Wine Advisor
L'Eglise Clinet, La Petite Eglise 2016
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Description
Petite Eglise, Pomerol, Bordeaux, France, Still, Red, 2010
Tasting notes
Reviewed by: Neal Martin
The 2016 La Petite Eglise is pure Merlot as usual that was picked on 5 October this year and matured in 50% new oak. It is a small production of just 700 cases. It has a pure and elegant bouquet with a hint of oyster shell infusing the red berry fruit. The palate is medium-bodied with fine tannin, bright redcurrant and cranberry notes and fine acidity, tender and refined towards the finish. This is another beautiful La Petite Eglise from Denis Durantou.
Reviewed by: Lisa Perrotti-Brown
The medium to deep garnet-purple colored 2016 La Petite Eglise features beautiful black cherries, mulberries and warm black plums scents with touches of underbrush, cigar box and fragrant soil. Medium to full-bodied, it fills the palate with complex, intense black and red fruit layers with tons of savory sparks coming through on the long, plushly textured finish.
Reviewed by: Antonio Galloni
The 2016 La Petite Eglise is bright and beautifully lifted, with striking floral and citrus notes that lend an extra kick of brightness to the Merlot fruit. In 2016, La Petite Eglise is fresh, aromatically nuanced and absolutely impeccable in its overall balance, all of which make it a real joy to taste today. Denis Durantou gave the 2016 12 months in barrel, with about 50% new oak.
Reviewed by: James Suckling
Firm and linear wine with blackberry, violet and berry character. Medium-to full-bodied second wine of L'Église Clinet and it’s silky and refined while showing power and length. Beautiful tannins. Pure merlot.
Reviewed by: James Suckling
Extremely floral aromas, as well as dark berries, blueberries, black truffle and subtle, wet earth. Full-bodied and refined with ultra-fine tannins. Crushed stone. Caressing finish. Second wine of of L'Église Clinet and always from the same two parcels of vineyards. Drink after 2023.
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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