Château L'Eglise Clinet, Pomerol, 2005
This is the second wine of l'Eglise-Clinet, the resounding superstar of the Right Bank in this memorable vintage. Denis Durantou assures us that this is the last parcel of this delectable wine left on the market, and as we watch the prices of all the most appealing 2005's begin to take off for real we have been able to negotiate a very reasonable price. The Durantou violets sing out on the nose; there is great purity and fresh, cool fruit on the palate. Good sweetness, and plenty of rounded tannins. Approaching drinking in about six months' time, it will last well into the next decade.
critic reviews
The 2005 l’Eglise-Clinet was picked 9 to 23 September. The bouquet races out of the blocks with red berry fruit, brown spices, black truffle and a whiff of smoke. Give it several minutes in the glass and it develops some gorgeous floral aromas, iris and violet, gaining precision with every swirl. The palate is medium-bodied with firm tannin that frame layers of red fruit infused with tea leaf, bay leaf, a touch of white pepper and an almost ferrous finish that caresses gently. This has long been a deeply impressive l’Eglise-Clinet with a half-century lifespan. Tasted at the l’Eglise-Clinet vertical at the château in April 2018.
The Chateau l'Eglise-Clinet 2005 was served from bottle and from magnum (both ex-cellar). It has a magnificent nose with bewitching delineation: darker fruit than either the 2003 or 2004, blackberry, raspberry, hints of black tea and black truffle. The palate is medium-bodied with brilliant focus, still quite backward as so many grandees of this vintage remain, albeit beginning to soften towards the licorice-tinged finish. This is a benchmark for both Denis Durantou and this Pomerol estate, although I can see it testing wine-lovers' patience. Tasted March 2015.