Wine region: Bordeaux
Grape: 85% Merlot and tiny amounts of Cabernet Franc (12%) and Cabernet Sauvignon (3%)
Expert Rating
100 points Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
Clinet has been on a hot streak lately and the 2009 appears to be the greatest wine ever made at the estate, surpassing even the late Jean-Michel Arcaute's monumental 1989. A blend of 85% Merlot and tiny amounts of Cabernet Franc (12%) and Cabernet Sauvignon (3%), this big Pomerol boasts an opaque, moonless night inky/blue/purple color in addition to a gorgeous perfume of blueberry pie, incense, truffles, black raspberries, licorice and wood smoke. Viscous and multi-dimensional with silky, sweet tannin, massive fruit concentration and full-bodied power, there are nearly 4,000 cases of this thick, juicy, perfect Clinet. (RP) 
(2/2012)
A big-shouldered, powerful and classic Pomerol. Inky black in colour even at 11 years old, this is concentrated yet juicy and built for pleasure, filled with dense black cherries, fleshy raspberries, liquorice and shaved chocolate. On soils that are largely clay and gravel, with sandier sections, making it an excellent reflection of the appellation, and more than showcasing its ability to deliver superbly brushed tannins that gently pillow the Merlot-dominant fruit. (JA) (10/2020)
Aromas of dark fruits, hazelnut and dark chocolate, follow through to a full body, with velvety tannins that are polished and refined. Beautiful depth of fruit to this. (2/2012)
The 2009 Clinet has an impressive and complex bouquet with liquorice and truffle infused black fruit, hints of desiccated orange peel and even a dab of honey. The palate is medium-bodied with ripe, succulent, and fine tannins (although not as fine as the 2009 La Conseillante) with a dense, precocious and heady finish. There is hedonism here, but it is on a tight leash. Tasted blind at Farr Vintners’ 2009 Bordeaux tasting. (NM) (3/2019)
Very lush and exotic, boasting plum sauce, crushed fig, warm raspberry confiture and steeped black currant fruit all dripping over a racy but buried graphite spine. The long, dark finish has plenty of stuffing for the long haul. Really beautifully rendered. (JM) (3/2012)
A smooth, superripe wine, full of the sweetest fruit, big and rich. It is opulent, a powerhouse of dense Merlot fruits, rounded out with soft tannins. (RV)
About the winery
Château Clinet occupies some of the oldest vineyards in Pomerol with earliest records going back to 1595. The site remains one of the highest vineyards in the appellation with the highest elevation at 35 metres. The vineyards neighbour Château L’Eglise Clinet, Château Feytit Clinet and Château Trotanoy, whilst there is an additional plot that neighbours Chateau Lafleur and Pétrus.
Up until 1900 the winery was owned by the Arnaud family who at the same time were also owners of Pétrus. Throughout much of the 20th century the winery was owned and managed by the Audy family (a famous Bordeaux négociant family).
In 1999 the estate was bought by Jean-Louis Laborde and in 2004 his son, Ronan Laborde, took over managing the estate. Under Ronan’s leadership the winery has taken a strong qualitative approach, with a long-term goal of improving the wine by replanting at a higher density in the vineyard and renovating the winery, completed in 2014. In 2019 Ronan Laborde became the president of the Union des Grand Crus of Bordeaux (UGCB).
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