Winemaker Notes
It is an incredible charmer, evoking immediate pleasure and certain seduction. When it reveals its elegance, its roundness, its opulence it pays tribute to its origins, rare and inimitable. Clos l’Eglise is a philanthropist who leaves behind, on meeting, the persistent memory of a tender emotion.
Professional Ratings
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Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
The 2015 Clos l'Eglise was picked on 8, 14 and 23 September apropos the Merlot and the Cabernet Franc on 23 September. Co-proprietor Hélène Garçin-Léveque told me that for the first time, Clos l'Eglise was one of the first Pomerols to be picked since they felt that the grapes were fully ripe. So why wait? That clearly is vindicated by the bouquet with ebullient, ripe blackberry and wild strawberry fruit, almost Burgundy-like in terms of its purity. The palate is medium-bodied with very fine, tensile tannin, brimming over with energy, tightly packed towards the more linear finish than usual. This is a Clos l'Eglise built for long-term bottle ageing, though I suspect it will actually come round a little earlier than usual. A wonderful Pomerol, almost understated, but full of personality. Barrel Sample: 94-96
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James Suckling
A tight and focused red with blackberry, dark-chocolate and hazelnut aromas and flavors, which follow through to a full body. Integrated and round tannins and a flavorful finish. Needs three or four years to soften but very focused and precise. Structured. Try in 2021.
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Decanter
Aromatic complexity on the nose with a Burgundian nuance. The palate is fresh, fragrant and caressing, then powerful tannins provide plenty of length and drive on the finish.
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Wine Spectator
A polished, rounded style, with a friendly licorice and singed vanilla frame around a core of warm cherry and plum compote flavors. Gains some juicy energy through the finish, with the fruit showing ample persistence. Best from 2021 through 2032.
One of the world’s most classic and popular styles of red wine, Bordeaux-inspired blends have spread from their homeland in France to nearly every corner of the New World. Typically based on either Cabernet Sauvignon or Merlot and supported by Cabernet Franc, Malbec and Petit Verdot, the best of these are densely hued, fragrant, full of fruit and boast a structure that begs for cellar time. Somm Secret—Blends from Bordeaux are generally earthier compared to those from the New World, which tend to be fruit-dominant.
A source of exceptionally sensual and glamorous red wines, Pomerol is actually a rather small appellation in an unassuming countryside. It sits on a plateau immediately northeast of the city of Libourne on the right bank of the Dordogne River. Pomerol and St-Émilion are the stars of what is referred to as Right Bank Bordeaux: Merlot-dominant red blends completed by various amounts of Cabernet Franc or Cabernet Sauvignon. While Pomerol has no official classification system, its best wines are some of the world’s most sought after.
Historically Pomerol attached itself to the larger and more picturesque neighboring region of St-Émilion until the late 1800s when discerning French consumers began to recognize the quality and distinction of Pomerol on its own. Its popularity spread to northern Europe in the early 1900s.
After some notable vintages of the 1940s, the Pomerol producer, Petrus, began to achieve great international attention and brought widespread recognition to the appellation. Its subsequent distribution by the successful Libourne merchant, Jean-Pierre Mouiex, magnified Pomerol's fame after the Second World War.
Perfect for Merlot, the soils of Pomerol—clay on top of well-drained subsoil—help to create wines capable of displaying an unprecedented concentration of color and flavor.
The best Pomerol wines will be intensely hued, with qualities of fresh wild berries, dried fig or concentrated black plum preserves. Aromas may be of forest floor, sifted cocoa powder, anise, exotic spice or toasted sugar and will have a silky, smooth but intense texture.