acidity and tannins that support, pushing the entire palate slowly onwards and upwards. It has all the generosity of the vintage but tempered with Durantou's amazing ability to sculpt freshness out of the fruit his vineyards deliver. It’s immensely seductive and powerful with more evident flesh than the 2016 – a wine that’s going to run and run. Drinking range: 2028 - 2040 Rating: 97 Jane Anson, Decanter (Mar 2019)
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. Denis Durantou also owns 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 on the main website. If you are unclear as to what is involved in primeur purchases please do contact our private client team via email or on 020 7018 0187.
Ordering
Prices are all in bond by the case size stated.
Pre-Orders are a firm commitment to buy wines on release, as long as the release price is within the upper and lower price bands set by you on the pre-order form. Pre-orders will be fulfilled subject to availability but providing this firm commitment to buy effectively gives you priority and is a good idea for the most desirable wines.
Wines listed on the website can be ordered in the usual way via the website wishlist order form. You can also send orders directly to our private client team via email. Please note that, for the most sought-after wines, priority will be given to those who ordered the same wines last year and to those that have pre-ordered.
Confirmation
All orders will be confirmed by email and are binding unless written cancellation is received within seven days of email confirmation. Pre-orders are not binding if the release price is above your upper price band.
Invoices are all raised at the in bond price (excluding any duty and VAT) which will become payable at the prevailing rates when the wines arrive in the UK, should you wish to take duty paid delivery.
Payment is required on sight of invoice, by cash, cheque, debit card or bank transfer. We regret we cannot accept credit cards for en primeur orders. We reserve the right to apply a dunning charge of 2% per month on invoices unpaid after 30 days.
Delivery
- Shipment to our bond (at 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 £500. Orders below this total will be charged an administration and handling fee of £16.50+ VAT when invoices are issued. We will group deliveries and this is a charge for your entire purchases, not a per-case charge.
- Delivery of 2022 Bordeaux bought en primeur is expected during 2025. Delivery dates may vary as wines are shipped from Bordeaux at different times.
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). Immediate payment of invoices is then required by cash, cheque, debit card or bank transfer. We and our customers find that having a single invoice for the vintage is the simpler option but please note that confirmed orders are still binding even if the final invoice has not yet been issued.
Please specify on your wishlist order form where you would like the wines shipped on arrival in the UK. If this is to a third-party bonded warehouse, please specify the relevant account details. If the wines are required duty-paid we will issue a second invoice for duty and VAT at the prevailing rate when the wines are available for delivery.
Half-bottles, Magnums and larger bottles.
One of the additional advantages of buying en primeur is being able to order the wine in the format you want. While most of our listings are for 75cl bottles, we can source wines in any format that is offered by the Château. Please note that format requests cannot be changed once wines have been invoiced. Additional charges for special formats do apply and are as follows:-
- +£18.00 per case of 12 half-bottles
- +£30.00 per case of 24 half-bottles
- +£7.50 per case of 3 Magnums (2 bottles equivalent, 1.5 litres each)
- +£11.00 per case of 6 Magnums
- +£45.00 per individually boxed Double Magnum (4 bottles equivalent, 3 litres)
- +£60.00 per individually boxed Imperial (8 bottles equivalent, 6 litres) for Salmanazars, Balthazars, Nebuchadnezzars and Melchiors please enquire for availability and price.
Storage Options:
Wines bought en primeur won't arrive in the UK until 2025. If you do not wish to take home delivery at that point, you may wish to consider where you would like the wines shipped. Lea & Sandeman offers duty paid and in bond storage through a dedicated storage company called Elephant Storage. For more details on the terms and fees associated with storage please go to our Storage Homepage or contact our private client team for more information.