Wine Advisor
L'Eglise Clinet 2002
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Description
Tasting notes
Reviewed by: Neal Martin
Real class in evidence here, a wine that rather embarrassed its contemporaries at the IMW horizontal. The nose is not as immediate as other vintages, kind of creeps up on the you with its pure, ripe black fruits, minerals, hints of espresso and damp earth. Good complexity compared to other wines. The palate is full-bodied, grippy mouthfeel, lovely balance with ripe raspberry, loganberry and briary. Very harmonious and yet the finish is still tight and backward. Needs more time in bottle but another outright success for Mon. Durantou. If you cannot afford the ’98 or ’05, this could fill that L’Eglise-Clinet-shaped hole. Drink 2010-2020. Tasted November 2006.
Reviewed by: Robert M. Parker, Jr.
An exceptionally strong effort from a vigneron, Denis Durantou, who brilliantly works his vineyard and makes fine wines, this dense ruby/purple-colored Pomerol offers up aromas of pure raspberries and cherries, subtle wood, and a hint of earth. It is moderately tannic, medium to full-bodied, intense, and pure. A noteworthy success for the vintage, it will be at its finest between 2008-2018.
Reviewed by: Neal Martin
Tasted single blind at FINE magazine’s vertical in Dusseldorf. It seems harsh to claim that this was the least impressive wine of an impressive flight of recent vintage, although the 2002 does not have the same degree of opulence and fruite. It is slightly more herbaceous, still well defined, with touches of smoke and bay leaf. This is aromatically rather “bolshie” at the moment. The palate is medium-bodied with a succulent entry, the Merlot dominating at the moment, very pure with red cherries, wild strawberry, creme de cassis and a faint touch of peppermint towards the finish. I think the nose will open with time. Tasted February 2011.
Reviewed by: Neal Martin
The aromatics are still closed at the moment. As usual, this is so difficult to assess when young as the tannins smack you in the face. But left in the glass there is obvious a lot of broody black brambly fruits underneath which will come out in the first year. More muscular than the 2001, I hope it isn't too tannic. But still near the top of the Pomerol League. Tasted April 2003.
Reviewed by: Neal Martin
Tasted blind at Farr’s 2002 Bordeaux tasting. Intense blackberry and black plum on the nose; clean and crisp with touches of smoke, peat and sandalwood all with impressive definition. The palate is dense, tannic and serious, a lot of clean extraction here but there is certainly class and balance. Blackberry, black plum, briary and a touch of iodine leading to a stern almost introspective finish. This is a Pomerol to lay down. Superb. Tasted October 2009.
Reviewed by: Robert M. Parker, Jr.
A superficial, medium-weight effort, the 2002 exhibits far less sweetness and ripeness from bottle than it did from barrel. Like many 2002 right bank wines, it has dropped its fruit at an accelerated pace, resulting in a structured, austere, lean, angular offering.
Reviewed by: Neal Martin
The Château l'Eglise-Clinet 2002 has a relatively uncomplicated bouquet following the 2000 and 2001, although it is well defined with attractive black cherries, strawberry, soy and allspice. The palate is medium-bodied with fine, slightly grainy tannin that encase quite pretty blackberry and tarry fruit; the finish is just a little foursquare, though maturing nicely. Drink this 2002 Pomerol now if you wish, though be assured that well-kept bottles and larger formats will continue to drink for another decade. Tasted March 2015.
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.
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