Wine Advisor
L'Eglise Clinet 2007
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Description
Tasting notes
Reviewed by: Neal Martin
Harvested between 19th and 26th September, a blend of 85% Merlot and 35% Cabernet Franc. Two samples presented by Denis Durantou, the first made on 28th March. The nose is lacking a little intensity after a few days with blackberry, wild hedgerow, a slight clayey component. The palate shows immense concentration with tense, tightly coiled black fruits and great sense of minerality. The second sample (1st April) has more intensity and lift on the nose, here with more of a damson, mulberry component; more rounded and harmonious in the mouth, the tannins more defined and with a natural sense of balance. Great clarity and focus with a persistent finish of blackcurrant leaf, briary and minerals. Wonderful. Tasted April 2008.
Reviewed by: Robert M. Parker, Jr.
Unquestionably the Pomerol of the vintage, the dense purple-colored 2007 l’Eglise-Clinet offers an astonishing display of rich, licorice and caramel-infused kirsch, black raspberry, and cassis fruit. Rich, full-bodied, and pure, with low acidity and ripe tannin, it is already offering delicious drinking, and should continue to do so for 15-20 years. Having just had the 1997, which is not as strong a wine as this 2007, that wine, from a very mediocre vintage, is still young. Kudos to proprietor Denis Durantou.
Reviewed by: Neal Martin
Tasted single blind at FINE magazine’s vertical in Dusseldorf. A limpid dark garnet core. The nose is just wonderful, wonderful purity and mineralite: black cherries, cassis, a touch of blueberry intertwined with violets picked from Margaux. The palate is full-bodied and fresh, ripe dark berried fruit, grainy tannins perhaps slightly accentuated by being served cool. Very pure fruit, elegant and harmonious towards the finish with sharp tannins. I feel a little alcohol at the back of the throat, a little heat that suggests that this might be the 2003? Tasted February 2011.
Reviewed by: Neal Martin
Bottled just one month ago, the 2007 L’Eglise-Clinet cannot match the power and exuberance of either the 2005 or 2006 on the nose, but there is great clarity and sense of minerality although there is some bottle shock. The palate is similar to its showing barrel, lovely silky texture, very fine acidity and the Cabernet Franc really adds another dimension. Slight meaty note towards the lingering finish. Certainly one of the best wines of the vintage, although would you expect anything less? Drink 2017-2030+ Tasted May 2009.
Reviewed by: Neal Martin
Tasted at BI Wine & Spirits' 10-Years-On tasting, the 2007 L'Eglise Clinet has long been a strong performer. Here, at a decade old, it offers gorgeous aromas of redcurrant, crushed strawberry, tar and truffle, a discrete mineralité that only surfaces with time in the glass. The palate is medium-bodied with superb acidity, impressive cohesion and outstanding structure (for a 2007) towards the finish. It is brimming with sophistication, class and character—one of the standout Pomerols of the vintage. Tasted February 2017.
Reviewed by: Robert M. Parker, Jr.
Rated - No tasting note given.
Reviewed by: Neal Martin
The 2007 l’Eglise-Clinet was picked 20 to 24 September. It has a deep color for a 2007 with little signs of maturity on the rim. It is typical of this Pomerol cru to ignore the reputation of this growing season and manifest a convincing bouquet packed with redcurrant and cranberry fruit laced with tobacco and singed leather. The palate feels smooth and slightly candied on the entry with bright red and black fruit laced with tobacco and spice, a gradual crescendo towards a very precise finish that feels more open than coeval vintages at the moment. It is a l’Eglise-Clinet that is ready to drink but do not under-estimate how well this will age. Tasted at the l’Eglise-Clinet vertical at the château in April 2018.
Reviewed by: Stephen Tanzer
Bright ruby-red. Black raspberry, licorice, mocha and a whiff of sweet butter on the nose. Wonderfully intense and juicy, with sappy flavors of dark berries, violet and minerals. Combines lovely sweetness with terrific verve. Perhaps best today on the broad, sweet, impressively long finish, which features very fine-grained tannins. Not the richest or most powerful version of this wine, but a beauty.
Reviewed by: Stephen Tanzer
(an 85/15 blend of merlot and cabernet franc) Bright medium ruby. Lively aromas of black raspberry, coffee, licorice and bitter chocolate. Sweet, sappy and rich; this is stuffed with black fruit, licorice and bitter chocolate flavors, nicely framed and lifted by racy acidity (the pH here is a healthy-for-the-vintage 3.7) and a floral element. Firmly built, spicy and long on the aftertaste. A superb showing.
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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