2018 Château L'Eglise Clinet Pomerol

Incredible purity of fruit here with blackberry, black olive, concrete, stone, and violet in the nose. It’s full-bodied with a powerful palate of fruit that shows a wet-earth and black-truffle undertone. The tannins are intense and chewy, yet wonderfully polished and poised. Superb length in the finish. One built for long cellaring. Try after 2027. ~99 Points, James Suckling.

One of the blockbusters in the vintage is Denis Durantou's 2018 Chateau L'Eglise Clinet, which is a normal blend of 90% Merlot and 10% Cabernet Franc brought up in 70% new French oak. This deep purple-hued beauty boasts an awesome, full-bodied, opulent personality as well as classic Pomerol notes of blackcurrants, black cherries, damp earth, chocolate, tobacco, and flowers. Rich, concentrated, and sexy, yet not over the top in any way, it expands on the palate, has sweet tannins, background oak, and a great, great finish. It already offers pleasure yet won't hit prime time for another 7-8 years and is going to evolve for 25-30 years or more, and probably have a gradual decline after that. ~99 Points, Jeb Dunnuck.

A blend of 90% Merlot and 10% Cabernet Franc, the 2018 L'Eglise Clinet has a 3.63 pH and 14.5% alcohol. It was aged in 70% new barriques. Deep garnet-purple in color, it opens with a stunning fragrant-earth perfume, accented by notions of wild mushrooms, mossy tree bark, and crushed rocks, giving way to a core of black raspberries, plum preserves, and fresh blueberries, plus wafts of lavender and clove oil. Medium to full-bodied, the palate shimmers with energy, delivering slow-releasing black fruit and earthy layers, framed by very ripe, finely-grained tannins and fantastic tension. It finishes with epic length and subtlety. It is already so evocative and beautifully expressed at this youthful stage that is tempting to broach straight away, but give it another 5-6 years to really fan its feathers, and drink it over the next 40 or more years. ~98 Points, Robert Parker's Wine Advocate.

The 2018 L'Eglise-Clinet is insanely beautiful and vivid, not to mention one of the wines of the vintage on the Right Bank. Vertical and explosive in feel, 2018 is rapturous from the very first taste. Inky dark red and purplish fruit, mocha, lavender, crushed rocks, and rose petal are some of the many aromas and flavors that build through to the exceptionally long, vibrant finish. But L'Eglise-Clinet is so much more than that. It's a Pomerol of tremendous distinction and class. Give it a few years in bottle and then enjoy it over the next several decades. ~98 Points, Vinous Media.

Lush in feel, with boysenberry reduction and crushed plum flavors, carried by a polished, solid structure. A mineral hint filters through on the finish, adding length and cut. ~98-95 Points, Wine Spectator.

This is plush, with touches of chocolate shavings, olive paste, clove, rosemary, and sage right from the opening beats. Blackberry and raspberry layer up flavors that lift out of the glass, then the aromatics take over with soft smoke and grilled almonds. Seductive, a reminder of Durantou's ability to tease layers and nuances out of even warm vintages. Austere on the finish, with chalky tannins at this stage - this is knitted down and will reward patience. ~97 Points, Decanter.

Deep dark ruby ​​garnet, violet reflections, delicate lightening of the edges. Nuances of precious wood, black fruit, delicate notes of liquorice and tobacco, spicy bouquet. Complex on the palate, ripe cherries, firm, integrated tannins, mineral touch on the finish, some nougat, very good length, promising development potential. ~96 Points, Falstaff.

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