2014 Clinet (Pomerol)

More bursting with fruit in 2014 than usual. Its body has held on to its softness. Long refined finish. 90 points

The Château Clinet 2014 is a blend of 90% Merlot, 9% Cabernet Sauvignon and 1% Cabernet Franc picked from 23 to 30 September, 3 October for the old Merlot vines and 8 October with respect Cabernets. It was cropped at 40 hectoliters per hectare and matured in 60% new barrels and 40% second fill. It has a well-defined bouquet, quite stony compared to more fruit-driven Pomerol 14`s, scents of gravel percolating through the light blackberry and boysenberry fruit. The palate is medium-bodied with quite firm, slightly abrasive tannin at the moment that will hopefully be abraded during its barrel age. It feels a little attenuated on the finish and you feel taken aback by the lack of its usual concentration and flamboyance on the finish. Interestingly a second sample (at the UGC) showed more cohesion and weight on the finish vis to the sample at the château. Ronan Laborde has produced some truly wonderful wines at Clinet in recent years, but I need convincing that the 2014 will join their ranks. I will hopefully re-taste this later during its barrel maturation and report back. 89-91? points

High in Cabernet Sauvignon by the standards of Pomerol, Clinet makes wines that have structure as well as freshness. This is a very modern style, with prominent but well handled oak, silky tannins, bright acidity and notes of red berries and blackberry. The palate length is impressive here. 93 points