Appellations

Clinet 2021

Pomerol

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Tasting Notes

Skilfully done, well put together, plenty of black chocolate, smoked pepper and truffle, coming in waves alongside cassis fruits and enticing floral aromatics. This feels sculpted and extremely attactive, but does not entirely escape the vintage, unusually austere for Clinet - give it another four or five years in bottle to really soften. Tasted twice.

Score: 94 Jane Anson, Inside Bordeaux Maturity: 2026-2041 Date: 26 March 2024

The 2021 Clinet is bold, explosive and dense. A blend of 75% Merlot and 25% Cabernet Sauvignon, the 2021 is a rich and ample wine of tremendous energy and tension. This represents a modern style of Pomerol that will drink well upon release and also age.

Score: 94 Antonio Galloni, Inside Bordeaux Maturity: 2031-2046 Date: 27 February 2024

The 2021 Clinet has a relatively light nose compared to other vintages: blackberry, wild mint, touches of graphite and just a slight herbaceous note that becomes more accentuated with time. The palate is medium-bodied with firm tannins and fine acidity, quite spicy compared to its peers with, again, just a little greenness toward the finish (albeit less evident on a second bottle that shows more refinement). You feel that it's got something to offer a couple of years down the line, so give it some time in bottle.

Score: 93 Neal Martin, Vinous.com Maturity: 2028-2050 Date: 22 February 2024

Firm, lightly chewy yet creamy tannins. Savory bark and herb notes. Cloves and licorice, too. Medium body with a polished, lengthy and firm finish. Compact.

Score: 93 - 94 James Suckling, JamesSuckling.com Date: 01 May 2022

At 75% Merlot and fully 25% Cabernet Sauvignon, the 2021 Clinet contains the highest proportion of Cabernet in the blend (excepting the 2003) since at least the 1980s. Ronan Laborde harvested late, picking into mid-October, to craft a medium to full-bodied, deep and impressively seamless wine evocative of dark berries, baking chocolate, violets and spices. Concentrated and nicely integrated, it is one of the vintage's notable successes.

Score: 93 - 95 William Kelley, Wine Advocate, RobertParker.com Date: 29 April 2022

Coming from a mix of clay and gravelly soils spread across a 10-hectare vineyard and 40-year-old vines, the 2021 Château Clinet is another brilliant success by Ronan Laborde, who continues to make one of the greatest Pomerols out there. A blend of 75% Merlot and 25% Cabernet Sauvignon (which is a high percentage of Cabernet Sauvignon for Pomerol), it sports a deep purple hue to go with brilliant notes of blueberries, blackberries, violets, and minty herbs. More medium to full-bodied on the palate, it shows the fresher, elegant style of the vintage yet still brings plenty of mid-palate depth, ripe, velvety tannins, no hard edges, and a great finish. It's a stunning success in the vintage that will drink nicely on release yet evolve for 20 years or more.

Score: 93 - 96 Jeb Dunnuck, JebDunnuck.com Date: 06 February 2022