2011 Château Feytit-Clinet, Pomerol, Bordeaux
Critics reviews
Robert M. Parker, Jr. - 30/04/2014
Robert Parker - Wine Advocate - April 2012
About this WINE
Chateau Feytit-Clinet
Situated on the western part of the plateau in the Pomerol wine appellation in Bordeaux, Château Feytit-Clinet belonged to the stable of Moueix family wines until 1999.
Jeremy Chasseuil arrived at Château Feytit-Clinet in time for the stunning 2000 vintage. Previously a wine-maker at Château La Dominique, his efforts since have resulted in some very impressive wines.
Soils here are rich in clay which favours the Merlot grape rather than the Cabernets, and Jeremy has exploited them perfectly to produce succulent wines, never over-extracted, and full of charm and distinction.
Pomerol
Pomerol is the smallest of Bordeaux's major appellations, with about 150 producers and approximately 740 hectares of vineyards. It is home to many bijou domaines, many of which produce little more than 1,000 cases per annum.
Both the topography and architecture of the region is unremarkable, but the style of the wines is most individual. The finest vineyards are planted on a seam of rich clay which extends across the gently-elevated plateau of Pomerol, which runs from the north-eastern boundary of St Emilion. On the sides of the plateau, the soil becomes sandier and the wines lighter.
There is one satellite region to the immediate north, Lalande-de-Pomerol whose wines are stylistically very similar, if sometimes lacking the finesse of its neighbour. There has never been a classification of Pomerol wines.
Recommended Châteaux : Ch. Pétrus, Vieux Ch. Certan, Le Pin, Ch. L’Eglise-Clinet, Ch. La Conseillante, Ch. L’Evangile, Ch. Lafleur, Trotanoy, Ch. Nenin, Ch. Beauregard, Ch. Feytit-Clinet, Le Gay.
Cabernet Sauvignon Blend
Cabernet Sauvignon lends itself particularly well in blends with Merlot. This is actually the archetypal Bordeaux blend, though in different proportions in the sub-regions and sometimes topped up with Cabernet Franc, Malbec, and Petit Verdot.
In the Médoc and Graves the percentage of Cabernet Sauvignon in the blend can range from 95% (Mouton-Rothschild) to as low as 40%. It is particularly suited to the dry, warm, free- draining, gravel-rich soils and is responsible for the redolent cassis characteristics as well as the depth of colour, tannic structure and pronounced acidity of Médoc wines. However 100% Cabernet Sauvignon wines can be slightly hollow-tasting in the middle palate and Merlot with its generous, fleshy fruit flavours acts as a perfect foil by filling in this cavity.
In St-Emilion and Pomerol, the blends are Merlot dominated as Cabernet Sauvignon can struggle to ripen there - when it is included, it adds structure and body to the wine. Sassicaia is the most famous Bordeaux blend in Italy and has spawned many imitations, whereby the blend is now firmly established in the New World and particularly in California and Australia.
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Description
As I have written in previous Bordeaux reports, proprietor Chasseuil is on the move qualitatively, taking Feytit-Clinet to the summit of Pomerol. Readers should latch on to a few bottles as it is just a matter of time before prices reflect the quality at this estate. Another big-time winner, the 2011 boasts a blue/black/purple color and thick, rich, meaty, blood-like berry fruit intermixed with hints of truffles and licorice. This formidably endowed wine (one of the most concentrated of the vintage) has no hard edges. The final blend was 93% Merlot and 7% Cabernet Franc. Give it another 3-4 years to develop a few nuances aromatically, and drink it over the following 10-15 years.
Robert M. Parker, Jr. - 30/04/2014
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