Chateau Clinet 2018

DUNNUCK: "Including slightly more Cabernet Sauvignon than usual, the 2018 Château Clinet is 85% Merlot and 15% Cabernet Sauvignon that was brought up in 75% new French oak. One of the superstars of the vintage, it has incredible elegance and finesse as well as gorgeous richness and depth. Notes of cassis and truffly dark fruits as well as tobacco, damp earth, chocolate, and lead pencil shavings emerge from the glass, and it's full-bodied, with a seamless, multi-dimensional texture, gorgeous tannins, and a great, great finish. It already offers incredible pleasure, but it won't hit maturity for another 5-7 years and should evolve for 30 years or more. This magical wine is in the same league as the 2015 and 2016, and drinking these beauties over the coming decades will be an incredible treat."

WINEADVOCATE: "The 2018 Clinet is a blend of 85% Merlot and 15% Cabernet Sauvignon, aged for approximately 16 months in French oak barriques, 75% new. Deep garnet-purple colored, the nose is locked down tight at first sniff, requiring a good amount of air to begin to reveal profound notions of stewed black plums, mulberries and black cherry compote, plus hints of black truffles, damp soil, tobacco leaf and chargrill with an emerging waft of cedar. The full-bodied palate is a full-on volcano of black fruit and molten rock waiting to erupt, with a solid frame of firm, grainy tannins and bold freshness, finishing with amazing length. There is a lot going on here, but it is a wine for the patient. Give it a good 5-7 years in bottle, at least, and drink it over the next 30+ years."

DECANTER: "Closed and coiled right now, with ripped layers of fruit. A ton of graphite, bitter dark chocolate and finessed berry fruits. Definitely need to give this time and respect its muscular from. A seriously impressive Clinet that has held its form over ageing. Drinking Window 2026 - 2045"

WINE CELLAR INSIDER: "Deeply colored, the wine is intensely concentrated with layers of black, red and blue fruits accompanied by licorice, dark cocoa, truffle, flowers, espresso bean and hints of Asian spice. There is a fabulous sense of purity to the fruits that really comes alive when the layers of velvet-drenched fruits hit your palate. The wine is equally hedonistic and elegant, which is a hard thing to accomplish. The wine will age and evolve with ease for 3 decades."

JAMES SUCKLING: "Blackberries and blueberries with subtle black chocolate and violets on the nose, following to a full-bodied palate with polished, creamy tannins. Beautiful balance and really refined texture. Drink after 2024, but already so gorgeous."

WEINWISSER: "Purpur mit breitem rubinrotem Rand. Kompaktes Bouquet mit Anklängen an Brombeeren, dahinter dunkle Terroirwürze, Kardamom, dominikanischer Tabak und Schokopastillen. Am mächtigen Gaumen mit seidiger Textur, fein körnigem Extrakt, engmaschigem Tanninkorsett, der Kraftprotz ruht in sich und ist sich seiner Stärke bewusst. Im konzentrierten sehr lang anhaltenden Finale mit Szechuanpfeffer und erhabener Adstringenz. Hier geht es folgerichtig einen halben Punkt nach oben!"

WINESPECTATOR: "This is a powerful, densely structured wine. Rich in tannins, full of dark black fruits and ripe acidity, the wine is impressively complete. It has considerable promise. Drink this wine from 2026."

ANTONIO GALLONI: "The 2018 Clinet is a powerful, reticent wine that is going to need at least a few years in bottle to become approachable. Today, the tannins are especially forbidding, Inky dark red fruit, iron, cedar, mint, licorice and dried herbs give Clinet its signature profile marked by savory Cabernet Sauvignon aromas and flavors. This is a terrific showing from Clinet and proprietor Ronan Laborde."

FALSTAFF: "Dunkles Rubingranat, violette Reflexe, dezente Randaufhellung. Reife schwarze Kirschen, etwas Nougat, feine Holzwürze, mineralischer Anklang. Saftig, süßes Beerenkonfit, reife, gut integrierte Tannine, frisch, extraktsüßer Nachhall, gute Länge, zarter Schokotouch im Finale."