CHÂTEAU CLINET
2022 Pomerol
Sleek, concentrated, red roses, violets, creamy smoked caramel, bilberry, cassis, blackberry pastilles, biscuit, mint leaf, great estate signature, maintains its sleek intense concentated and supremely classy character. Strong tannic build up, muscular and full of intent, with a fennel and oyster shell signoff. Ronan Laborde owner. Rating: 96 Jane Anson, www.janeanson.com (May 2023)
* 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.
A blend of 80% Merlot and 20% Cabernet Sauvignon that represents the earliest harvest in this estate's history (beginning on September 6), the 2022 Clinet is a success, offering up aromas of cherries and dark berries mingled with hints of spices and a discreet patina of new oak. Medium to full-bodied, ample and layered, it's impressively vibrant, with a rich core of fruit framed by powdery tannins from judicious extraction. This has more in common with the more refined 2018 and 2019 vintages at this address than with the powerhouse 2020, and that is no mean feat in an even more extreme vintage. Bravo to Ronan Laborde and his team. Rating: 94-96 William Kelley, The Wine Advocate (Apr 2023)
The 2022 Clinet is a blend of 80% Merlot and 20% Cabernet Sauvignon picked from 6-21 September at around 34hL/ha. There were apparently many bunches, but the berries were small. Aged in 80% new oak and 20% 2nd fill barrels, the 2022 offers black fruit on the nose with traces of Japanese nori probably emanating from the Cabernet. The palate is medium-bodied with fine tannins, well-judged acidity and a fine backbone that gently grips the mouth. This is a linear Pomerol with impressive delineation on the almost pastille-like finish. I appreciate this Clinet's persistence and discrete spiciness on the aftertaste. Excellent. But it is a vintage that requires time in bottle. Rating: 94-96 Neal Martin, www.vinous.com (May 2023)
80% Merlot, 20% Cabernet Sauvignon. 80% new oak. 14.5% alc. 34 hl/ha. 45000 bottles production. Merlot was harvested on the 6, 7, 8, 9, 12, 13 & 14 September and the Cabernet Sauvignon was harvested on 20 & 21 September Perfumed and seemingly very oaky right now, every element of this wine is heightened on the nose, and the flavour explosion is completely arresting. In fact, it appears that this wine actively hunts you down and then imposes itself on your olfactory system. The spice notes are almost peppery, and the fruit highlights border on the exotic. The Cabernet Sauvignon addition has given 2022 Clinet a direct and intense attack of fruit, and the shape of the flavour is linear and sharply defined. Super-long and with impressive definition, this is a crisply-focussed wine, crackling with electricity. Interestingly, I learned that before the frost of 1956, 50% of Cabernet was planted in the Clinet vineyards, and they will keep augmenting this blend on their way to a modern-era target of 30%. This is a robust and densely-packed Clinet, and it will be a very long-lived wine. It is a true Clinet, and it will thrill lovers of this renowned Château. Rating: 18.5+ Matthew Jukes www.matthewjukes.com (May 2023)
The colour is far from opaque and the sensual nature of this wine shows from the first nose which combines notes of tobacco and cocoa with whiffs of fresher, floral and leaf-like aromas. Without seeming over-alcoholic, the substance is creamy, velvety and very seductive. The quality and length of the tannins show that this is soldly built. As with the 2020, this vintage at Clinet combines hedonistic pleasure with freshness and precision in the details. It is set up for a great future. Rating: 95-97 La Revue du Vin de France (May 2023)
80% Merlot, 20% Cabernet Sauvignon. Cask sample. Intense crimson. Sweet, supple, hedonistic nose. Very smooth and seductive with, just, enough freshness and some rigour in the structure. Lots of tannin built into this ambitious wine although the sheer weight of ripe fruit distracts until the end of the palate. Should have a longer life than many of its peers. Drinking range: 2027 - 2047 Rating: 17.5 Jancis Robinson OBE MW - www.JancisRobinson.com (May 2023)
A very fine and polished red with silky tannins, medium body and a savory finish. Hints of hazelnut to the currant and berry fruit. Rating: 94-95 James Suckling, www.jamessuckling.com (May 2023)
Château Clinet
Château Clinet lies at the heart of Pomerol on a bed of Günz gravel. Now owned by Jean-Louis Laborde who, in 2003, appointed his 23 year old son as Estate Managing Director. Improvements implemented by the previous owners, the Audy family, have been strengthened by the Labordes and they continue to employ the services of Michel Rolland. Only 9ha of vineyard, planted with 85% Merlot, 10% Cabernet Sauvignon and 5% Cabernet Franc, with vines at 40 years old. Grapes are hand-harvested, and the wines aged in 60% new wood barriques, with the balanced being just one year old.
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 2024 Bordeaux bought en primeur is expected during 2026. 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 2026. 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.