2017 La Petite Eglise

94 POINTS

James Suckling

White pepper and dried flowers with blackberries, orange peel and a smoky undertone. Medium to full body. Chili, spice and blue fruit on the palate. Hint of lemon rind. Very long finish. Needs at least three or four years to come around. Drink after 2023.

93 POINTS

Antonio Galloni MW - Vinous

The 2017 La Petite Eglise is poweful and rich in the glass. Dark purplish berry fruit, charcoal, licorice, clove and lavender are some of the many nuances that infuse the 2017 with its distinctly somber personality. Unctuous and racy in feel, with superb density, the 2017 is a decidedly extroverted Pomerol. Tasting it from bottle, I have the same impression I did en primeur: it is easily better than many top bottlings.

91 POINTS

Neal Martin - Vinous

The 2017 La Petite Eglise was picked from 12 to 22 September at 41hl/ha and is matured in 50% new oak. Just one small parcel near the Barbanne tributary was touched by frost but nothing on the plateau. It has a straightforward bouquet with more red fruit than black, hints of freshly tilled soil and pencil shavings. The palate is medium-bodied with fine tannin, a touch more compact than previous vintages but beautifully focused and silky smooth towards the sustained finish. Excellent.

91 POINTS

Lisa Perrotti-Brown MW - Wine Advocate

Medium to deep garnet-purple colored, the 2017 La Petite Eglise delivers expressive notions of baked plums, warm black cherries and mulberries with hints of forest floor and garrigue plus a waft of smoked meats. Medium-bodied, the palate has a great core of plummy flavors with soft tannins and a refreshing finish.

91 POINTS

Antonio Galloni MW - Vinous

The 2017 La Petite Eglise is wonderfully aromatic and dense. Charcoal embers, game, smoke, licorice and raspberry jam all develop in the glass, but it is the wine's structural feel that stands out most. The 2017 is silky, nuanced and exceptionally beautiful. La Petite Eglise is of course the second wine of L'Eglise Clinet, but if it were taken out of that context, it would compete quite favorably with many Grand Vins.

90 POINTS

Neal Martin - Vinous

The 2017 La Petite Eglise was picked from 12 to 22 September and matured in 50% new oak. It has a floral bouquet with touches of incense and lavender infusing the black fruit, nicely defined and surprisingly open for the vintage. The palate is very smooth on the entry with blood orange and a tang of marmalade infusing the black fruit. It threatens to become exotic, but then it becomes more linear towards the finish with touches of graphite on the aftertaste.

90 POINTS

James Suckling

An elegant second wine of L’Eglise Clinet with dark berries, spices and stones. Medium body and silky and polished tannins.

Julia Harding MW - JancisRobinson.com

Very little frost damage. 100% Merlot (picked 12–22 September). 41 hl/ha. 50% new oak. 7,600 bottles produced.Dark purplish crimson with black core. Elderberry fruit. Fragrant. A little wild in aroma, wild fruits. Incredibly silky, juicy and supple. Lovely and already nearly approachable. Mouth-wateirng and moreish. Score: 16.5/20