The revered wine-producing areas of Bordeaux are often associated with a classical, almost institutional approach to winemaking with its various formalized classifications and Apellation d’Origine Controlee regions (“AOC”, for short). However, even in the most orthodox fields there are always eccentrics. The Pomerol appellation in Bordeaux is one such region with its idiosyncrasies that set it apart from some of your more traditional Bordeaux names, such as the absence of a formalized wine classification system and a relatively smaller supply of wine estates. Yet, Pomerol is not to be underestimated, having respectably earned its place among the most prestigious names of the Bordeaux region.

As you venture into Pomerol, there’s no ignoring Chateau Clinet – one of the most established winemakers with some of the oldest vineyards in the region. The evolution of this estate has brought better and better wines on to the market, a big win for us Bordeaux lovers and wine enjoyers!

The Small But Mighty Pomerol Region

Pomerol is located next to Saint-Emilion within Bordeaux’s Right Bank and is the smallest major Bordeaux wine region by size, with vineyards spread across 792 hectares. It has no town or village that its appellation is focused around or named after, unlike most Bordeaux appellations. Instead, a church serves as the focal point of this region, with just a few houses spread across the vineyards.

The church that serves as Pomerol's focal point (Image Source: Don Des Dieux)

The region is predominantly abundant in Merlot grapes, while Cabernet Franc is also grown but typically plays a more supporting role to the wines produced from here. Its soils are comprised of a diverse assortment of gravel, sand and clay, with its composition varying across different locations in the region. Vines grown on areas with soils made of higher clay content tend to produce grapes that are more powerful yet may take relatively longer to ripen compared to sandier and lighter soils. Bordeaux Pomerol wines are known for their lushness and decadence, while the sandy soils of the area give rise to more acidity.

Chateau Clinet: Evolving to Reap the Best of Pomerol

The Chateau Clinet estate (Image Source: Vinello)

 
With one of the oldest vineyards in the Pomerol region, Chateau Clinet represents some of the best of Pomerol wines. While the history of the Chateau goes back to the 18^th century (when it was once owned by the Arnaud family which had also owned Petrus at the same time), the renowned Chateau Clinet in modern times had a more recent start in the 1970s, when the estate was acquired by the late Jean Michel Arcaute. Jean Michel Arcaute had ambitions to develop Chateau Clinet into one of the best winemakers in Pomerol, implementing advances for the estate’s vineyard management and harvesting techniques such as leaf thinning, aiming to harvest fully ripe grapes, as well as scaling back on the proportion of Cabernet Sauvignon grapes in the vineyard. Under his watch, harvesting methods moved away from mechanical method of machine harvesting, and all grapes were hand-picked to ensure its quality, with adjustments made to the estate’s grape varietals.

The next phase of Chateau Clinet was helmed by Ronan Laborde, the son of Jean-Louis Laborde, who purchased the estate in the late 1990s. The estate saw even more evolution in its Laborde era, as the density of the vines grown and yields were increased, further optimizing the limited area in land-scarce Pomerol. Under Ronan Laborde, 20% of the vineyard was replanted, while the amount of new French barrels for ageing was reduced to 60% from 100%. Under Laborde, Clinet's quality continued to rise, and as a fun bit of trivia, Laborde was said to be a potentially champion marathon runner, however when told that he needed to give up decadent dinners and drinking, he turned down competitive running to focus on Chateau Clinet. Today, the vineyard has around 7,000 to 7,200 vines per hectare, with an average vine age of around 45 years old, and is also home to one of the oldest vines in the area.

Ronan Laborde, the estate's head (Image Source: Chateau Clinet)

The estate’s terroir is also a great encapsulation of Pomerol, with soils made of a mix of deep clay and sand rich in iron, topped off with layers of gravel, with the highest elevations of its vineyards reaching 35 meters. With an environment well-equipped to produce wines that give power, complexity and robustness, it’s no accident that Chateau Clinet has made its name as a Bordeaux prestige.

The 11 plus hectare vineyard is planted with 75% Merlot and almost 25% Cabernet Sauvignon, with just a small parcel of Cabernet Franc. Within the Clinet vineyards resides a very special La Grand Vigne parcel (which is 20% of Clinet's vineyards) which is considered the estate's best lot, which is planted with its oldest vines that date back to 1934, making them also amongst the oldest vines in Pomerol. For this special parcel, the soils are worked with horses as the vines are old and delicate, as well as being tightly spaced. Yet broadly it can be said that Clinet has been blessed with overall great terroir, with vineyards located at the highest points of the Pomerol plateau, flanked by the likes of the L'Eglise's, Trotanoy, Lafleur and Petrus.

Clinet has been blessed by some great terroir.

In the cellars, vinification is done in stainless steel vats, where it is done in separate lots, with malolactic fermentation happening in a combination of French oak barrels and vats. The wines are then aged in 60% new French oak barrels for 18 to 22 months, with some German and Austrian oak included as well. The final wine is blended once oak aging is completed.

Today we give Clinet's second wine, the By Clinet a try!

Wine Review: 2020 By Clinet, Chateau Clinet

The Clinet we have in view here is a Chateau Clinet “By Clinet” Pomerol 2020, made of 95% Merlot and 5% Cabernet Franc, with an ageing potential of up to 10 years. The “By Clinet” label was created to blend the various terroirs of Pomerol, with the label’s unique artwork illustrated by the American artist Gordon Hopkins playfully representing the estate’s varied environmental tapestry.

Let’s see how this tastes!

Tasting Notes

Colour: Dark Ruby

Aroma: Firm and rich, it comes through with a classic Bordeaux character of roses, soil and alittle bit of raspberries. It’s still rather closed off, but with what’s there, it does come off fairly aromatic and perfumed.

Taste: Much richer here, definitely more prominent hit of those raspberries, blackberries and blackcurrants. There’s also some aromatic tobacco. It’s medium-bodied with a nice plushness to the body. 

Finish: More earthy tones of soil, tobacco, hay, along with a lighter bit of red berry jams. The tannins come off rather grippy.

My Thoughts

This was a fairly classic Bordeaux, checking all of the region’s well-explored characteristics and profile. On the nose, it remains alittle closed off if not fairly perfumed for what there was going on. The palate was thankfully much richer and much more fruit driven, with a nice plushness to its textures. The finish showcased more earthiness, with the fruits making an exit fairly early in the game. The tannins nevertheless came off a little too grippy.

Altogether a decent expression, although I would have preferred this to be richer, more aromatic and bold, with more power to carry the classic Bordeaux profile consistently all the way through. The tannins too were a touch too grippy still despite the more pronounced richness of the body.

Until next time, happy sipping!

@ChopstickPride