La Petite Eglise (2nd label Eglise Clinet) 2019

This is so perfumed with violets and blackberries, even some black truffles. Full-bodied with wonderfully polished tannins that melt into the wine. Reserved at the finish. Extremely racy and long. The 20% cabernet franc in the blend gives this depth and complexity. One of the best I remember. Try after 2026.

The 2019 La Petite Eglise has turned out brilliantly in bottle, wafting from the glass with aromas of raspberries, sweet spices, rose petals, black truffle, orange rind and loamy soil. Medium to full-bodied, velvety and concentrated, it's supple and enveloping, with lively acids, powdery tannins and a long, penetrating finish. These days, this isn't really a "second wine" per se, as it combines some younger vine fruit with two dedicated parcels, one located next to Pomerol's church, the other by the château of La Fleur-Pétrus.

One of Pomerol's greatest estates, the bulk of L'Eglise Clinet's holdings are located around the winery itself, opposite Château Clinet, complemented by two small parcels, one by the church and another next to the château of La Fleur-Pétrus. The oldest vines date back to 1919, and the late Denis Durantou—whose swan-song vintage the wines reviewed here represent—was a great believer in the importance of high-quality vine genetics and propagating his own massal selections to replant here, as well as his other right bank estates. Vinification is simple but meticulous, with fermentations at relatively low temperature in stainless steel, malolactic fermentation in tank and maturation in some 80% new oak, the vast majority sourced from Tonnellerie Darnajou. The result? Wines that represent the appellation at its best: dominated by Merlot, but concentrated, structured and serious; developing extraordinary complexity with bottle age—the antithesis, in other words, of Pomerol's alter ego, the fleshy fruit-bombs from sandy soils on the periphery of the appellation. - Drink 2024-2045

On a personal note, readers may forgive me if I reminisce about my first visit chez Durantou. Walking through Pomerol's vineyards as a student one July 14th, a national holiday in France as in the United States, Denis spotted me and stopped his car. "What are you up to?", he inquired, and when I responded that we were trying to get the lay of the land, he asked if my friends were thirsty. When we replied in the affirmative, he told us to meet him at his winery and promptly opened several bottles of the 2000 L'Eglise Clinet to slake our thirst. By the account of many who knew him better than me, that generosity of spirit was typical of Denis Durantou; and while I'm as dispassionate as possible about the wines I review, I admit that the L'Eglise Clinet in my own cellar numbers among the wines I would never part with.

The 2019 La Petite Eglise is a blend of 90% Merlot and 10% Cabernet Franc. Deep garnet-purple in color, the nose starts off slightly reduced, but with a little swirling, it comes sailing out of the glass with bright, pristine notes of kirsch, black raspberries and blackberry preserves, followed by suggestions of garrigue, tilled soil, wild mushrooms and bouquet garni with a waft of cloves. The medium-bodied palate has vibrant, impactful black and red fruit layers with a very fine-grained texture and tons of freshness, finishing long and earthy. This year, this sincerely is a “Petite” L’Eglise Clinet!

Waves of blueberry and raspberry fruits, and this is clearly an exceptional Pomerol, with tension and nuance. Harvest September 18 to 26 40% new oak. Bottled in May.

Tasted blind. Light nose. Sweet but a bit simple and without real structure. Fine for easy, early drinking. 14.5%
Drink 2024– 2030

The 2019 is a blend of 80% Merlot and 20% Cabernet Franc which will be aged in 35% new French oak at an abv of 14.5%. Just 4,500 bottles will be produced as a result of the pulled out vines. Deep ruby in colour with fleshy, ripe cherries and notes of cedar and cinnamon on the nose. The palate is very glossy and soft, showcasing creamy red fruit and sweet baking spices. This soft, sumptuous and approachable wine will drink well from an early stage. Long and juicy with red fruit on the finish.

80% Merlot, 20% Cabernet Franc; 35% new oak. This is the second year the young-vine Cabernet Franc from L’Église-Clinet has been added. Barrel sample.
Exudes charm, the aromatics and flavour pure, fragrant and redolent of summer fruits. Fine, supple tannins. Good tension and balance. Finishes clean as a whistle. More for the short/medium term than the long haul. (JL) 14.5%
Drink 2023 – 2031