Eglise Clinet 2012

Pomerol

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Tasting Notes
A wine that wins my nomination for the title of "wine of the vintage" is the 2012 L'Eglise Clinet, a fleshy and enveloping Pomerol evocative of dark cherries and berries mingled with licorice, spices, pencil lead, truffle and rose petals. Full-bodied, broad and textural, it's lavish and expansive, with terrific depth at the core, supple tannins and a long, resonant finish. Seamless, charming and impeccably balanced, this transcends the vintage, and while it's deceptively drinkable now, it remains a mere adolescent at age 11. Score: 100 William Kelley, Wine Advocate, RobertParker.com 21 December 2023
The 2012 l'Eglise-Clinet has a hedonistic nose with plush red fruit, blueberry, white pepper and clove, more liquorice scents emerging with time. A second bottle at Bordeaux Index's tasting demonstrates a little more refinement. The palate is medium-bodied with supple tannins, fine acidity, very harmonious with a slightly granular texture. Brown spices, a touch of leather, quite structured on the finish, yet this feels mature. Drink now, but it has the substance to keep for a number of years. Tasted blind at the Southwold Ten-Year On tasting. Score: 94 Neal Martin, Vinous.com Maturity: 2022-2040 27 September 2022
The 2012 l’Eglise-Clinet was picked 21 September to 4 October for the Merlot and on 6 October for the Cabernet Franc. This is one of my favorite recent vintages. It is so vivacious and well defined on the disarming nose with pretty red cherry and strawberry aromas, crushed stone, smoke and wilted rose petal. The palate is medium-bodied with fine tannin, endowed with a sense of exuberance that the 2013 could only dream of. I admire the precision and tension interwoven through this l’Eglise-Clinet and the manner in which it fans out on the succulent finish. This is a Pomerol that just wants to go out and give pleasure. Tasted at the l’Eglise-Clinet vertical at the château in April 2018. Score: 95 Neal Martin, Vinous.com Maturity: 2020-2050 01 July 2019
The carefully-crafted precision of the fruits is clear right from the first nose. A serious, subdued L'Eglise Clinet at 10 years old, putting a marker down in terms of carefully-crafted fruits and fine-boned tannins. Enjoyable, tertiary notes of truffles and earth are just beginning to surface. 80% new oak. Score: 96 Jane Anson, Inside Bordeaux Maturity: 2022-2038 30 March 2022
The 2012 Petit Eglise is round, sensual and inviting, with striking depth for a second label. Sweet red cherry, plum, exotic spice and licorice are all pushed forward. With air, the wine gains lift, finesse and delineation. Hints of lavender, sage and mint add brightness on the nuanced finish. There is a lot to like here. The Petit Eglise, 100% Merlot, is the second wine from L'Eglise Clinet, and it is a winner. Score: 90 Antonio Galloni, Inside Bordeaux Maturity: 2018-2032 01 January 2016
This small estate makesconsistently outstanding wines. Insane aromas of wet earth, dried fruit, oyster shell and white pepper. A full body and seamless texture with gorgeous tannins and fruit. Drink or hold Score: 95 James Suckling, JamesSuckling.com 15 June 2015
This really builds at the end of the palate, which clearly shows it’s top notch. It’s full-bodied, and grows on the palate ever so steadily. Lovely berry, chocolate, and hazelnut character. Goes on for a minutes. This has wonderful tannin tension for the vintage. Better than 2011. Score: 94 - 95 James Suckling, JamesSuckling.com 04 April 2013
A gorgeous wine from proprietor Denis Durantou, this blend of 85% Merlot and 15% Cabernet Franc is an inky purple color, with gorgeous purity of black raspberries, blackcurrants and blackberry with a hint of truffle and spring flowers. Its is full-bodied, opulent and a tour de force in this vintage. Great presence on the palate, fabulous purity and a long finish make for a magnificent bottle of wine to drink over the next 20-some years. Score: 96 Robert Parker, Wine Advocate, RobertParker.com Maturity: 2015-2035 01 April 2015
Along with Petrus, the 2012 l’Eglise Clinet is the potential wine of the vintage. An amazing tour de force in winemaking, the wine’s inky/purple color is accompanied by copious notes of spring flowers, crème de cassis, kirsch liqueur, truffles, caramels and graphite. Full-bodied with enormous concentration, the purity, exquisite balance and sheer gravitas and palate presence of this massive yet phenomenally compelling Pomerol are something to behold. Kudos to l’Eglise Clinet. This wine will be approachable in 4-5 years, and last for three decades or more. An amazing performance from proprietor Denis Durantou, this blend of 85% Merlot (harvested between September 21 and October 4) and 15% Cabernet Franc (harvested October 6) hits all the sweet spots in the olfactory senses as well as on the more crude palate. Score: 96 - 100 Robert Parker, Wine Advocate, RobertParker.com Maturity: 2017-2047 26 April 2013
(90% merlot and 10% cabernet franc; 80% new oak): Deep ruby. Exceptionally pure aromas of fresh blackcurrant, blueberry, minerals, violet and sweet spices. Sweet, suave and dense, with highly refined flavors of red berries, blackberry and cinnamon, and an impression of sucrositÃ© that is truly unforgettable. The finish is long and delicately peppery, with lingering nuances of cinnamon, vanilla and strawberry jam and building, youthfully chewy but noble tannins. This very refined wine may turn out to be one of the handful of stars of the vintage. The merlot was harvested between Sept 21 and October 4, and the cabernet franc on October 6th. Score: 92 - 94 Ian D'Agata, Inside Bordeaux 01 May 2013
90% Merlot, 10% Cabernet Franc, on clay and gravel, very small volume this year. Deep dark crimson. Black core. Just-ripe dark fruit and sweet oak spice on the nose. Hint of char and cedar. Chewy and firm and just enough fruit in the middle but only just. Savoury, lots of char but lots more to come. It's less approachable than many a 2012. I like its earthy firmness but the char taste on the oak seems a little heavy. Score: 17 Julia Harding MW, JancisRobinson.com Maturity: 2016-2025 26 April 2013
Ripe, focused, pure and precise, this pulls raspberry, cherry and red currant fruit together seamlessly, letting the floral, iron and incense notes flicker through the long, silky finish. A beautiful wine. Score: 93 - 96 James Molesworth, Wine Spectator 08 April 2013

Tasting Notes

A wine that wins my nomination for the title of "wine of the vintage" is the 2012 L'Eglise Clinet, a fleshy and enveloping Pomerol evocative of dark cherries and berries mingled with licorice, spices, pencil lead, truffle and rose petals. Full-bodied, broad and textural, it's lavish and expansive, with terrific depth at the core, supple tannins and a long, resonant finish. Seamless, charming and impeccably balanced, this transcends the vintage, and while it's deceptively drinkable now, it remains a mere adolescent at age 11.

Score: 100

William Kelley, Wine Advocate, RobertParker.com 21 December 2023

The 2012 l'Eglise-Clinet has a hedonistic nose with plush red fruit, blueberry, white pepper and clove, more liquorice scents emerging with time. A second bottle at Bordeaux Index's tasting demonstrates a little more refinement. The palate is medium-bodied with supple tannins, fine acidity, very harmonious with a slightly granular texture. Brown spices, a touch of leather, quite structured on the finish, yet this feels mature. Drink now, but it has the substance to keep for a number of years. Tasted blind at the Southwold Ten-Year On tasting.

Score: 94

Neal Martin, Vinous.com Maturity: 2022-2040 27 September 2022

The 2012 l’Eglise-Clinet was picked 21 September to 4 October for the Merlot and on 6 October for the Cabernet Franc. This is one of my favorite recent vintages. It is so vivacious and well defined on the disarming nose with pretty red cherry and strawberry aromas, crushed stone, smoke and wilted rose petal. The palate is medium-bodied with fine tannin, endowed with a sense of exuberance that the 2013 could only dream of. I admire the precision and tension interwoven through this l’Eglise-Clinet and the manner in which it fans out on the succulent finish. This is a Pomerol that just wants to go out and give pleasure. Tasted at the l’Eglise-Clinet vertical at the château in April 2018.

Score: 95

Neal Martin, Vinous.com Maturity: 2020-2050 01 July 2019

The carefully-crafted precision of the fruits is clear right from the first nose. A serious, subdued L'Eglise Clinet at 10 years old, putting a marker down in terms of carefully-crafted fruits and fine-boned tannins. Enjoyable, tertiary notes of truffles and earth are just beginning to surface. 80% new oak.

Score: 96

Jane Anson, Inside Bordeaux Maturity: 2022-2038 30 March 2022

The 2012 Petit Eglise is round, sensual and inviting, with striking depth for a second label. Sweet red cherry, plum, exotic spice and licorice are all pushed forward. With air, the wine gains lift, finesse and delineation. Hints of lavender, sage and mint add brightness on the nuanced finish. There is a lot to like here. The Petit Eglise, 100% Merlot, is the second wine from L'Eglise Clinet, and it is a winner.

Score: 90

Antonio Galloni, Inside Bordeaux Maturity: 2018-2032 01 January 2016

This small estate makesconsistently outstanding wines. Insane aromas of wet earth, dried fruit, oyster shell and white pepper. A full body and seamless texture with gorgeous tannins and fruit. Drink or hold

Score: 95

James Suckling, JamesSuckling.com 15 June 2015

This really builds at the end of the palate, which clearly shows it’s top notch. It’s full-bodied, and grows on the palate ever so steadily. Lovely berry, chocolate, and hazelnut character. Goes on for a minutes. This has wonderful tannin tension for the vintage. Better than 2011.

Score: 94 - 95

James Suckling, JamesSuckling.com 04 April 2013

A gorgeous wine from proprietor Denis Durantou, this blend of 85% Merlot and 15% Cabernet Franc is an inky purple color, with gorgeous purity of black raspberries, blackcurrants and blackberry with a hint of truffle and spring flowers. Its is full-bodied, opulent and a tour de force in this vintage. Great presence on the palate, fabulous purity and a long finish make for a magnificent bottle of wine to drink over the next 20-some years.

Score: 96

Robert Parker, Wine Advocate, RobertParker.com Maturity: 2015-2035 01 April 2015

Along with Petrus, the 2012 l’Eglise Clinet is the potential wine of the vintage. An amazing tour de force in winemaking, the wine’s inky/purple color is accompanied by copious notes of spring flowers, crème de cassis, kirsch liqueur, truffles, caramels and graphite. Full-bodied with enormous concentration, the purity, exquisite balance and sheer gravitas and palate presence of this massive yet phenomenally compelling Pomerol are something to behold. Kudos to l’Eglise Clinet. This wine will be approachable in 4-5 years, and last for three decades or more. An amazing performance from proprietor Denis Durantou, this blend of 85% Merlot (harvested between September 21 and October 4) and 15% Cabernet Franc (harvested October 6) hits all the sweet spots in the olfactory senses as well as on the more crude palate.

Score: 96 - 100

Robert Parker, Wine Advocate, RobertParker.com Maturity: 2017-2047 26 April 2013

(90% merlot and 10% cabernet franc; 80% new oak): Deep ruby. Exceptionally pure aromas of fresh blackcurrant, blueberry, minerals, violet and sweet spices. Sweet, suave and dense, with highly refined flavors of red berries, blackberry and cinnamon, and an impression of sucrositÃ© that is truly unforgettable. The finish is long and delicately peppery, with lingering nuances of cinnamon, vanilla and strawberry jam and building, youthfully chewy but noble tannins. This very refined wine may turn out to be one of the handful of stars of the vintage. The merlot was harvested between Sept 21 and October 4, and the cabernet franc on October 6th.

Score: 92 - 94

Ian D'Agata, Inside Bordeaux 01 May 2013

90% Merlot, 10% Cabernet Franc, on clay and gravel, very small volume this year. Deep dark crimson. Black core. Just-ripe dark fruit and sweet oak spice on the nose. Hint of char and cedar. Chewy and firm and just enough fruit in the middle but only just. Savoury, lots of char but lots more to come. It's less approachable than many a 2012. I like its earthy firmness but the char taste on the oak seems a little heavy.

Score: 17

Julia Harding MW, JancisRobinson.com Maturity: 2016-2025 26 April 2013

Ripe, focused, pure and precise, this pulls raspberry, cherry and red currant fruit together seamlessly, letting the floral, iron and incense notes flicker through the long, silky finish. A beautiful wine.

Score: 93 - 96

James Molesworth, Wine Spectator 08 April 2013

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