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Tasting Notes
The unusual and high proportion of Cabernet Sauvignon at Ch. Clinet (25%) was a great influence in the 2021. September’s sunny days and cool nights were ideal for ripening the variety. It provides the Clinet with a lovely cassis nose, with a scented lift of incense, and good structure on the palate. The aromas meld beautifully with the new oak, giving the wine a lovely peppery spice note. There is great clarity of fruit on the palate and impressive body and concentration, notably more than most – full of juicy blueberry, plum and red cherry fruit. There is a voluptuousness to the wine, yet it also remains elegant and full of tension. A real highlight. 75% Merlot, 25% Cabernet Sauvignon
Critic Scores
Average Score
William Kelley, Wine Advocate
Antonio Galloni, Vinous
More reviews and scores
Coming from a mix of clay and gravelly soils spread across a 10-hectare vineyard and 40-year-old vines, the 2021 Château Clinet is another brilliant success by Ronan Laborde, who continues to make one of the greatest Pomerols out there. A blend of 75% Merlot and 25% Cabernet Sauvignon (which is a high percentage of Cabernet Sauvignon for Pomerol), it sports a deep purple hue to go with brilliant notes of blueberries, blackberries, violets, and minty herbs. More medium to full-bodied on the palate, it shows the fresher, elegant style of the vintage yet still brings plenty of mid-palate depth, ripe, velvety tannins, no hard edges, and a great finish. It's a stunning success in the vintage that will drink nicely on release yet evolve for 20 years or more.
The 2021 Clinet is gorgeous. Soaring Cabernet Sauvignon aromatics lend presence to a deep, beautifully layered Pomerol that gets better and better with time in the glass. I especially admire the vibrancy here. At 25%, the Cabernet Sauvignon is high for Clinet, but it's an approach that works quite well in 2021. This is a fine vintage for Clinet.
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.
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About the producer
With Ronan Laborde at the helm, this property has become one of Pomerol’s most sought-after. He has increased the proportion of Cabernet Sauvignon, which historically represented half the vineyard area here.