2006 Clos l'Eglise Pomerol 750 ml

Clos L’Église is one of the great châteaux of Pomerol. The small, six-hectare property is situated barely half a mile from Petrus—and it makes some of the very best terroir on Pomerol’s upper plateau shine.

But it wasn’t always this way.

While it was regarded as one of Pomerol’s “Grands Crus” back in the 1920s, Clos l’Église languished for most of the 20th century—until the talented Hélène Garcin took over the estate in 1997. Since then, the wines have skyrocketed back to rank among the region’s best.

Robert Parker once praised the Clos L’Église as “One of the most opulent in the appellation…that can easily compete with, if not surpass, many of the stars of the right Bank, including the likes of Le Pin and Petrus.”

Garcin’s vineyard manager and husband, Patrice Lévèque, tends to the vineyard’s clay-gravel, iron-rich slopes, while superstar Right Bank legend Alain Reynaud consulted on the 2006, crafting a 80% Merlot, 20% Cabernet Franc blend aged in 100% new oak. A mere 1,200 cases are produced each year, which is why this Clos L’Église is among the hardest Pomerols to track down—especially 16 years later!

What exactly changed at Clos L’Église that caused Parker to rave about its “succession of brilliant wines”? In short, everything, from the top down to the vines. Garcin and Lévèque ripped out their underperforming Cabernet Sauvignon to focus on the Merlot and Cabernet Franc that thrive in the Right Bank’s soils.

This is the perfect Bordeaux to pair with a special dinner party now, and even seven years beyond!