L'Eglise Clinet 2025 (1.5L)

95-97 Points, Antonio Galloni, Vinous: "The 2025 L'Eglise-Clinet is totally seamless. Crème de cassis, lavender, licorice, mocha, pomegranate and jasmine caress the palate. Impossibly fine, silky tannins frame the mid-palate. Time in the glass brings out the wine's textural richness and all the gravitas that is such a signature here. Gravel, dried herbs, mocha and lavender shape the huge, dramatic finish." 04/26

97 Points, Jane Anson, Inside Bordeaux: "Luscious dark cassis and bilberry fruits, pure perfume, peony and red rose petals, a standout in Pomerol, there is an enveloping and expansive mid palate with full on fennel and anis on close of play, so good, a wine full of emotion and grace. 75% new oak. Harvest September 4 to 12. Cooler fermentation than usual, not higher than 28C, because thick skins. 3.5ph. 4.5ha, so only 3 tanks compared to 5 normally, 30hll/ha. Olivier Guatraut cellar master with Noémie Durantou winemaker." 04/26

97-98 Points, James Suckling, JamesSuckling.com: "The definition, freshness and complexity are very impressive already. It’s like a finished wine. It’s medium-bodied with precise and vivid flavors of blackberries and cool olives. Long, energetic and dense yet not heavy. Classy. A blend of 90% merlot and 10% cabernet franc." 04/26

96-98 Points, Neal Martin, Vinous: "The 2025 L'Eglise-Clinet was picked on 4 and 5 September for the Merlot and the same days plus 12 September for the Cabernet Franc; this vintage matured in 75% new oak. The aromatics are timid at first, but unfurl in the glass, revealing enticing scents of raspberry, wild strawberry, truffle oil and cedar. The oak is beautifully integrated, and it gains delineation with each swirl. The palate is medium-bodied, with fine tannins, one of the most mineral-driven L'Eglise-Clinet wines that I have tasted from barrel, gaining cohesion and poise, with perfectly judged acidity and a gentle but insistent grip on the finish. There is a verticality to this Pomerol that gives it a more cerebral slant compared to the 2022, but it is still quite delicious. That said, I would still give it a few years in bottle." 05/26

97-99 Points, Jeb Dunnuck, JebDunnuck.com: "Red and blue fruits, sappy spring flowers, violets, graphite, and chocolate all define the 2025 Château L'Eglise Clinet, a blend of 90% Merlot and 10% Cabernet Franc resting in 75% new oak. Coming from tiny yields with no saignée and very little press wine, the harvest ran from September 4th through the 12th, and the result is a rich, powerful, yet finesse-driven Pomerol with fine, polished tannins and a wonderful sense of freshness. It's going to require some patience, but it will undoubtedly be worth it." 05/26

96 Points, Georgina Hindle, Decanter: "Ripe blackcurrant and cherry aromas with some dried herbs and floral aspects – liquorice, cola, cinnamon, violets, peonies and bramble berries. Intense and concentrated from the start with equally vibrant acidity to match the quite lively, ripe and fresh fruit. Well textured, crushed velvet in the mouth, immediately quite serious and profound. Dark, heady, sexy almost but still relatively compact and tightly wound right now. Firm, fresh, lively but balanced acidity and dark fruit with a liquorice and salty edge. Incredibly compelling, a wine you want to sit with. Still quite high acidity – I think ageing will round this out and add a touch of gloss. A yield of 33hl/ha. Ageing 75% new oak." 03/26