2010 l'Eglise Clinet, Pomerol
SKU #1144848
100 points
Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
Deep garnet colored, the 2010 L'Eglise Clinet begins unassumingly with gentle notions of fragrant dried flowers and wild sage leading to savory nut and meat characters over an expanding core of preserved plums, blueberry compote and black cherry coulis plus a waft of menthol. Full-bodied, concentrated and wonderfully decadent, the palate is absolutely packed with rich, ripe black fruit preserves and loads of spicy sparks, framed by super ripe, super plush tannins, finishing very long and decadent. I love the interplay of subtly and power here - this is truly a WOW wine! (LPB)
(3/2020)
98 points
James Suckling
Sweet berries with hints of incense and spices on the nose with black truffles. Very ripe but not over-the-top. This is full-bodied, with chewy tannins and a smoky wood and mushroom undertone. It's dense and impressive yet very balanced. I like it, slightly better quality than the 2009. Give the wine five or six years of bottle age to soften before opening.
(2/2013)
98 points
Vinous
The 2010 l’Eglise-Clinet was harvested from 20 to 27 September and matured in 80% new oak. It has a magnificent bouquet with multi-layered red and black fruit, black truffle, a hint of clove and bay leaf, just a nose that is “vrai Pomerol”. The palate is medium-bodied with fine, chalky tannin. There is impressive depth here, a firm grip in the mouth, although it has softened (a little) since I last tasted it. What I adore is the symmetry of this 2010, the tension and the energy conveyed by the finish. That said, it is nowhere near ready and requires several years in bottle before it reaches its drinking window. Behold a titan of a Pomerol. (NM)
(7/2019)
96 points
Wine Spectator
Rich but delightfully pure, with a stunningly gorgeous, pure beam of unadulterated raspberry preserves driving through the middle, showing hints of plum, anise and blueberry hanging in the background. The long finish drips with fruit, but maintains the racy acidity needed for balance and elegance, while a fine minerality slides in underneath. Drink now through 2030. (JM)
(3/2013)
95 points
Stephen Tanzer's International Wine Cellar
Good deep red. Wild, superripe nose combines dark raspberry, black olive, smoked meat, mocha and sexy oak. Hugely rich and sweet but structured too, offering outstanding depth to its flavors of berries, dark chocolate, espresso, graphite and underbrush. Finishes with huge but noble tannins and outstanding persistence. As rich and concentrated as this is, it somehow maintains a light touch. A great expression of Merlot with the sheer strength of material and structure for a long life in bottle. (ST) 95+
(8/2013)
Jancis Robinson
Tasted blind. Deep bricky garnet. Ripe, sweet and leathery on the nose. Rather exotic in its senescent fruit sweetness. Smooth, generous and gorgeously rich but fresh. Open but still so much in reserve. Deep, thick, chewy. Complete but so dense. 18.5/20 points. (JH)
(2/2020)
K&L Notes
96+ points Robert Parker in Wine Advocate: "This wine will likely be a major superstar with about 10-15 years of cellaring. It was one of the more closed and difficult wines to penetrate and one of probably only a dozen or so 2010s that I only had one chance to taste from bottle, but it is loaded with fabulous raw materials. The 2010 is a profound effort, but it needs to be forgotten for at least a decade. This opaque purple wine offers up notes of caramelized black currant and black cherry candies intermixed with some very high class, subtle vanillin and toast. Hints of licorice, mocha and perhaps even a touch of chocolate are also present in this full-bodied, super-duper, concentrated, classic wine, which has everything in perfect proportions. But in the finish, its whoppingly big tannins kick in and basically announce that drinking this wine now would be infanticide. Look for this wine to last for at least 50+ years." (2/2013)