1986 l'Eglise Clinet
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Tasting notes
The 1986 l’Eglise-Clinet has a lovely bouquet that is very well defined with blackberry, camphor, cassis and violet. This is far more seductive and sensual than I anticipated. The palate is medium-bodied with stern tannins, very well balanced with savory-tinged dark berry fruits. It feels cohesive and fresh towards the dry finish that abruptly scarpers out of the door. Not bad, though it seems to be in decline and I have always preferred the previous vintage. Tasting note taken from the Pomerol book by Neal Martin.
Critic scores
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Wine Spectator
Robert Parker
More reviews and scores
Denis Durantou's third vintage. Not a good bottle. Dry, a little tart and almost austere and pinched. Put in the shade by the Certan de May 1986 alongside. A bit dry and dusty. By no means opulent and fruity. (JR)
This wine has become a bit more attenuated with cellaring, and yet while it tastes young and capable of lasting another two decades, I am not quite as enthusiastic about it as I once was. Nevertheless, it is an outstanding effort and certainly one of Pomerol’s top performers in this vintage that favored the Medoc. Still deep, dense ruby with some purple, the aromatics require coaxing from the glass. Notes of cedar, sweet plum, Christmas fruitcake, and black cherries and berries finally emerge with a hint of licorice and mushroom. The wine has excellent concentration, a medium to full-bodied, layered mid-section, and moderately high tannins in the finish. It was the relatively dry, hard tannins in the finish which lowered my score over previous tastings. Anticipated maturity: 2006-2020. Last tasted, 5/02.
Impressive concentration of fruit here, but slightly hard and foursquare. Intense aromas of berries and black olives. Very full-bodied and bruisingly tannic, a bit too tannic and hard to score outstanding.--L'Eglise Clinet vertical. Drink now. James Suckling,Wine Spectator 1999.
About the producer
Ch. l'Eglise-Clinet is one of the most unassuming wine estates in Bordeaux. You'd probably drive past it if you didn't have prior knowledge of its vinous output. There's no ostentatious gateway nor sweeping gravel drive.