2019 Clinet, Pomerol (Pre-Arrival)
SKU #1480629
98 points
Jeb Dunnuck
The 2019 Château Clinet is brilliant stuff and another classic Pomerol from the talented Ronan Laborde. Deep purple-hued, with awesome notes of crème de cassis, mulberries, tobacco leaf, chocolate, and damp earth, it hits the palate with full-bodied richness, a round, seamless mouthfeel, and gorgeous tannins. It delivers that rare mix of elegance and sexiness that only Pomerol can. It needed plenty of air to show at its best and needs a good 4-6 years of bottle age, but it's going to evolve for 20-25 years or more. I love everything about this wine, and it's certainly in the same ballpark as the 2015, 2016, and 2018. And it remains incredibly well-priced given the quality. Don’t miss it.
(4/2022)
98 points
James Suckling
A full-bodied Pomerol with dark-fruit, coconut, chocolate and hazelnut character on both the nose and palate. Fine-tannined with an intensely tight and chewy texture. Spice at the end. Very flavorful and muscular, yet it’s balanced and precise with well-toned form. Needs five or six years to resolve. Try after 2027.
(2/2022)
98 points
Vinous
The 2019 Clinet has maintained the stunning delineation that I discerned from the barrel sample. Pure black cherries, hints of cassis and wilted violet scents unfold in the glass with effortless ease, and the oak (75% new, 25% used for 18 months) is neatly integrated. The poised palate is medium-bodied, taut and fresh, with fine-grained tannins and disarming mineralité, particularly toward the finish, which delivers tremendous length and saliva-inducing salinity on the aftertaste. There is a pleasing strictness to this Clinet that is apposite to the flamboyant and decadent wines of the Nineties. This Clinet is one of Ronan Laborde's great achievements. (NM)
(2/2022)
97 points
Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
The 2019 Clinet is showing beautifully in bottle, wafting from the glass with aromas of plums, cherries and berries mingled with hints of violets, licorice, subtle spices and smoke. Full-bodied, sensual and velvety, it's seamless and vibrant, with lively acids, ripe tannins and a long, resonant finish. This precise, concentrated wine is the finest young Clinet I've ever tasted, and it exemplifies the tremendous progress that Ronan Laborde has made at this estate over the last decade. (WK)
(4/2022)
95 points
Decanter
Seductive and appealing blend of rich coffee and chocolate alongside pulsing cassis and bilberry fruits. Great quality Clinet, extremely well expressed with controlled ripe fruits and firm tannins that provide a pretty strict frame at this point. This is a high percentage of Cabernet Sauvignon for a Pomerol wine, and it gives characteristic poise and balance. A yield of 38hl/ha. 75% new oak. (JA)
(5/2020)
K&L Notes
93-95 points Antonio Galloni in Vinous: "The 2019 Clinet is a dark, sensual wine. Grilled herbs and crushed flowers give the 2019 a pretty, savory dimension to play off the natural potency of the year. A virile and imposing Pomerol, Clinet has plenty to offer, especially once the tannins soften. Two thousand nineteen is an outstanding vintage for Clinet." (6/2020)