2020 Château Clinet

The 2020 Château Clinet checks in as a blend of 80% Merlot and 20% Cabernet Sauvignon, brought up in 80% new French oak. It's a rich, yet gorgeous wine with a wonderful sense of freshness in its ripe blue and black fruits as well as tobacco, chocolate, and damp earth. Full-bodied, beautifully balanced, and elegant on the palate, it has perfect tannins, a layered, elegant mouthfeel, and one hell of an impressive finish. One of the finest Pomerols in the vintage, it will benefit from just 3-5 years of bottle age and keep for two decades. (03/2023)

Deep garnet-purple in color, the 2020 Clinet needs a lot swirling to coax out notes of stewed plums, blackberry pie, red currant jelly, and black olives, leading to wafts of tilled earth, underbrush, and cedar chest. The decadently rich, full-bodied palate is packed with layer-upon-layer of opulent black fruits with compelling red berry accents and a firm, velvety texture, finishing on a lingering ferrous note. It’s a wine that will require a little more patience than some of the other top Pomerol 2020s, but it will be a real showstopper in 7-10 years. (03/2023)