| Region | |
|---|---|
| Subregion | France > Bordeaux > Right Bank > Pomerol |
| Colour | Red |
| Type | Still |
View all vintages of this wine | View all wines by Château L'Église-Clinet
A remarkable wine in this vintage, L'Eglise Clinet's 2008 has a color almost as dark as the barrel sample of 2010. Classic mocha and caramel-infused creme de cassis and black cherry notes, with hints of licorice and loamy soil soar from the glass of this opaque ruby/purple, aromatically compelling wine. Opulent, expansive, and savory, with a broad texture, a full-bodied mouthfeel, terrific purity and a layered finish, this is another big, massive wine that transcends the vintage character, and will probably need 7-10 years of bottle age. It should keep for 20 or more years as well.
The 2008 l’Eglise-Clinet was picked 1 to 6 October and matured in 80% new oak. It has a very refined and detailed bouquet that is less powerful than the 2009 or 2010, yet there is wonderful articulation of the terroir here, dusky black fruit laced with black truffle and a touch of undergrowth. It is the most recent vintage that suggests moving onto secondary aromas. The palate is medium-bodied with fine grain tannin, grippy in the mouth, fresh and vibrant with an almost chalky finish. This certainly deserves to be part of the 2008/2009/2010 triumvirate and it is furnished with a beautiful mineral-driven aftertaste. The insider’s choice? Most certainly. Tasted at the l’Eglise-Clinet vertical at the château in April 2018.
Mid crimson. Scented and rich on the nose. Very broad and mouthfilling - quite complex. Much more than just sweet. An interesting wine - quite different from most Pomerols. Lots of lift and attack - not at all playing the sweetness card. Very appetising. Intriguing - even quite intellectual. Explosive with a savoury finish. Smooth and sleek and complete. Good wine! No holes. Lots of energy.
The nose has a lovely fragrance more black fruited than red but both are there vying for dominance. The black plum on the palate is lush, the ripeness of the tannins helps to flesh out the middle and leave richness of fruit on the finish.
So many great wines have emerged from this property administered with meticulous care and obvious passion by proprietor Denis Durantou that it hard to say the 2008 is better than some of the previous wines produced over the last decade. It is more backward and less evolved than some of the other Pomerols in this vintage, but the wine boasts an inky/ruby/purple color as well as an exceptionally pure bouquet of creme de cassis, black raspberry liqueur, charcoal, and a hint of black truffles. Dense and pure with massive concentration yet undeniable elegance and precision (because of the fresh acids), this full-bodied effort, despite the high level of Merlot in the blend, requires 7-10 years of patience. It should evolve for 30-40 years after bottling, and will be fascinating to compare with some of the legends produced here over the last ten years.
The 2008 L’Eglise-Clinet has a very perfumed, unapologetically floral bouquet replete with expressive red berry fruit laced with crushed limestone and truffle scents, almost Burgundy-like in terms of purity. The palate is medium-bodied with sappy cranberry and raspberry fruit, a fine and almost symmetrical structure with the density and mass you expect from Denis Durantou’s Pomerol. The Cabernet Franc lends a savory, almost dried blood note towards the long, persistent finish. This is ageing with style. 2020 - 2045
Tasted ex-château and single blind in Southwold. On the nose, the l'Eglise-Clinet 2008 is much broodier and introspective than its peers, the Cabernet Franc imparting seductive truffle and undergrowth aromas. It displays impressive intensity, a nose that is full of character. The palate is full-bodied with lush, saturated tannins that belie a firm backbone. This Pomerol has impressive acidity and depth: "spherical" at first, but those tannins come through with time in the glass. Well enmeshed oak with a seamless, classy finish. This is an enigmatic, alluring Pomerol wine. Tasted January 2012.
A blend of 85% Merlot and 15% Cabernet Franc, this has a very pure, elegant nose with brilliant definition. It has an almost Burgundian personality. The palate has awesome balance - so much freshness and tension. Tart red cherries, crushed violets and minerals. Crushed stones on the finish. Also tasted samples directly from the barrel that are showing more power and depth, perhaps a greater length, less of the precision that will eventually be the signature of this great Pomerol. Tasted April 2009.
