2017 Château l'Eglise Clinet

98 POINTS

Lisa Perrotti-Brown MW - Wine Advocate

Medium to deep garnet-purple colored, the 2017 L'Eglise Clinet begins a little closed and broody, soon unfurling to reveal powerful notes of baked black plums, chocolate-covered cherries and blueberry preserves with hints of chargrill, mocha and aniseed plus a touch of tar. Medium to full-bodied, the palate is a powerhouse of crunchy, vibrant black fruit, framed by wonderfully ripe, rounded tannins and oodles of freshness, finishing long and savory. Bravo! Drinking Window : 2024 - 2054

98 POINTS

James Suckling

Extremely enticing aromas of blackberries, brambleberries, sweet tobacco, bark and mushrooms follow through to a medium to full body that grows on the palate and crescendoes to medium, round tannins, juicy fruit and a long, flavorful finish. Rolls along the palate. Excellent, persistent finish. Try after 2024, but already a joyous glass.

97 POINTS

Antonio Galloni MW - Vinous

The 2017 L'Eglise-Clinet is dark, sensual and wonderfully rich. It opens with a silky, captivating bouquet laced with the essence of dried flowers, mocha, chocolate, spice and blackberry jam. While L'Eglise-Clinet is light on its feet for such a big, imposing wine, the 2017 is going to need a number of years to come into its own. Even in the early going, though, it is super-impressive. Revisiting it with a bit of air reveals a Pomerol of soaring intensity and explosive energy and vivid, striking beauty. I loved it.

96 POINTS

Neal Martin - Vinous

The 2017 L’Eglise-Clinet was picked between 12 and 22 September, the Cabernet Franc coming in on the last day. Nothing was touched by the frost. It is matured in 70% new oak. Denis Durantou did not specify the exact quantity produced, “Just enough for my friends” according to his spec sheet! The bouquet is very succinct, perhaps more open than either the 2015 or 2016 at this early stage, extraordinarily pure with blackberry, wild strawberry, smoke and truffle. It just gets better and better as it opens in the glass. The palate is medium-bodied with fine tannin, linear and focused, very fresh with pointed acidity. This is full of tension and poise, a touch of graphite emerging towards the finish that lingers in the mouth with superb salinité at the end. It completes a triumvirate for Denis Durantou after the 2015 and 2016s.

95 POINTS

Jeff Leve - The Wine Cellar Insider

Truffle, smoke, tobacco and red fruits are at the core of this wine. On the palate, there is a concentration of flavor. The wine has lift and power but there is a firmness to the tannins in this vintage that will need time to soften before they will captivate the pleasure seeking consumer. The wine was made from blending 90% Merlot and 10% Cabernet Franc, reaching 14% alcohol with a pH of 3.68. The harvest took place September 12 to September 22. Known to be witty, the proprietor Denis Durantou wrote about his frost effected, small production for 2017, "We produced just enough bottles for my friends."

95 POINTS

Jane Anson - Decanter

For me, this is one of the successes of the vintage in Pomerol, although not fully escaping the roadblocks of 2017. There is a real sense of precision and elegance here, with floral, violet aromatics and a note of liquorice, and it deals its power in a measured way, one hand at a time - it's a wine to sit with and enjoy. There was no frost at this estate. The Merlot was picked between 12-22 September, and the Cabernet Franc on 22 September. The 70% new oak is a touch present on the close of play, but those tannins are pliable and enjoyable, promising to cradle the fruit for the long haul.

95 POINTS

Jane Anson - Decanter

For me, this is one of the successes of the vintage in Pomerol, although not fully escaping the roadblocks of 2017. There is a real sense of precision and elegance here, with floral, violet aromatics and a note of liquorice, and it deals its power in a measured way, one hand at a time - it's a wine to sit with and enjoy. There was no frost at this estate. The Merlot was picked between 12-22 September, and the Cabernet Franc on 22 September. The 70% new oak is a touch present on the close of play, but those tannins are pliable and enjoyable, promising to cradle the fruit for the long haul.

95 POINTS

Jacques Perrin - Vinifera

Nez très fin aux nuances florales particulièrement belles. Magnifique entrée en bouche avec une dimension pulpeuse. Il déroule une très belle texture, à la trame exemplaire et sa finale est au diapason, racée, lumineuse.