Château Clinet - Pomerol 1996

Wine Advocate

91 / 100

byRobert Parkerthe4/30/1999

This is a backward, muscular, highly-extracted wine with a boatload of tannin, thus the question mark. The saturated plum/purple color is followed by an aggressively oaky nose with scents of roasted coffee, blackberries, and prunes. It is somewhat of a freak for a 1996 Pomerol given its richness, intensity, and overripe style. Medium-bodied and powerful, but extremely closed, and in need of 5-7 years of cellaring, it will be interesting to follow this wine's evolution to determine if the tannin fully integrates itself into the wine's concentrated style. If not, it will have a slight rusticity to its tannin and structure. Anticipated maturity: 2007-2020. I sense this wine will be much more controversial than I had anticipated.

Wine Spectator

85 / 100

byJames Sucklingthe1/31/1999

Black-colored, with masses of vanilla and coffee aromas. Medium-bodied, with some fruit (needs more center-palate) but very oaky and slightly dry on the finish. Drink now through 2000.

Wine Advocate

91-93 / 100

byRobert Parkerthe2/28/1998

An intriguing style of Clinet, the 1996 will be interesting to follow over its lifeline of at least 20-25 years. The wine exhibits an opaque black/garnet color. It possesses elements of what the French call sur-maturite (literally translated as "overripeness," but the word has a more positive connotation in French than in English), plenty of toasty, smoky new oak, and high levels of tannin. At the same time, compelling levels of fruit, extract, and glycerin are present. The wine is astringent and structured, with more of a Medoc-like austerity than other top vintages of Clinet, but there are gobs of sweet plum, black cherry, and blackberry fruit. The acidity is low, the tannin high, and the concentration level exhilarating. This wine will not be accessible young, as it will undoubtedly tighten up even more, and need at least 6-8 years of cellaring. Anticipated maturity: 2006-2025.

Wine Advocate

91-94 / 100

byRobert Parkerthe4/30/1997

The most concentrated wine produced in Pomerol in 1996, Clinet has turned out an inky-colored, highly-extracted, powerful wine with hefty tannin. Yet it has more than enough depth, richness, and extract to pull it through over the next quarter century. One of the most backward Clinets I have tasted, the 1996 offers restrained, sweet scents of blueberries, overripe plums, violets, and black truffles. Medium-bodied, with superb concentration, as well as ferocious tannins, this unevolved, large-scaled vin de garde should turn out to be impressive, provided purchasers have the patience to wait for at least a decade. Anticipated maturity: 2006-2023. Very impressive, but patience will have to be a virtue of this wine's purchasers.