2013 Eglise Clinet
The wizard of Pomerol does it again. Denis Durantou’s top wine is first rate this year, seemingly in defiance of the vintage conditions. Poised, minerally and sweetly oaked, this plummy, brambly, Merlot-based blend of 90% Merlot and 10% Cabernet Francis rich, fine and beautifully integrated. There’s not much of it, either, so hurry. Read more
Critic Reviews
The wizard of Pomerol does it again. Denis Durantou’s top wine is first rate this year, seemingly in defiance of the vintage conditions. Poised, minerally and sweetly oaked, this plummy, brambly, Merlot-based blend of 90% Merlot and 10% Cabernet Francis rich, fine and beautifully integrated. There’s not much of it, either, so hurry.
This is a vivid wine with terrific clarity and vibrance aromas and flavors. Full body, ultra fine tannins and a long, long finish. Class. Really superb for the vintage. Needs two or three years of bottle age to soften.
The 2013 L'Eglise Clinet has a very precise, tightly wound bouquet with limestone-tinged, brambly red berry fruit, the Merlot still very expressive and imparting comely floral scents. There is something almost Burgundy-like about the nose. The palate is medium-bodied with fine tannin surrounding a core of citrus-fresh, lively red fruit, silky smooth in texture, approachable in style, with an almost symmetrical finish. This was a great L'Eglise-Clinet in barrel in the context of the vintage and it remains a very persuasive wine in bottle. Bravo Denis Durantou - a winemaker that can overcome even the most deplorable of growing seasons!
A 90% Merlot and 10% Cabernet Franc blend from the Plateau of Pomerol near the church, the wine has an inky/purple color, a sweet kiss of mulberry and black cherry liqueurs, interwoven with licorice, truffle, a hint of melted road tar and background spice and oak. The wine is opulent, medium to full-bodied and unquestionably a tour de force for this vintage. Kudos to Durantou. If you can find it, this is clearly one of the candidates for the wine of the vintage and a real star. Drink from 2018-2027. It-s no surprise that perfectionist/meticulous proprietor Denis Durantou has turned out one of the best wines of the vintage. Harvested September 27-October 6, only 10,000 bottles were produced in this tiny yielding vintage that also required a draconian-like selection process to keep the best fruit under the top label.
The 2013 L'Eglise Clinet is a drop-dead gorgeous beauty. A dark, sumptuous wine, the 2013 flows across the palate with remarkable depth and pure texture. Blue and black fruit, licorice, smoke and violets all flesh out on the voluptuous, racy finish. This is a terrific showing. The blend is predominantly Merlot, with a splash of Cabernet Franc and Malbec from the oldest parcels on the property, which were planted in 1930. New oak is around 60-70%, but it is barely perceptible. What a gorgeous wine this is
(90% merlot and 10% cabernet franc): Dark ruby. Very pure dark berry and floral aromas soar from the glass. Minerally and inky in the mouth, with blueberry and blackberry cocktail flavors lifted by lively acidity and nicely supported by smooth tannins. One of the better wines of 2013, it's devoid of green or astringent notes. It only lacks the depth of fruit of the better vintages but there's good concentration here.
(90% merlot and 10% cabernet franc): Dark ruby. Very pure dark berry and floral aromas soar from the glass. Minerally and inky in the mouth, with blueberry and blackberry cocktail flavors lifted by lively acidity and nicely supported by smooth tannins. One of the better wines of 2013, it's devoid of green or astringent notes. It only lacks the depth of fruit of the better vintages but there's good concentration here.
Well-rendered, with sleek raspberry and blackberry coulis notes, presenting a backdrop of anise and warm fruitcake flavors and a fleshy, polished finish. Pure and lengthy. —J.M.
Technical Attributes
- Producer: Château l'Eglise Clinet
- Varietal: Merlot Cabernet Franc
- Region: Bordeaux
- Alcohol: 13.5%
- Net volume: 750ml
- Vintage: 2013
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Style GuideLight Intense
Delivery Details
International Marketplace Product: Estimated dispatch from Sydney warehouse: June 30th, 2024
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