„The 2019 Clinet is showing beautifully in bottle, wafting from the glass with aromas of plums, cherries and berries mingled with hints of violets, licorice, subtle spices and smoke. Full-bodied, sensual and velvety, it's seamless and vibrant, with lively acids, ripe tannins and a long, resonant finish. This precise, concentrated wine is the finest young Clinet I've ever tasted, and it exemplifies the tremendous progress that Ronan Laborde has made at this estate over the last decade.“
William Kelley 97 Punkte (Apr. 2022)
Ronan Laborde is producing the best wines of his career at this Pomerol reference point. Some eight hectares produce Clinet, much of the vineyards being located around the château in the lieu-dit that lends it its name, complemented by a parcel by the church and another not far from the headquarters of the syndicat viticole. Today, these holdings are planted with some 80% Merlot, but before phylloxera, Cabernet Sauvignon was widely planted in this sector, and today, Laborde is replacing Merlot with Cabernet Sauvignon (he retains a parcel of old-vine Cabernet Sauvignon dating back to 1950). Vines are hedged at 1.5 meters, and cover crops help to manage water in the iron-rich clays near the château, allowing access by tractor even after recent rainfall. In the winery, Laborde now employs small stainless steel tanks that permit parcel-by-parcel vinification, and a vertical press has been the order of the day since as long ago as 2001. What's really evolved in recent years is the barrel program: oak is long-seasoned (4-5 years), and some large formats have joined the classic 225-liter barriques; but above all, lighter, less impactful toasts are now chosen, meaning Clinet's 80% new oak is much more discreet in its aromatic and textural contribution than was the case a decade ago. Laborde's 2018 turned out brilliantly in that warm, dry vintage, and the 2019 looks to be even better.
„The 2019 Clinet is a blend of 80% Merlot and 20% Cabernet Sauvignon, harvested from the 23rd of September to the 3rd of October. The alcohol weighed in at 14.5%. It is aging in French oak barriques, 75% new, using the OXOLINE system in order to minimize stirring. It is expected to age in barrels for 16 months. Opaque purple-black colored, it bursts from the glass with bold scents of ripe black plums, blackberry pie and blueberry compote with an undercurrent of redcurrant jelly, raspberry preserves, licorice, molten chocolate and cardamom with a fragrant waft of red roses. The palate is rich, full-bodied and fantastically opulent, with layers of exotic spices emerging among all the black fruit preserves flavors, framed by velvety tannins and just enough freshness, finishing long and hedonic.“
Lisa Perrotti Brown MW 95-97 Punkte (Juli 2020)
Quelle: www.robertparker.com