Château L'Eglise-Clinet

5/7/2019 WeinWisser WEINWISSER : 19,5 / 20 5/3/2019 Vinous VINOUS (ANTONIO GALLONI) : 95-98 / 100 The 2018 L'Eglise-Clinet is a powerful, tightly wound wine. In fact, it is one of the most reticent Pomerols I tasted, which makes it hard to evaluate today but probably bodes extremely well for the future. Dark and brooding in the glass, the 2018 has too much to offer. A wine of real gravitas and power, the 2018 is likely to need the better part of the next decade to open up, and even that probably won't be enough. Spice, leather, lavender, rose petal and tobacco gradually develop in the glass, but what really comes through is the sheer depth and intensity of the year. 5/3/2019 Bettane & Desseauve BETTANE & DESSEAUVE ( BETTANE & DESSEAUVE) : 96 / 100 Ancré dans une expression florale remarquable qui tapisse une fin de bouche où domine la violette, ce 2018 gagne en charme au fil de l’aération. Sa structure satinée intense que l’on sent dès le toucher de tannin est déjà parfaitement en place. 5/1/2019 Jeb DUNNUCK JEB DUNNUCK (JEB DUNNUCK) : 96-98 / 100 One of the true “wow” wines in the vintage, the 2018 Château l'Eglise-Clinet is a blockbuster offering stunning notes of black currants, roasted herbs, truffle, earth, and graphite. It's a ripe, voluptuous, and incredibly opulent wine that has full-bodied richness, no hard edges, silky tannins, and gorgeous length. The blend is 90% Merlot and 10% Cabernet Franc, all harvest in September, and raised in 70% new oak. It has remarkable purity, as well as balance, and will benefit from 5-6 years of bottle age and evolve for two decades or more. 4/24/2019 La Revue du Vin de France LA REVUE DU VIN DE FRANCE : 17,5-18,5 / 20 4/23/2019 The Wine Cellar Insider THE WINE CELLAR INSIDER (JEFF LEVE) : 96-98 / 100 Dark in color, the wine is full bodied, fleshy, concentrated, opulent and tannic. The truffle, violets, black cherry and cocoa are captivating and when it flows over the palate this wine is beautifully empowered by a thick garland of flamboyant ripe berries. Made from blending 90% Merlot and 10% ( you left out the grape), the wine reached 14.5% alcohol and is aging in 70% new, French oak. The harvest took place September 18 to September 28. 4/23/2019 Wine Advocate WINE ADVOCATE (LISA PERROTTI-BROWN) : 96-98 / 100 Maintaining freshness in the wine was a priority for Denis Durantou at L’Eglise Clinet. “The pH developed quite quickly,” he said. “We had to test it every day; we had made a conscious decision to pick before it got too high. At a maximum of 3.7 pH, we pick. As soon as we have an evolution—a flavor change—we decide to pick.” Merlot was picked September 18-26 and Cabernet Franc on September 28. The resulting wine has a 3.63 pH and 14.5% alcohol and will be aged in 70% new barriques. A blend of 90% Merlot and 10% Cabernet Franc, the 2018 L'Eglise Clinet is deep purple-black in color and opens with beguiling truffles, forest floor, mossy bark and black tea scents, slowly unfurling to reveal a core of Black Forest cake, plum preserves, licorice and candied violets plus wafts of tar and cast iron pan. Full-bodied, concentrated and jam-packed with muscular fruit, the velvety-textured palate delivers layer upon layer of savory and earthy accents, finishing with a lingering mineral lift. 4/12/2019 Jamessuckling.com JAMESSUCKLING.COM (JAMES SUCKLING) : 99-100 / 100 This is incredibly powerful with fantastic depth and length. It goes on for minutes. Full-bodied yet so tight and intense. Blackberries and hints of spice. It has such energy and persistence. It is a wine that makes you really reflect. Bravo. Tiny production. 4/8/2019 Quarin JEAN-MARC QUARIN (JEAN-MARC QUARIN) : 97 / 100 4/3/2019 Wine Spectator WINE SPECTATOR (JAMES MOLESWORTH) : 95-98 / 100 Lush in feel, with boysenberry reduction and crushed plum flavors, carried by a polished, solid structure. A mineral hint filters through on the finish, adding length and cut. 3/28/2019 Decanter.com DECANTER.COM (JANE ANSON) : 97 / 100 This is rich, with layers upon layers of black chocolate, ripe fleshy blackberries and raspberries tempered by acidity and tannins that support, pushing the entire palate slowly onwards and upwards. It has all the generosity of the vintage but tempered with Durantou's amazing ability to sculpt freshness out of the fruit his vineyards deliver. It’s immensely seductive and powerful with more evident flesh than the 2016 – a wine that’s going to run and run. Drinking Window 2028 - 2040