Wine Advisor
L'Eglise Clinet 1995
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Description
Tasting notes
Reviewed by: Neal Martin
Tasted single blind at FINE magazine’s vertical in Dusseldorf. Dark garnet core. The nose is quite understated at first with blackberry, briary, wild hedgerow and just a hint of wild mint. Good definition, but not the vigour that I expected. The palate is medium-bodied, well balanced, the tannins just a little coarse at the moment. There are notes of macerated dark cherries, cassis and a touch of cedar from the Cabernet Franc. It is a little feral on the finish, but great length on the sweet, fleshy finish. Tasted February 2011.
Reviewed by: Neal Martin
Raised in 50% new oak, this ’95 has a dark garnet colour. The nose is broody and intense at first, touches of dried herbs, peppermint, a hint of violets developing in the glass. The palate is full-bodied, very fine tannins, still quite tightly wound but perhaps lacking the complexity I was expecting. Dark cherry fruits, leather, mulberry and a touch of cedar, it just needs more weight and expression towards the slightly foursquare finish. Perhaps some more bottle age will benefit this wine? Tasted May 2009.
Reviewed by: Neal Martin
First tasted in July 1999 (blind.) Dark saturated purple colour. Simple black cherry nose. Firm robust tannins with tight dense black fruits. Medium length. Quality, class and elegance throughout. Similar style to the 1990. Less impressive in June 2005. This seems to have lost some of its lustre since last tasted back in 1999. The nose is quite dumb at first, herbaceous and tarry. Needs coaxing and becomes more aromatic with time, earthy and rustic. The palate has noticeable acidity compared to the other wines, fresh with soft red berried fruit. Redcurrant, cranberry and leather. Smooth but without the depth and persistency I was anticipating. Fine, but not in the same class as the 1989 or 1998.
Reviewed by: Robert M. Parker, Jr.
One of the vintage's most awesome wines, L'Eglise-Clinet's 1995 has been fabulous from both cask and bottle. The color is opaque purple. The wine is closed aromatically, but it does offer a concoction of black raspberries, kirsch, smoke, cherries, and truffles. Full-bodied and rich, with high tannin, but profound levels of fruit and richness, this dense, exceptionally well-delineated, layered, multidimensional L'Eglise-Clinet only hints at its ultimate potential. This looks to be a legend in the making. I could not get over the extraordinary texture of this wine in the mouth. Intensity and richness without heaviness - a tour de force in winemaking! Anticipated maturity: 2008-2030.
Reviewed by: Robert M. Parker, Jr.
L'Eglise-Clinet is one of the best-situated vineyards in Pomerol, and proprietor/winemaker, Denis Durantou, is one of the most meticulous producers in Bordeaux. The vineyard is composed of tracts of very old vines (one planted in 1930). The wine, which is made from extremely small yields of two tons per acre, is normally a blend of 80% Merlot and 20% Cabernet Franc, all of it aged in 60% new oak casks. My tastings confirmed what I wrote last year - the 1995 L'Eglise-Clinet is one of the great wines of the vintage. The opaque purple color is followed by gorgeously pure black-raspberry/cherry aromas nicely infused with subtle new oak. A smoky, earthy, licorice component adds complexity. Powerful, full-bodied, and highly extracted, this is a classically made, massive 1995 that will need 8-10 years of cellaring. A huge wine that appears to be evolving slowly, L'Eglise-Clinet's 1995 will not possess as much forward charm as some Pomerols, but just wait until it attains its plateau of maturity! Anticipated maturity: 2005-2025.
Reviewed by: Neal Martin
The 1995 L’Eglise-Clinet is drinking extremely well at the moment. It has a lovely, earthy, minty bouquet infused with Provencal herbs that opens gloriously in the glass, though it does not offer the profundity of Denis’s more recent vintages. The palate is well balanced with expressive Cabernet Franc lending a heightened savory note. For sure, there is still an element of rusticity right on the finish but you can forgive that. Drink now or enjoy over the next decade. Tasted June 2013.
Reviewed by: Robert M. Parker, Jr.
My tastings confirmed what I wrote last year - the 1995 L'Eglise-Clinet is one of the great wines of the vintage. The opaque purple color is followed by gorgeously pure black raspberry/cherry aromas nicely infused with subtle new oak. A smoky, earthy, licorice component adds complexity. Powerful, full-bodied, and highly extracted, this is a classically made, massive 1995 that will need 8-10 years of cellaring. A huge wine that appears to be evolving slowly, L'Eglise-Clinet's 1995 will not possess as much forward charm as some Pomerols, but just wait until it attains its plateau of maturity! Anticipated maturity: 2005-2025. Last tasted 11/97
Reviewed by: Robert M. Parker, Jr.
The 1995 is one of the potential super-stars of the vintage. It offers an opaque black/purple color that resembles a young vintage port. The huge set of aromatics soar from the glass, offering up spectacularly pure, rich scents of jammy black-raspberries, vanillin, smoke, minerals, and licorice. Extremely full-bodied, with magnificent concentration and purity, this is a large-scaled yet marvelously well-balanced wine that may be the most awesome L'Eglise-Clinet produced in the last three decades. The wine's low acidity and magnificent ripeness suggest it will be immensely impressive in its youth, but it possesses the power and intensity to last for 20-25 years. The limited production will make this wine hard to find in the export marketplaces, but it is unquestionably one of the vintage's most impressive offerings. A fabulous wine! All of the wines in this segment were tasted between March 19 and March 28 in Bordeaux. Most of the important wines from both the 1994 and 1995 vintages were tasted three separate times during my ten-day stay in Bordeaux.
Reviewed by: Neal Martin
The Château l'Eglise-Clinet 1995 was served from magnum and bottle side-by-side, both ex-château with Denis Durantou. To be honest, the difference in the bouquet is noticeable, but not huge. They both deliver those knockout savory, Provençal aromas that just soar from the glass. Perhaps it is on the palate that the difference in bottle size makes a tangible difference, since the magnum has a lightness of touch—less heavy in the mouth and more harmonious. It seems as if the tannins have retained their fineness more than the same wine in bottle. There is a touch of menthol just coming through on the finish that is approaching full maturity after 20 years. There is great weight here with a long spicy finish, a Pomerol to savor now and over the next 15-20 years. Tasted March 2015.
Reviewed by: Neal Martin
The 1995 l’Eglise-Clinet is a wine that I have tasted many times, although probably the most interesting was when Denis Durantou poured a magnum against a bottle. One common trait throughout all the bottles is a delightful Provençal-tinged bouquet, hints of sage and wild fennel that percolate through the red berry fruit. There is power here, but also refinement. The palate is medium-bodied with plenty of red fruit again, tinged with menthol and ferrous veins emanating from the Cabernet Franc. It does not fan out or crescendo like the very best vintages, but it is a delicious Pomerol that is drinking perfectly now. Tasted from my personal collection.
Reviewed by: Stephen Tanzer
Superb deep ruby-red color. Tangy dark berries, smoke and roast coffee on the nose, plus a vaguely gamey, truffley element. Almost painfully intense and sappy today, but this very dense, very sweet wine is beginning to close down. A huge wine whose finishing fruit buries its substantial ripe tannins. Wow!
Reviewed by: Stephen Tanzer
Sample impossible to assess, as was Château Jonqueyres, another property under the direction of Jean-Michel Arcaute. Arcaute uses minimal SO2 during vinification and elevage, and samples moved from their home base quickly begin to oxidize. On this day, only Clinet was fresh enough to taste.
About the Producer
Château l'Eglise-Clinet is located in the Pomerol appellation on the right bank of Bordeaux, France, and is one of the most famous wineries in the Pomerol region. Château Clinet Chapel has a long history, dating back to the late 19th century. The Rouchut family, who ran Chateau Clos l'Eglise at the time, and the Constant family, who ran Chateau Clinet, decided to make wine together. Until 1950, the Bordeaux wines produced by these two families were sold under the name Château Claregelis. It was only after 1950 that their wines were given their current name, Château Clignet. Later, the Durantou family acquired Château Clignet. However, the owner was not keen on wine at the time and left everything to Pierre Lasserre, the owner of another Pomerol estate. Pierre Lasserre only had to give him half of the estate's income each year. This partnership has continued for 40 years. Today, Denis Durantou, a descendant of the Durantou family, is in charge of the estate. At present, Château Clignet has 5.5 hectares of vineyards. The soils are mainly gravel and clay, some of which are rich in iron. The vineyards of Château Clignet were spared from the 1956 frosts and the vines are on average 45 years old. The vineyard is planted with 85% Merlot and 15% Cabernet Franc at a density of 6,500 vines per hectare. The vineyard is fertilised with an organic fertiliser mix every 5 years. The grapes are hand-picked when they are ripe at Château Clignet. After careful selection and crushing, the grapes are fermented in concrete and stainless steel containers for 15-21 days. After about October, the fermented wine is aged in new oak barrels for a period of 18 months. The main wine of Château Clinet is the Château l'Eglise-Clinet, Pomerol, France. The wines are concentrated and rich, full-bodied, with pure fruit and exotic spice notes, particularly fresh and wonderful, making them unique among Bordeaux wines. In recent years, as the price of the wine has soared, so has the quality. Today, it is in the top tier of Pomerol.
1961(1)1985(2)1989(1)1993(1)1994(1)
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