2021 Château Clinet, Pomerol, Bordeaux
Critics reviews
This is gracefully handled, sculpted black fruits, with blueberry, plum, truffle and cinnamon spice. A touch of bitter black chocolate on the finish, not the exuberant power of most years at Clinet, but a great handling of the vintage, concentrated but not overly extracted. 38hl/h yield. Tasted twice.
Drink 2026 - 2042
Jane Anson, JaneAnson.com (May 2022)
The 2021 Clinet is a blend of 75% Merlot and 25% Cabernet Sauvignon, picked September 27–30 and October 12, respectively, and aged in 80% new oak.
It has a well-defined bouquet of blackberry, graphite and light tobacco scents, very Left Bank in style – unsurprisingly, given the contribution of the Cabernet. Medium-bodied and sappy on the midpalate, with pliant tannins and moderate depth, and a lovely touch of black pepper toward the finish. Not a powerful Clinet and certainly far from the style of 15–20 years ago, but there’s a linearity and understatedness about this Pomerol, a freshness that should guarantee it will repay 5–6 years in bottle. This is a very well-crafted Clinet even if I do not rank it as a classic. If it puts on more weight, it may well land at the top of my banded score.
Drink 2028 - 2050
Neal Martin, Vinous.com (May 2022)
Crimson-purple hue. Dark and spicy on the nose and palate. Round and gourmand but fresh as well. Firm tannic frame, the tannins present but ripe adding power and length on the finish. There’s potential here.
Drink 2028 - 2040
James Lawther, JancisRobinson.com (May 2022)
The 2021 Clinet opens in the glass with aromas of dark berries, plums and licorice mingled with hints of mint and orange zest, followed by a medium to full-bodied palate with a sweet core of fruit that's framed by a chassis of sweet, powdery tannins that assert themselves on the oak-inflected finish. Out of the gates, this remains quite structured by its élevage.
Drink 2027 - 2041
William Kelley, Wine Advocate (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.
James Suckling, JamesSuckling.com (May 2022)
About this WINE
Château Clinet
Château Clinet is a wine estate in Pomerol on the Right Bank of Bordeaux. It is owned and run by Ronan Laborde and his partner, Monique Bailly. Ronan took the helm here in 2004.
The estate’s 11 hectares of vines sit atop the famed Pomerol plateau. The vineyard is planted to a majority of Merlot (75%), which Ronan feels is highly suited to the plateau’s iron-rich clay soils. There is also 25% Cabernet Sauvignon. Though rare in Pomerol, Cabernet Sauvignon has long been an important aspect of Clinet’s character; it once made up 50% of the vineyard here, Ronan reports.
Clinet came to the attention of many collectors when its 1989 vintage received a 100-point score from the critic Robert Parker; it has remained one of Bordeaux’s most sought-after names ever since. Another perfect Parker score followed for the 2009 vintage.
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.
Merlot/Cabernet Franc
Merlot and Cabernet Franc are grape varieties commonly used in Bordeaux-style blends, particularly in the Bordeaux region of France. When these two grapes are blended, they can create a wine that combines the best characteristics of each variety.
Merlot is known for its smoothness, soft tannins, and ripe fruit flavours. It often contributes black cherry, plum, and chocolate flavours to the blend. The grapes are relatively easy to grow and ripen earlier than other Bordeaux varieties, making them versatile for blending.
Cabernet Franc, on the other hand, adds structure, depth, and complexity to the blend. It typically brings aromas of red fruits such as raspberry and strawberry, along with herbal notes like bell pepper and tobacco. These grapes have thinner skins and can be more challenging to cultivate, requiring specific growing conditions to reach their full potential.
When Merlot and Cabernet Franc are combined, the result is a well-balanced wine with various flavours and aromas. The blend often exhibits a Bordeaux wine's medium to full body, along with a smooth texture and moderate tannins. The specific flavour profile can vary depending on the proportions of each grape in the blend and the terroir and winemaking techniques employed.
When is a wine ready to drink?
We provide drinking windows for all our wines. Alongside the drinking windows there is a bottle icon and a maturity stage. Bear in mind that the best time to drink a wine does also depend on your taste.
Not ready
These wines are very young. Whilst they're likely to have lots of intense flavours, their acidity or tannins may make them feel austere. Although it isn't "wrong" to drink these wines now, you are likely to miss out on a lot of complexity by not waiting for them to mature.
Ready - youthful
These wines are likely to have plenty of fruit flavours still and, for red wines, the tannins may well be quite noticeable. For those who prefer younger, fruitier wines, or if serving alongside a robust meal, these will be very enjoyable. If you choose to hold onto these wines, the fruit flavours will evolve into more savoury complexity.
Ready - at best
These wines are likely to have a beautiful balance of fruit, spice and savoury flavours. The acidity and tannins will have softened somewhat, and the wines will show plenty of complexity. For many, this is seen as the ideal time to drink and enjoy these wines. If you choose to hold onto these wines, they will become more savoury but not necessarily more complex.
Ready - mature
These wines are likely to have plenty of complexity, but the fruit flavours will have been almost completely replaced by savoury and spice notes. These wines may have a beautiful texture at this stage of maturity. There is lots to enjoy when drinking wines at this stage. Most of these wines will hold in this window for a few years, though at the very end of this drinking window, wines start to lose complexity and decline.
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Description
Merlot 75%, Cabernet Sauvignon 25%.
Clinet’s high proportion of Cabernet Sauvignon is now a bit higher (some Merlot was removed in 2019). Ronan Laborde hopes to reach 50% Cabernet Sauvignon on his deep gravels. Unsurprisingly, Clinet tends to be more muscular, dark and brooding – particularly in recent hot vintages. But the ’21 has allowed contrasts to appear; with the ripe aromas of plum and Asian spice there are leavening notes of slate and tobacco. Enough of Clinet’s usual richer style remains, but there is also some subtlety and weave from the vintage that suits the wine very well indeed.
Our score: 17.5/20
Berry Bros. & Rudd
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