Chateau L´Eglise Clinet 2005

THE WINE CELLAR INSIDER: "Poke your head into a flower shop filled with roses, walk into the restaurant next door when they are serving their winter, truffle menu, end the meal with the perfect clafoutis with some licorice on the side, and light up an aged Cuban Cigar to accompany the glass of kirsch liqueur you have been waiting for and you have the nose on this wine. The wine is powerful, intense, silky, velvety and incredibly hedonistic. This is pure decadence in a glass. However it´s really young and you can easily wait 5 to 10 years before popping a cork. I’ve tasted this wine a fair amount of times, (yes, I know how lucky I am!) and this is the best showing yet."

THE WINE ADVOCATE: "The Château l´Eglise-Clinet 2005 was served from bottle and from magnum (both ex-cellar). It has a magnificent nose with bewitching delineation: darker fruit than either the 2003 or 2004, blackberry, raspberry, hints of black tea and black truffle. The palate is medium-bodied with brilliant focus, still quite backward as so many grandees of this vintage remain, albeit beginning to soften towards the licorice-tinged finish. This is a benchmark for both Denis Durantou and this Pomerol estate, although I can see it testing wine-lovers´ patience. Tasted March 2015." Drink: 2020 - 2050

DECANTER: "Right from the first nose you find yourself melting into the glass. Layers of complex aromatics prevent you from taking a sip too soon, just sit and enjoy the white truffles, black cherries, tobacco, menthol and liquorice root. These notes continue into the palate, and overall this wine has a huge caressing persistency. The tannins are still holding you tight, very much in control but unobtrusively so. This is the first vintage made with young vines planted in 2001, at 8,000 vines per hectare over 1.5ha, with a pH of 3.6. Drinking Window 2018 - 2038"

WINE SPECTATOR: "Dark ruby in color. Fabulous aromas of blackberry, tobacco, black olive and brown sugar follow through to a full body, with incredibly velvety tannins that go on and on and caress the palate for minutes. Shows class and complexity. Stunning. The greatest young wine ever from this producer. Best after 2016. 1,375 cases made."

JAMES SUCKLING: "This is an elegant wine with wonderful length and beauty. Full yet reserved, showing loads of complexity. This is just starting to show its colors, but still needs at least eight years. Don’t touch this until 2018. Please be patient with this one. 85% Merlot and 15% Cabernet Franc."

WEINWISSER: "Reifes Granat mit aufhellendem Rand. Konzentrierte Nase mit erster Reife nach getrockneten Walderdbeeren, dahinter ein königliches Parfüm aufsteigend mit zarten Honignoten und verführerischen Himbeeren. Am Gaumen mit mächtigem Tannin und reifem Extrakt, zarte Adstringenz. Im langen Finale mit Hagebuttenkonfitüre und einer genialen, pfeffrigen Rasse, präsentierte sich mit etwas karger Struktur, ist aber auf dem Weg zur Höchstnote!"

FALSTAFF: "Tiefdunkles Rubingranat, opaker Kern, violette Reflexe, in der Nase intensive Gewürznoten, saftiges Beerenkonfit, Nougat, zart ätherische Anklänge nach frischer Minze, Gewürznelken und Sternanis. Am Gaumen fester Tanninkern, sehr mineralisch, rotbeerig-kirschig, vielschich-tig, süß und muskulös, zart nach Bitterschoko im Finale. Gemessen am Jahrgang ein recht strenger Wein, der auf Lagerfähigkeit hin vinifiziert ist."

JANCIS ROBINSON: "Tasted blind. Bright crimson. Some ripe rose perfume on the nose. Big and sweet, if a bit brutal on the palate. Very concentrated. No delicate touch in the cellar! Pretty dramatic."