2010 Chateau Clinet Pomerol 750 ml

A Wine of Long Pedigree and Hallowed Terroir 

I’m proud to offer our first-ever allocation to Wine Access clients today of Pomerol star Château Clinet. Five years ago, when I first tasted the 2010 Clinet, it was already incredible, showing the tremendous power, length, and class of a great Bordeaux.

After revisiting it just last month and witnessing the development in bottle—firm tannins were beginning to soften to pure silk; profound blackberry, black plum, and truffle flavors were deeper still—it’s clear that the 2010 is bound for a LONG arc of greatness. Robert Parker hailed, “Loads of melted chocolate/fudge and black fruits galore along with some coffee bean, mocha, as well as some background oak,” adding, “I would give this wine 5-6 years of cellaring and drink it over the following 30+ years.” 97 points from James Suckling and 96+ from Parker are icing on the cake when it comes to a wine boasting this much pedigree and longevity. 

To further understand the greatness of the 2010 Clinet, you have to consider the history behind it. Almost three centuries old, the estate was first planted in 1785 and has since passed through the hands of some of Bordeaux’s foremost wine families—the Arnauds, early owners of Château Petrus, the Audys, who brought on Michel Rolland as a consultant to the estate, and most recently, the Laborde’s, who have updated Clinet, ushering it into the modern era.

Consider also, the terroir. Perched on the highest point of the Pomerol Plateau, just a stone’s throw from Clos L’Eglise, and a 15-minute walk to Petrus and Lafleur, Clinet covers 20 acres of hallowed ground. The soil makeup here is heavier in gravel than most of Pomerol, which accounts for the wine’s great power, while the vines are some of the oldest in the entire appellation, averaging 45 years of age. The oldest parcel, a tiny plot known simply as La Grand Vigne was planted in 1934 and is farmed exclusively with horse-drawn plows. The richest and most complex barrels to come off the estate are drawn from this ancient plot. Loaded with blackberry, truffle, and lead pencil, these lots make up the core of the monumental 2010 Clinet.

Comprised of 85% Merlot, 10% Cabernet Sauvignon, and 5% Cabernet Franc, the 2010 is, as Robert Parker wrote, “another fabulous effort from this estate.”