Clinet - Pomerol 2022

Wine Advocate

94

byWilliam Kelleythe3/7/2025

The 2022 Clinet opens in the glass with aromas of ripe cherries and berries framed by a lavish application of creamy new oak. Full-bodied, layered and concentrated, it's dense and muscular, with rich structuring tannins, impressively lively acids and a vanillin-laden finish. While it remains nicely balanced, it will require a bit of patience for its élevage to integrate.

Jane Anson, Inside Bordeaux

96

byJane Ansonthe3/7/2025

Clinet stands out for having Cabernet Sauvignon as its second grape variety in the blend, not Cabernet Franc, and as ever with this wine, you can expect creamy dark fruits, bilberry and damson, well integrated oak even at this early stage, with a kick of rosemar,; sage, cloves, underbrush, liquorice, cocoa bean, espresso, briar, hedgerow, smoked caramel, great stuff. Ronan Laborde owner, 34hl/h, vinified in stainless steel, aged in oak.

The Wine Cellar Insider

98

byJeff Levethe3/4/2025

Clinet, Château

Jeb DUNNUCK

98

byJeb Dunnuckthe2/28/2025

The Grand Vin from this terrific Pomerol estate, the 2022 Château Clinet checks in as 80% Merlot and 20% Cabernet Sauvignon that spent 19 months in 80% new barrels. It's a beautiful Pomerol that clearly ranks with the greats from this address, offering a vivid purple hue, classic notes of cassis, leather, graphite, and black cherries, full-bodied richness, and a layered, seamless mouthfeel. It's another remarkable 2022 that brings the richness and depth of the vintage while staying light on its feel and flawlessly balanced. It has plenty of upfront appeal even today, yet there's ample structure here as well, and it's going to evolve beautifully over the coming 30 years or more.

Yvesbeck.wine

97

byYves Beckthe2/25/2025

80% Merlot, 20% Cabernet Sauvignon 80 % de barriques neuves et 20 % d'un vin pour le millésime 2022. Le bouquet ne manque pas de révéler cet élevage, mais celui-ci n'est guère dominant. Il accompagne le vin et soutient les éléments olfactifs présents en plébiscitant des nuances de cerises, de baies noires, de réglisse et de menthe. En bouche, à l'image du bouquet, le vin s'émancipe bien de l'élevage. Il adopte un profil linéaire et dispose de tannins musclés, mais également charnus, offrant une puissance bien cadrée, voire élégante. Un Clinet précis et harmonieux qui demande à s'épanouir tout en affichant des perspectives autant réjouissantes que convaincantes. Une très belle réussite avec l'équilibre pour leitmotiv. 2027-2047 97/100

Vinous

95

byNeal Martinthe2/12/2025

The 2022 Clinet is a little more immediate than its showing from barrel when it needed more time to open. This offers well-defined and focused scents of black cherry, potpourri, oyster shell and tobacco. The palate is well balanced with a slightly savory opening thanks to the Cabernet components, with touches of graphite filtering through the dark chocolate-tinged dark berry fruit laced with a hint of mocha. This has fine length and is certainly fresh. It may need just three or four years in bottle and then will drink well for many more.

Jamessuckling.com

97

byJames Sucklingthe2/3/2025

Intense aromas of dark violets and blueberries as well as terra-cotta follow through to a full body, yet it’s tight and focused with beautifully framed fruit from polished tannins and a long and rather endless finish. A complete and fresh Pomerol in 2022. Drink after 2031.

Vinous

96

byAntonio Gallonithe1/28/2025

The 2022 Clinet is a very sexy, racy wine. Dense and pliant, with striking silkiness, the 2022 offers up an exciting mélange of blackberry, sage, graphite, crushed rocks, lavender and menthol. This needs time to open, but it's classic Clinet. The 2022 spent 30 days on the skins (on the higher side here), with one pumpover per day. Élevage was 18 months in French oak barrels, 80% new.

Wine Maniacs

96-97

byLin Liuthe5/30/2023

Decanter.com

96

byGeorgina Hindlethe5/25/2023

Streamlined and sleek, silky smooth but also gorgeously textured, clean and clear with grip and interest. Less fleshy and chewy than some, more charming and elegant with tannins that have a weight in the mouth. There is clear power and concentration underneath the juicy acidity with a straight backbone and direct energy from start to finish. Appealing layers of salinity, blackcurrant fruit, creamy vanilla, cool cola touches and crushed stones on the finish. Feels well made and sophisticated. 3.74pH. A yield of 34hl/ha. Earliest harvest ever starting on 6 September for Merlot and 20 and 21 September for Cabernet Sauvignon.

Alexandre Ma

96-97

byAlexandre Mathe5/17/2023

Château Clinet 2022 resembles a sophisticated gentleman with a passionate, vibrant soul. Despite its notably robust and powerful structure, it still bestows the delicate violets and rosemary's freshness. Upon sipping, the sweet aromas of black cherries, black plums, and plum candies are blooming out, with a hint of toffee lingers on the finish. Considering its high-quality, silky tannins and my experience with Château Clinet's aging potential, this wine will truly shine after 10 years of aging.

Vinous

94-96

byNeal Martinthe5/17/2023

The 2022 Clinet is a blend of 80% Merlot and 20% Cabernet Sauvignon picked from 6-21 September at around 34hL/ha. There were apparently many bunches, but the berries were small. Aged in 80% new oak and 20% 2nd fill barrels, the 2022 offers black fruit on the nose with traces of Japanese nori probably emanating from the Cabernet. The palate is medium-bodied with fine tannins, well-judged acidity and a fine backbone that gently grips the mouth. This is a linear Pomerol with impressive delineation on the almost pastille-like finish. I appreciate this Clinet's persistence and discrete spiciness on the aftertaste. Excellent. But it is a vintage that requires time in bottle.

The Vintage Journal

94-95

byAndrew Caillard MWthe5/17/2023

Deep crimons. Lovely intense musky plum, hint Turkish Delight, chinotto aromas with hints of aniseed/ violets. Generous, supple and velvety smooth with plentiful muskt plum, cola, hint negroni flavours, classical grainy tannins, lovely mid palate density and long refreshing acidity. Very decent. (Merlot Cabernet Sauvignon 65% new oak)

Jane Anson, Inside Bordeaux

96

byJane Ansonthe5/16/2023

Sleek, concentrated, red roses, violets, creamy smoked caramel, bilberry, cassis, blackberry pastilles, biscuit, mint leaf, great estate signature, maintains its sleek intense concentated and supremely classy character. Strong tannic build up, muscular and full of intent, with a fennel and oyster shell signoff. Ronan Laborde owner.

matthewjukes.com

18,5

byMatthew Jukesthe5/15/2023

The Wine Independent

94-96

byLisa Perrotti-Brownthe5/15/2023

The 2022 Clinet is a blend of 80% Merlot and 20% Cabernet Sauvignon, aging in 80% new oak. It was harvested from harvest from the 6th to the 21st of September and yields were 34 hl/ha. Deep garnet-purple in color, it storms out of the glass with powerful notes of plum preserves, crème de cassis, and boysenberries, leading with suggestions of sandalwood, mossy tree bark, sassafras, and mocha with a waft of tar. The full-bodied palate is rich and densely laden with black fruit preserves, supported by firm, grainy tannins and just enough freshness, finishing long and opulent. This is a wonderfully decadent wine that will be very long-lived but will require some patience.

Yvesbeck.wine

96-97

byYves Beckthe5/10/2023

Le bouquet de Clinet se révèle pas à pas. Il a un évident focus sur des notes de baies noires ainsi qu'une pointe de fraîcheur. Il révèle également des notes de pralinés, des nuances de menthe ainsi qu'une touche florale. Un "melting-pot" entre le charme et la fraîcheur. En bouche le vin est crémeux, élégant, suave, compact et tapissant. Que de grâce, de souplesse. Tout est cohérent, linéaire. Les tannins confèrent une agréable sucrosité et assurent une évidente puissance, parfaitement canalisée. Pour terminer, et c'est un point élémentaire quant à la fraîcheur, le vin a de la tension en fin de bouche ! L'harmonie est acquise, le charme et la grandeur également.

Bettane & Desseauve

95

by Bettane & Desseauvethe5/10/2023

80 % de merlot et 20 % de cabernet-sauvignon. Le pourcentage de ce dernier habille le charnu du cœur de bouche, lui donnant la profondeur voulue. On est plus en structure qu’en arômes et l’assise finale laisse percer quelques touches florales épicées.

Jeb DUNNUCK

96-98

byJeb Dunnuckthe5/10/2023

The 2022 Château Clinet showed beautifully, with an almost Médoc-like style in its darker cassis, graphite, cedar pencil, and tobacco aromas and flavors. Full-bodied on the palate, it has ripe, velvety tannins, a round, layered mouthfeel, and remarkable purity. Pomerol was one of the erratic appellations in 2022, but this beauty does everything right and brings a beautiful mix of richness and elegance. It should round into form with just short-term bottle age and evolve for two decades. The blend is the usual 80% Merlot and 20% Cabernet Sauvignon.

Vinous

94-96

byAntonio Gallonithe5/9/2023

The 2022 Clinet is terrific. Vibrant, aromatic and beautifully sculpted, Clinet is also a terrific example of the energy quality-minded winemakers were able to achieve in 2022. Crushed rose petals, spice, blood orange, mint and white pepper give Clinet a compelling upper register of presence in the bouquet. Wonderfully delineated, Clinet builds effortlessly into the mid-palate and finish, where a closing burst of red/purplish fruit framed by clean mineral notes leaves a lasting impression. This is stellar. Tasted two times. Drinking window : 2030-2052

The Wine Cellar Insider

97-99

byJeff Levethe5/5/2023

Inky, dark in color, the wine explodes from the glass with its floral display before moving to its wealth of dark red pit fruits, chocolate, truffle, wild cherry, and mint aromas. However, it is the velvet-drenched layers of dark fruit, opulent-textures, and cashmere tannins where the wine really takes off. The finish is pure hedonistic-decadence that must be felt to be believed. You have plenty of time to experience it as the fruits remain on your palate for over 60 seconds! This is Pomerol. and Clinet at its best! The wine blends 80% Merlot with 20% Cabernet Franc. 14.5% ABV, 3.75 pH. Harvesting took place September 6, September 21. This is the earliest start to a vintage in the history of Clinet. Yields were 34 hectoliters per hectare. Drink from 2027-2060.

Wine Advocate

94-96

byWilliam Kelleythe5/2/2023

A blend of 80% Merlot and 20% Cabernet Sauvignon that represents the earliest harvest in this estate's history (beginning on September 6), the 2022 Clinet is a success, offering up aromas of cherries and dark berries mingled with hints of spices and a discreet patina of new oak. Medium to full-bodied, ample and layered, it's impressively vibrant, with a rich core of fruit framed by powdery tannins from judicious extraction. This has more in common with the more refined 2018 and 2019 vintages at this address than with the powerhouse 2020, and that is no mean feat in an even more extreme vintage. Bravo to Ronan Laborde and his team. 94 - 96+

Jamessuckling.com

94-95

byJames Sucklingthe4/19/2023

A very fine and polished red with silky tannins, medium body and a savory finish. Hints of hazelnut to the currant and berry fruit.