wine details
reviews
Jancis Robinson 16.5+75% Merlot, 25% Cabernet Sauvignon. Cask sample. 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. James Lawther MW
Vinous 92-94
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. Neal Martin
James Suckling 93-94
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.
Wine Advocate 93-95
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. William Kelley