The Wine Cellar Insider
byJeff Levethe4/30/2016
It’s difficult to know where to start with this deep, ruby colored wine. The first thing you notice is the floral bouquet, which is quickly followed by anisette cookies, cherry blossoms, spice box, plums and, just for a touch of adrenaline, a hint of espresso. Pure sensuality with silky, polished, opulent tannins that give this wine a really sexy mouth feel. Voluptuous in texture, this is hedonism at its best. The wine is rich, concentrated and full-bodied, leaving you reclined upon layers of freshness, power, finesse and velvet. This is quite close to the stunning 2010 Clinet in quality. With that in mind, it's important to note that the best vintages of Clinet always improve in the bottle and I'm willing to bet this is no exception. From a blend of 90% Merlot, 9% Cabernet Sauvignon and 1% Cabernet Franc, the wine reached 14.3% alcohol with a pH of 3.7. The wine is aging in 65% new, French, oak barrels. The harvest for the Merlot took place from September 15 to October 1. The Cabernet Sauvignon and Cabernet Franc were picked in one day, October 1. The Grand Vin consists of 74% of the harvest. Drinking this wine is like sitting in an easy chair with an Elite model on your lap!