Château Clinet - Pomerol 2012

Vinous

95 / 100

par Antonio Galloni le 31/12/2015

A wine of total precision, the 2012 Clinet possesses striking aromatic nuance and delineation. Crushed flowers, sweet raspberries, herbs and mint flesh out effortlessly, with silky, polished tannins that add to the wine's feel of graciousness. The spherical, beautifully textured finish suggests the 2012 will offer a wide drinking window of pure pleasure over the next 15-20 years. This is impressive. The 2012 is 90% Merlot, 9% Cabernet Sauvignon and 1% Cabernet Franc.

Wine Advocate

95 / 100

par Robert Parker le 30/04/2015

With a dense purple color and gorgeous levels of fruit, especially black raspberry and blackcurrant, this full-bodied, opulent style of wine is another great success for Clinet, a château that has been on top of its game for the last decade. This is stunning stuff, and whatever new oak has been used – and there is plenty – it is totally disguised by the luxurious and extravagant fruit level. This full-bodied, opulent Pomerol should drink well for 15 or more years.

Jamessuckling.com

93 / 100

par James Suckling le 15/02/2015

Fabulous nose of orange peel, blueberries and blackberries. Full body, firm tannins and a cocoa, cedar and berry finish. Little austere now but so fine. Truly outstanding for the vintage. Better after 2016.

Wine Spectator

93 / 100

par James Molesworth le 10/02/2015

Gorgeous plum cake, melted licorice and steeped currant and blackberry fruit is inlaid with notes of fruitcake and singed vanilla bean. Long and plush through the finish, with a buried charcoal spine that adds needed cut. Best from 2017 through 2027. 3,800 cases made. –JM

Jancis Robinson

15,5 / 20

le 11/12/2014

Dark crimson. Rich, sweet cocoa nose. Then some green notes. Not wholly comfortable as a whole. A tad sweet and sour. Very scrawny finish.13.5% Drink 2017-

2023

Jancis Robinson

15,5 / 20

le 23/10/2014

Dark crimson. Rich, sweet cocoa nose. Then some green notes. Not wholly comfortable as a whole. A tad sweet and sour. Very scrawny finish. 2017-2023

timatkin.com

93 / 100

par Tim Atkin MW le 30/06/2013

Ronan Laborde invited me to go and taste his wine via Twitter this year, which may well be a first. I’m glad I dropped in, because this confirms the improvements in recent years. The Cabernet gives the wine a little lift and a touch of graphite to complement the oaky, but elegantly detailed Merlot. Drink: 2020-30

Stephen Tanzer's International Wine Cellar

89-91 / 100

par Ian D'Agata le 29/06/2013

Opaque purple.  Very ripe, slightly high-toned aromas of black cherry, roasted plum, licorice and violet, plus a hint of coffee.  Supple on entry, then increasingly firm in the middle, but with enough creaminess of texture to the dark berry and spicy oak flavors to avoid seeming excessively over-extracted.  Still, this wine's serious tannins currently cut off its fruit, leaving an impression of chunkiness and rigid structure.

Le Point

15 / 20

par Jacques Dupont le 16/05/2013

Fruits rouges, fin, savoureux, élevage marqué, le vin domine, tanins fins, persistant. O= 2017 G= 12 ans

Wine Advocate

/ 100

par Neal Martin le 06/05/2013

The Clinet was started early on 8th September for the young vines, picked at just 12hl/ha and returning on the 14th to tackle the young vines. It was then picked 10th, 20th, 26th and 27th September for the Merlot, the 9th October for the old Merlot vines and the Cabernets the following day. That means it was picked over 32 days, the teams of pickers returning several times to the same plot in order to pick at the optimal ripeness. The alcohol level is 13.2%, more the 1-degree less than the 2010 and it was cropped at 34hl/ha. Clinet was expanded in 2011, so the blend is now 90% Merlot, 9% Cabernet Sauvignon and 1% Cabernet Franc and Ronan told me that he is considering increasing the percentage of Cabernet in the future. There is fine precision on the nose with marine influences – hints of Japanese nori and seashells developing in the glass. The palate is medium-bodied and very natural with fine tannins. This is a less hedonistic Clinet for sure, but very well balanced and full of character, perhaps reflecting the terroir with more clarity. With modest length, this is a well-crafted Clinet for medium-term drinking. Tasted April 2013.

Wine Spectator

91-94 / 100

par James Molesworth le 30/04/2013

Features a thick, ripe feel, with plum sauce and blackberry paste notes that drip slowly as licorice snap and roasted apple wood fill in the finish. A more overtly hedonistic style of Pomerol, retaining good balance. —J.M.

matthewjukes.com

17.5 / 20

par Matthew Jukes le 30/04/2013

Jancis Robinson

15,5 / 20

par Julia Harding MW le 29/04/2013

Drink 2016-2022
Inky with black core. Very ripe damsons and something meaty. Leaner on the palate than I expected and slightly hard. Dry, fine grained but a little flat at the end. (JH)

My Bettane + Desseauve

17 / 20

le 26/04/2013

Nez complexe, excellente texture, ensemble racé, très supérieur à la moyenne, attendre six à sept ans au moins.

Wine Advocate

92-94 / 100

par Robert Parker le 26/04/2013

Although hardly comparable to what Clinet achieved in both 2009 and 2010, the 2012 Clinet is another star of the vintage. A powerful, full-bodied, muscular Pomerol, it reveals a dense purple color in addition to lots of opulence, a layered, full-bodied richness (somewhat atypical for the vintage), beautiful density and plenty of mocha, black cherry, truffle and graphite notes. It is a surprisingly full yet accessible Clinet that will be drinkable long before the 2009 and 2010 hit their plateaus of maturity. Drink the 2012 over the next 15 years.
Drink: 2013 - 2028
(92-94+ points)

The Wine Cellar Insider

91-93 / 100

par Jeff Leve le 26/04/2013

Blending 90% Merlot, 9% Cabernet Sauvignon and 1% Cabernet Franc, reaching 13.2% alcohol, the wine will be aged in 50% new French oak. From low yields of 34 hectoliters per hectare, the wine opens with licorice, earth, plums and herbal scents, followed by sensuous, fresh and spicy fennel, black raspberry and cherry. Lighter in style than 2008, 2009 and 2010, the wine ends with layers of sweet kirsch, cocoa and plum notes. 91-93 Pts

Decanter.com

17 / 20

le 22/04/2013

Intense nose. Dark fruit and chocolate notes. Plump mid-palate. Fresh and lively on the palate. Good length. Harmonious, even a little restrained. 17/20pts ( 90/100pts)
Drink: 2019 - 2028
Taster: James Lawther MW

Jean-Marc QUARIN

15,75-16 / 20

par Jean-Marc Quarin le 09/04/2013

Couleur sombre et intense. Nez crémeux et fruité. Entrée en bouche caressante, puis le vin se développe sur un toucher un peu mou, avec un éclat fruité moyen en milieu de bouche. Bonne enveloppe tannique. Un vin de texture plus que de saveurs. Longueur normale.

Jamessuckling.com

90-91 / 100

par James Suckling le 04/04/2013

This is racy and austere but in a very good sense. It’s full-bodied, and very integrated with orange peel and a juicy, salty finish.