Clinet - Pomerol 2020

Wine Spectator

93 / 100

par James Molesworth le 31/03/2023

Sports spicy toast and warmed fruitcake out front, backed by a solid core of steeped cherry and blackberry notes to match. This is all wrapped up with singed vanilla and sweet tobacco on the finish, along with a tug of warm earth. Shows solid range, if a bit reliant on the toast. A strong effort for the vintage. Merlot and Cabernet Sauvignon. Best from 2026 through 2036. 3,833 cases made, 594 cases imported.

Wines Critic

95 /

par Raffaele Vecchione le 10/03/2023

Precise and vibrant on the nose showing notes of black prunes, blackberries, cherries, white pepper, linden, orange peel and coriander. Medium to full bodied, soft tannins and a tasty finale with pleasurable bite. better from 2026.

Vinous

95 / 100

par Antonio Galloni le 24/02/2023

The 2020 Clinet is hugely impressive, as it was from barrel. Dark and imposing, with notable vibrancy, the 2020 offers up an exotic mélange of black cherry, gravel, incense, plum, game and licorice. I would give this a few years in bottle, as the tannins are pretty imposing. Cabernet Sauvignon is so distinctive here.

Vinous

94 / 100

par Neal Martin le 15/02/2023

The 2020 Clinet has held on to that precious bouquet with heady scents of black plum, cassis and fresh fig, more blue fruit percolating through with time. Remarkably, it retains fine delineation and disguises that payload of 15% alcohol. The palate is intense on the entry, quite structured, and granular in texture, with a healthy dose of cracked black pepper and a grippy but pure finish. The 20% Cabernet Sauvignon is crucial in keeping this Clinet on an even keel, with traces of graphite towards the fresh finish. It will benefit from several years in bottle but stands as a very fine Pomerol, but unequivocally no shy wallflower.

Jane Anson

95 / 100

par Jane Anson le 16/01/2023

Broad shouldered, muscular with black cherry, damson and raspberry coulis, cocoa bean, espresso classic Clinet precision and heft, punch and power, a ton of quality Pomerol signature. 38hl/ha yield.

Jamessuckling.com

98 / 100

par James Suckling le 16/01/2023

What a beautiful young wine, showing so much finesse and tension, with ultra-fine tannins and subtle and long flavors and character. It’s medium-bodied with extremely silky tannins that grow on the palate to a seamless finish. Harmonious. Another fine Pomerol for the cellar. Drink after 2027.

Le Figaro

95-97 / 100

le 02/06/2021

Un nez résonnant plein d'assurance, qui nous accueille avec des notes de prunes très mûres. Une bouche gracieuse, satinée, langoureuse et sensuelle, à l'aura triomphale.

Vinous

93-95 / 100

par Antonio Galloni le 01/06/2021

The 2020 Clinet is a gorgeous, vivid Pomerol. Today, the Clinet feels a bit closed in on itself, but has terrific energy and plenty of drive. Dark cherry jam, mocha, rose petal, new leather and tobacco start to open with a bit of time in the glass. Readers will have to be patient here. There is plenty to look forward to.

Jeb DUNNUCK

96-98 / 100

par Jeb Dunnuck le 28/05/2021

I continue to love the wines from this estate, and the 2020 Château Clinet is no exception. Straight-up sensational notes of blueberries, cassis, violets, tobacco, and earth all emerge from the glass, and this beauty is full-bodied, with a rich, concentrated mid-palate, flawless balance, and a great finish. It shows the tighter, fresher, more focused style of the vintage, yet it still brings plenty of mid-palate depth as well as an expansive texture. It has enough oak to warrant short-term bottle age but will have 25-30 years of overall longevity. This is a gorgeous wine.

Vinous

94-96 / 100

par Neal Martin le 27/05/2021

The 2020 Clinet was picked September 14–17 for the Merlot and September 24 for the Cabernet Sauvignon, at 38hl/ha, and matured in 80% new oak. Its 15.0° alcohol is the highest ever. The bravura nose delivers copious black cherries, blueberry and violet aromas that explode from the glass. This is a Pomerol that really wants to make an impression. The palate is medium-bodied with succulent ripe tannins, hints of chocolate chip infusing the mixture of black and blueberry fruit. Lavish and satiny in texture toward the long finish. This is a bold and extravagant Clinet that I hope will just find a little refinement and more terroir expression during its élevage. If it does, it should land at the top of my banded score.

Decanter.com

95 / 100

par Jane Anson le 25/05/2021

Deep cherry damson red in colour, clear depth. Touches of kicking spice right from the start, I like the surprise of the battle between richness and bitterness. It feels like a heavy blanket of fruit which is burrowing down but then kicks off to let the air in alongside velvet stroking tannins, very Pomerol with coffee and chocolate. Feels confident and powerful, good stuff, if broad shouldered. A yield of 38 hl/ha. Will see at least 16 months in barrel. Tasted twice, also at Pomeol Seduction; and this is a big, seductive wine.

The Wine Cellar Insider

97-99 / 100

par Jeff Leve le 21/05/2021

Deep and dark in color, the perfume instantly shoots out its notes of flowers, spearmint, licorice, plums, black cherry, smoke and espresso. Full-bodied, velvety, opulent, sensuous and sexy, the wine is dense, long and silky on your palate. The finish really sticks with you, which is a good thing because you never want this voluptuous stunner to end. The fruits show a remarkable sense of purity, leaving you with over 50 seconds of hedonistic pleasure. This is the best Clinet since 2010. The wine is a blend of 80% Merlot and 20% Cabernet Sauvignon, 15% AVB, 3.7 pH, with no touch of heat. The harvest took place September 14, finishing September 23. 97-99

Wine Advocate

96-98 / 100

par Lisa Perrotti-Brown le 20/05/2021

The 2020 Clinet (a blend of 80% Merlot and 20% Cabernet Sauvignon) has an opaque purple-black color, needing a little coaxing to unleash bold, powerful notes of plum preserves, blueberry compote and black raspberries, followed by suggestions of cracked black pepper, menthol, cedar chest and rose oil with a hint of licorice. The big, rich, full-bodied palate is a powerhouse, bursting with impactful black and blue fruit preserves flavors, supported by ripe, rounded tannins and seamless freshness, finishing very long and fantastically perfumed.

Anthocyanes

93-95 / 100

par Yohan Castaing le 11/05/2021

Le 2020 de Clinet est très différent de 2019 dans son approche stylistique. Boisé, un peu terrien avec des notes de graphite, légèrement fruité. Bouche tannique, pas totalement en place malgré la mâche et la puissance. Sur l'allonge avec des tanins qui marquent un peu. Le potentiel est toutefois présent et la note pourrait être revue à la hausse après les élevages.

Bernard Burtschy

96-98 / 100

par Bernard Burtschy le 10/05/2021

Falstaff

94-96 / 100

le 10/05/2021

Tiefdunkles Rubingranat, opaker Kern, violette Reflexe, zarte Randaufhellung. Feine Edelholzwürze, zarte tabakige Nuancen, reife Herzkirschen, ein Hauch von Nougat, kandierte Mandarinenzesten, floraler Touch. Saftig, süße Textur, reife Pflaumen, ele- gant, seidige, reife Tannine, feine Fruchtsüße im Nachhall, mineralisch im Nachhall, sehr harmonisch, zeigt große Länge und Balance, sehr gute Zukunft.

My Bettane + Desseauve

94-95 / 100

par Bettane & Desseauve le 07/05/2021

Jamessuckling.com

96-97 / 100

par James Suckling le 23/04/2021

This is extremely polished with ultra fine tannins that are so exquisite, giving this a seamless and weightless mouth feel. Medium-bodied, extremely long and harmonious.