Clinet 2018

The 2018 Clinet, which was cropped at 38hl/ha, has an exquisite bouquet of lavish black cherry and raspberry fruit, and still those bunches of violets I observed from barrel, flanked by potpourri. The aromatics are well defined and the new oak seamlessly integrated. The palate is medium-bodied with sappy black fruit. It has firmed up since I tasted in barrel, when I noted that it felt like a "muscular" Clinet in the making. That trait is emphasized in bottle, and those accustomed to the more hedonistic Clinets of yore might find it a tad more reserved and drier. But it is a style that suits it well. White pepper leaves the mouth tingling after it has departed, the fitting conclusion to a superb – dare I say cerebral? – Clinet that has a long and prosperous future. 2023 - 2045.

Blackberries and blueberries with subtle black chocolate and violets on the nose, following to a full-bodied palate with polished, creamy tannins. Beautiful balance and really refined texture. Drink after 2024, but already so gorgeous.

The 2018 Clinet is made from 85% Merlot and 15% Cabernet Sauvignon. Deep garnet-purple colored, it bursts with blueberry compote, chocolate-covered cherries, and mulberries plus suggestions of violets, cloves, and cardamom. Full-bodied, it is rich and opulent with plush tannins and great freshness, finishing long and spicy.

One of the star Pomerol names showing us how it’s done in 2018. This wine absolutely stands out, being beautifully vibrant and very polished, where you feel the individual strands of flavour and know it’s clearly going to age. Here you get licks of salted rosemary sprigs right on the nose followed by a silkiness and round mouthfeel that speaks to the alcohol but you certainly don't feel it. It’s well judged, very Pomerol, and on the dark side of the fruit scale, perhaps because this is Merlot and Cabernet Sauvignon, not Cabernet Franc. I found Clinet a little difficult to approach in 2017, giving it a highly recommended but at the low end of the scale, but here it is roaring back to form.

Drinking Window 2027 - 2044

Tasted blind. Some evolution at the rim. Quite evolved and integrated. Medium weight. Sandpaper tannins on the end. 14.5%
Drink 2025 – 2036

85% Merlot, 15% Cabernet Sauvignon; 75% new oak. Barrel sample.
Black core, purple rim. Intense cassis, a touch minty, but also a slightly intrusive aroma that I think must come from the oak. For now at least, the tannins and the oak are pretty overwhelming thought I can detect lovely fruit underneath. Really chewy. (JH) 14.5%
Drink 2025-2030

Very deep and inky in colour, with a ripe nose of figs and charred wood. The palate is rich and extracted, with bold, grippy tannins that make the fruit somewhat difficult to penetrate at this stage. What does show through is ripe, with damson and dried cherries to the fore. The wood is evident, a high char, drying sensation comes through to the finish. This will need a long time to resolve, but at this stage it feels slightly over extracted.

The 2018 Château Clinet is 85% Merlot and 15% Cabernet Sauvignon (which is more Cabernet than usual) that was brought up in slightly more new oak than normal, aging in 75% new and 25% once used French oak. Sporting a saturated purple color, it has a massive perfume of black and blue fruits, crushed violets, spice, and orange blossom. Full-bodied, deep, expansive, and layered on the palate, it's an incredibly hedonistic and sexy wine that shows the best of this great vintage. It’s going to be hard to resist on release and knock your socks off over the following two decades or more.

(85 Merlot, 15 Cabernet Sauvignon) | 75% new oak, using around a quarter of 500l barrels | 14.5% alc | 38 hl/ha | 49000 bottles production | Merlot was harvested on the 19th, 20th, 24th, 25th, 26th, 27th and the 2nd October and the Cabernet Franc was harvested on the 5th October Dry and sour with a lot of skin and blunt tannin, this is a very backward Clinet and it is hard to see any fruit or tenderness here. The slightly sour notes are mouth-watering but they are also masked by the oak and this means that the fruit really struggles to make itself known. I am not sure whether this is a miss-step or simply that the wine is very closed right now, but there is a lot of tension and little flesh on display and so I am slightly confused as to when the fruit will emerge. I will be sure to taste this wine again as soon as possible to check its progress.