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Description
Petite Eglise, Pomerol, Bordeaux, France, Still, Red, 2010
Tasting notes

Reviewed by: William Kelley
There will only be some 4,700 bottles of the 2022 La Petite Eglise, a cuvée that combines some younger-vine fruit with two dedicated parcels, one located next to Pomerol's church, the other by the château of La Fleur-Pétrus. Offering up aromas of cherries, sweet berries, incense, dark chocolate and petals, it's medium to full-bodied, supple and fleshy, with a suave, seamless, elegant profile, retaining a bright core of fruit and refined tannins in this warm vintage.

Reviewed by: Antonio Galloni
The 2022 L'Église-Clinet has a generous bouquet with brambly red fruit, wild mint, fennel and light crushed stone scents that gain clarity with aeration. The palate is medium-bodied with sappy black fruit and gentle grip, silky smooth with a touch of dark chocolate towards the finish. Give this a couple of years, just to soak up that patina of new oak. Tasted blind at the Southwold tasting in London.

Reviewed by: James Suckling
Chocolate and walnut with hazelnut and berries. It’s full and chewy with velvety tannins and spices. Juicy and salty finish. Savory.

Reviewed by: James Suckling
There's a minerality to this with dark-berry, cedar, dried-flower and sandalwood aromas following through to a medium to full body. Ultrafine tannins run the length of the wine. It’s racy and focused at the end. A muscular yet beautifully formed red from L'Eglise Clinet. Drink after 2028.
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.