Genius winemaker, Denis Durantou - April 2013
Two daughters of late Denis Durantou, Constance (left) and Noëmie (right) + Olivier Gautrat, the cellar master. April 2022
This property's name, established in 1955, combines elements from two estates: Clos L’Église Clinet and Domaine de Clinet. It is situated on the plateau, north of the church and adjacent to the cemetery. The topsoil is a mix of gravel, clay, and sand, while the subsoil is primarily clay intermingled with "crasse de fer."
L’Église Clinet is an exception among Pomerol properties, as it did not uproot its vines after the devastating frost of 1956. As a result, you can find vines here that are between 60 and 100 years old.
From 1942 to 1982, Pierre Lasserre managed Clos Rene in Pomerol. In 1983, Denis Durantou took over, overseeing the first vintage he produced that year. He immediately implemented a late harvest approach, emphasizing a thorough selection of cuvées for the Grand Vin and setting a maximum yield of 35 hectoliters per hectare.
Meeting Denis Durantou has always been a great pleasure. I have had the opportunity to meet him many times since my first visit in September 1985. He was a magician in winemaking, possessing incredible talent and a unique approach. Denis explained that he has consistently relied on traditional winemaking methods, avoiding modern techniques. For instance, he did not use malolactic fermentation in barrels, believing he could achieve the same flavors each year through his vinification process. He employed a short fermentation period of 15 days at a temperature of 26 degrees Celsius. Denis Durantou passed away in May 2020.
L’Église Clinet is undoubtedly among the absolute top wines in Pomerol. It is an incredibly complex and nuanced wine with minerality, striking power and concentration, richness, and tremendous longevity. Purely Pomerol!!
During the 1980s and 1990s, I encountered several exceptional wines from this property, including the fabulous 1983, the fantastic 1985 (qualitatively very close to Pétrus itself), and the outstanding vintages of 1986, 1988, 1989, and 1990. These wines highlighted Denis Durantou's brilliant skills as a winemaker. The well-structured, compact, and spicy 1994 was a standout for that vintage, while the 1995 was a remarkable hit, showcasing power and richness with flavors of sun-ripened raspberries and blackberries, along with enormous depth. I would rate all these wines at 94-95 points, except for the 1985, which would receive 99 points, and the 1995, rated at 98 points. I haven't retasted all these aforementioned wines since then.
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L'Eglise Clinet 2023 (barrel sample) 98-99p
Tasted in April 2024.90% Merlot + 10% Cabernet Franc. 14.6% alcohol. This wine is a close rival to the mind-boggling 2022 vintage. It's a powerful yet elegant wine with plenty of black cherries and blueberries spiced with grated dark chocolate. It’s a juicy, intense, multilayered, finesse-clad, sophisticated wine with excellent mid-palate and a mesmerizingly long finish. Awesome wine work!!
L'Eglise Clinet 2022 98-100p
Tasted twice last time in December 2024. Consistent notes. 90% Merlot + 10% C. Franc. 14.6% alcohol. Late Denis Durantou's two daughters, Constance (in charge of tastings and receiving visitors) and Nöemie (the winemaker), tirelessly continue their father's epic work with the assistance of the property's experienced cellar master, Olivier Gautraut. The wine is a dazzling beauty. Traditionally tight and powerful with a strong backbone, it is very concentrated and multilayered, with plenty of black cherries, blackberries, and notes of black winter truffles. Vibrant and sophisticated. It has a mega-long and fatty finish. A classic Grand Vin and sheer delight for many years!
L'Eglise Clinet 2021 96p
Tasted twice - last time in December 2024. Consistent notes. 85% Merlot + 15% C. Franc. 14% alcohol. Traditionally tight with a strong backbone, with plenty of morello cherries, a large bouquet of violets, and several slices of black winter truffle put in the mix. The wine is mineral-driven, vibrant, and sophisticated. Truly sublime.
L'Eglise Clinet 2020 98-99p
Tasted twice - last time in April 2023. Consistent notes. 90% Merlot + 10% Cabernet Franc. 14.4% alcohol. Classic stuff; no modern tweaks here. Potent and concentrated, strong backbone, fat and dense on the palate (old vines), lot of minerality, great complexity, multilayered and excellent length, and long, long finish. This was from the barrel. After bottling, the wine is riveting and fulfills the big promises! Denis Durantous' two daughters, Constance and Nöemie, and the cellarmaster, Olivier Gautrat, did a fantastic job with the vintage!
L'Eglise Clinet 2019 98-99p
Tasted in November 2021. It was the last vintage made by Denis Durantou before he left for heaven in May 2020. 90% Merlot + 10% C. Franc. 14.5% alcohol. It is intense on the nose, with black cherries, violets, and black winter truffle. Also, there is a secondary aroma of grated dark chocolate. Succulent, vibrant, and silky on the palate, with great complexity and length. Persistent finish. Stupendous effort.
L'Eglise Clinet 2018 98+p
Tasted twice - last time in November 2021. Consistent notes. 90% Merlot + 10% C. Franc. This wine had a huge concentration and a strong backbone, was fat and dense on the palate (old vines), had a lot of minerality and great complexity, was multilayered, and had excellent length and a long, long finish. Denis Durantou had always utilized traditional winemaking at his properties without modern tweaks. Amazing stuff. 98+p.
L'Eglise Clinet 2017 97p.
Tasted twice - last time in November 2021. Consistent notes. 90% Merlot + 10% Cabernet Franc. It is a textbook Pomerol wine with plenty of spicy black fruit, intense and creamy, fabulous complexity and depth, sophisticated and terrific structure, and a long finish. There is more elegance here than in 2018 and 2019 vintages. Stunning wine.
L'Eglise Clinet 2016 (barrel sample) 98-99p
Tasted in April 2017, Denis Durantou has done everything right in the 2016 vintage! This wine had excellent ripeness and acidity, violets and black cherries everywhere, powerful, extraordinary complexity, great depth, and stunning richness. Mega-long aftertaste. This is a tremendous effort.
L'Eglise Clinet 2015 98p
Tasted twice - last time in April 2018. Consistent notes. In April 2016, It showed excellent ripeness and acidity from the barrel, with black cherries everywhere, powerful, deep, and stunningly rich. Bull's eye effort. Then, two years later, I was delighted when Denis Durantou poured his magnificently delicious 2015 vintage into the glass at my request. Lots of tannins and very creamy, sweet, deep, and long fruit. It's a fantastic wine, and I'm delighted I've purchased a few bottles of it en primeur!!
L'Eglise Clinet 2014 (barrel sample) 96+p
Tasted in March 2015. Denis Durantou, the magician winemaker at this highly regarded property, made sublime wines in 2014. He always brings out the best possible from the grapes, no matter how much weather conditions challenge him! Grand Vin (90% Merlot + 10% Cabernet Franc) had excellent ripeness and acidity, black cherries everywhere, and was powerful, deep, and stunningly rich. Bull's eye effort.
L'Eglise Clinet 2013 (barrel sample) 94p
I tasted it in April 2014. L'Eglise Clinet, in comparison to recent vintages, was lighter in texture and had a shorter finish. Nevertheless, it had a trademark cherry aroma mixed with chocolate, truffles, sappiness, and fine structure and length. It was very Pomerol and a great effort for the vintage.
L'Eglise Clinet 2012 (barrel sample) 96p
Tasted in April 2013. This was a classy, stylish, rich wine with a distinct nose of black cherries mixed with chocolate/cocoa powder, stunning complexity with plenty of nuances, and excellent length and aftertaste. Stunning effort.
L'Eglise Clinet 2011 (barrel sample) 96p
I tasted it in March 2012. It was a classy and stylish wine with vibrancy, great complexity, various nuances, and excellent length and aftertaste. It had full-blown ripeness of fruit and tannin and beautiful balance. This is awesome stuff from Denis Durantou!
L'Eglise Clinet 2010 99-100p
Tasted in April 2013. This wine was so "thick" that you could slice it! Enormous concentration and intensity. 90% Valrhona chocolate, mixed with black cherries and blueberries, has superb composition and richness of nuances, a firm backbone as a rock, and an extraordinary length. Mind-boggling effort!
L'Eglise Clinet 1970 95p
Tasted in April 2007. Dark red, youthful appearance, tight, and impressively structured. It is packed with lush cherries, raspberries, and truffles, complex, vibrant, and long on the palate with a firm, sweet finish. Wonderful wine.
L'Eglise Clinet 1964 94p
Tasted in April 2024 during dinner at D.d. Chevalier. Negociant bottling. Youthful appearance, tight, great structure and balance, truffy, solid midpalate and structure, long and meaty finish. Splendid bottle.