critic reviews
A little less Cabernet Franc than you tend to find in this wine today, but it still makes an impact. Beautiful juicy, touches of black cherry, butterscotch and smoked caramel, softens on the finish to blond tobacco, black pepper and white truffles. Very Pomerol, plenty of joy in this glass. Ready to drink but will hold for another decade at least. Harvest began September 14. Jean-Baptiste Audy had just come back to join the family estate at the time, working alongside his father.
The 2005 Clos du Clocher offers good density and plenty of power. Mature aromatics and potent, searing tannins argue for drinking this sooner rather than later. This is a decidedly heady, extracted style. I find the tannins and finish a bit astringent.
The 2005 Clos du Clocher is a blend of 75% Merlot and 25% Cabernet Franc from a beautifully situated vineyard near the appellations lovely church on the heavily clay-dominated plateau of Pomerol. This property produces less than 2,000 cases of wine. With a gorgeous concentration of mocha, coffee, chocolate, kirsch and blackcurrant, this stunning, full-bodied 2005 is soft, silky, opulent and luscious. This beautifully rich, heady Pomerol is certainly a star of the appellation in this vintage. Drink it over the next 10-15 years.