Blacknblueberry compote, cream and charcoal pesto - when uncoils sure to delineate - drying tannins aplenty - at 55F it’ll be several years before I uncork another.
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Opened with mom and sister with duck breast dinner. I had brought this from my cellar to my dad some time ago. Of course we are all sad and I just couldn't bring myself to open any of my dad's wines yet after he passed away the day before. Besides my mom and sister wanted something younger. Decanted for 5 hours which was enough to begin to appreciate the character but this wine is starting to hibernate. I had tried it on release and it was better then. I still think this will be one of the best Clinet vintages of all that I have tasted (and I have tasted quite a few as I love this wine). 94 for now, potential much higher. HOLD.
Nose: [59°-66°] Intensely dried rose petals with dark cranberries, dried cedar, hints of dried tobacco leaves, subtle black olive, nice damp grass, fallen tree branches and wet river stones. With little time, everything melds and the fruit darkens. Stays both intense and gentle, with aromas that dominate of strong floral notes initially but eventually give way for dark fruits and secondary notes. Hints of dark chocolate surface after hours of air.
Palate: [59°-66°] Nicely bitter tannin like well steeped tea, savory tree bark, dark muddled earth with graphite, black fruits with a hint of blue fruits and crushed river stones. Just like the nose, dark chocolate develops on the palate with plenty of air time.
Attributes: Clear, dark medium ruby. Dry with medium-plus amounts of fine, chewy tannin. Medium body with medium acidity (well integrated if higher). Great finish of at least 22-24 seconds. Surprising amount of sediment in the bottle.
Thoughts: If you love quality tea, this would be up your alley. This is so good and pleasurable with a tasty flavor profile that should satisfy the palates of those that sit on the bitter range of the flavor spectrum. The fruits don't take center stage acts as an amazing supporting role. The bitterness never becomes too much where it makes you scrunch your face but just enough to give you what you like (if bitterness is your kinda thing). Heat gathered on the palate as this got to warmer temps; enjoy on the cooler side. Great intensity and power while keeping a classy style. Good stuff, love this kinda Bordeaux. 95-97
Serving notes: Bordeaux glass. Served one glass and emptied bottle into a decanter at cellar temp ~55° and consumed over 8 hours. Recommend serving ~58°-62° and decant as needed only. The wine lost seemed to have lost some vigor or maybe started closing down as tasting approached 8 hours.
Score is a guess as too early and likely higher when fully ready. Tried way to early in late 2021. Bright ruby colour, smells are muted, but is there is earthy and damp but also dark berry jam and some leather, maybe menthol. Taste is bright / racy and great forest berries. Structure is super. Nice acidity provides long finish while making it lip smackin’ good. Tannins are crazy fine and ready to help develop. This feels like a few years away. Try again in 2024 if you can wait, or just decant for a long time. These notes were after 3 hours of decant.
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This wine right now should not be drank at all. If you have some or want to open a bottle I would recommend to wait at least 7 year+. The wine has it all but it is way young and needs to balance out. This is the kind of wine that I know that in 15 years it will be a 97+ pointer. It is a full, in your face wine, with lots of tanins and lots of power. It just needs time to settle down.
Amsterdam UGCB Tasting (Amstel Boathouse, Amsterdam, NL): Really shining in the powerful and masculine style of the Château, wonderfully floral and expressive, big tannins are perfectly integrated, tight finish, excellent length. Outstanding but needs time.
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The 2018 UGCB tasting Amsterdam 6/21/2021 (Amsterdam, Amstel Boathouse): A charming bouquet, everything in the plus compared to the Le Bon Pasteur, not really convincing in the midtaste, but in the concentrated aftertaste there is a rematch. I suggest room for a point more in future.
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From a 375. PNP- A wow wine on the nose. Red fruit on the palate with so much going on. Opened next to an 18 Gravette de Certan so there was some concept of vintage but stylistically so different. Clinet was more ripe and showed concentration and youth. Almost new world in style with a touch more oak. 95+ with upside
Deeply colored, the wine is intensely concentrated with layers of black, red and blue fruits accompanied by licorice, dark cocoa, truffle, flowers, espresso bean and hints of Asian spice. There is a fabulous sense of purity to the fruits that really comes alive when the layers of velvet-drenched fruits hit your palate. The wine is equally hedonistic and elegant, which is a hard thing to accomplish. The wine will age and evolve with ease for 3 decades.
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deep black/purple color, sweet clay and blueberry on the nose, on the palate a vibrant and very ripe fruit- but with a very manipulated feel, remembering what this wine used to be like it feels like the hedonistic indulgence of the fruit comes at a great cost- there is no nuance here, no subtlety, it certainly offers a great wave of velvety ripe fruits with some clay underpinnings- but it also seems this could have come from anywhere, with time in glass this settled down and proved a better accompaniment to the meal than it did at first- but make no mistake this is the "modern" Bordeaux style almost at its most severe with the one saving grace being that it is at least balanced and not suffering from an overdose of oak, I could see this evolving into something very tasty and enjoyable in time- but I fear the nuance of site will be forever lost in large degree.
For me **? with my AFWE hat on, but for the style certainly better than most and with good balance
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Arvi Bordeaux 2018 Arrivage (Dolder Grand, Zurich): Tasting of 2018 Bordeaux in the bottle. A mixed vintage where St. Emilion often ended up over-ripe and cooked while Pomerol seems to have fared better, as did the left bank. Wine of the tasting was Rauzan Ségla, but the Léovilles (Barton and Poyferré), Pichon Lalande and Clinet presented themselves brilliantly as well.
Tasting note: A nose showing a tightly woven net of aromas. At this point precision didn't appear to be the strong suit, but you discover tons of flavours. Apart from mixed, mostly red berries there is mint, dried herbs, fresh oregano. Hints of meaty flavours add to a fleshy appearance. Good density on the palate with push and a firm structure. In my view Client continues to punch above its weight / price, especially in very recent vintages starting with 2015.
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N: very ripe nose, blackcurrant/berry, almost compote character, P: Well balanced, alcohol is in check. Ripe fruit, powdery tannins which are quite high. Does this lack some structure and layers? Falls away a bit on the palate. But well-made and tasty.
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2018 Bordeaux tasting event (Stockholm): Rich dark fruit with a modern, inviting style. Sweet voilets. Elegant with very fine tannin. Accessible now before closing down. Give it 10+ years.
Tasted next to 2009. 10% Cabernet Sauvignon. Red cherry fruit, hints of dark fruit, floral notes, chocolate, liquorice, spices on the nose. On the palate equally dense and concentrated. Good acidity, very well integrated tannins, slightly spicy, again notes of chocolate. Very long. 93-94+
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Sensual, luscious and sexy, this is bottled decadence. The wine takes pure plums drenches them in velvet and drizzles them with roses, dark chocolate, licorice, espresso and truffle. The wine is full-bodied, concentrated, powerful and lush. Produced from blending 85% Merlot and 15% Cabernet Sauvignon and hitting 14.75% alcohol, the wine is aging in 75% new, French oak barrels. The harvest took place September 19 to October 5. 97-99 Pts
12/2/2023 - Tgood wrote:
Blacknblueberry compote, cream and charcoal pesto - when uncoils sure to delineate - drying tannins aplenty - at 55F it’ll be several years before I uncork another.
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7/4/2023 - Triforwine wrote: 94 Points
Opened with mom and sister with duck breast dinner. I had brought this from my cellar to my dad some time ago. Of course we are all sad and I just couldn't bring myself to open any of my dad's wines yet after he passed away the day before. Besides my mom and sister wanted something younger. Decanted for 5 hours which was enough to begin to appreciate the character but this wine is starting to hibernate. I had tried it on release and it was better then. I still think this will be one of the best Clinet vintages of all that I have tasted (and I have tasted quite a few as I love this wine). 94 for now, potential much higher. HOLD.
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12/24/2022 - WineBurrowingWombat Likes this wine: 96 Points
Nose: [59°-66°] Intensely dried rose petals with dark cranberries, dried cedar, hints of dried tobacco leaves, subtle black olive, nice damp grass, fallen tree branches and wet river stones. With little time, everything melds and the fruit darkens. Stays both intense and gentle, with aromas that dominate of strong floral notes initially but eventually give way for dark fruits and secondary notes. Hints of dark chocolate surface after hours of air.
Palate: [59°-66°] Nicely bitter tannin like well steeped tea, savory tree bark, dark muddled earth with graphite, black fruits with a hint of blue fruits and crushed river stones. Just like the nose, dark chocolate develops on the palate with plenty of air time.
Attributes: Clear, dark medium ruby. Dry with medium-plus amounts of fine, chewy tannin. Medium body with medium acidity (well integrated if higher). Great finish of at least 22-24 seconds. Surprising amount of sediment in the bottle.
Thoughts: If you love quality tea, this would be up your alley. This is so good and pleasurable with a tasty flavor profile that should satisfy the palates of those that sit on the bitter range of the flavor spectrum. The fruits don't take center stage acts as an amazing supporting role. The bitterness never becomes too much where it makes you scrunch your face but just enough to give you what you like (if bitterness is your kinda thing). Heat gathered on the palate as this got to warmer temps; enjoy on the cooler side. Great intensity and power while keeping a classy style. Good stuff, love this kinda Bordeaux. 95-97
Serving notes: Bordeaux glass. Served one glass and emptied bottle into a decanter at cellar temp ~55° and consumed over 8 hours. Recommend serving ~58°-62° and decant as needed only. The wine lost seemed to have lost some vigor or maybe started closing down as tasting approached 8 hours.
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11/1/2022 - Bottle Dog Likes this wine: 95 Points
Score is a guess as too early and likely higher when fully ready. Tried way to early in late 2021. Bright ruby colour, smells are muted, but is there is earthy and damp but also dark berry jam and some leather, maybe menthol. Taste is bright / racy and great forest berries. Structure is super. Nice acidity provides long finish while making it lip smackin’ good. Tannins are crazy fine and ready to help develop. This feels like a few years away. Try again in 2024 if you can wait, or just decant for a long time. These notes were after 3 hours of decant.
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10/2/2022 - MJP Hou TX Likes this wine: 94 Points
Al Fresco on a beautiful day. Paired with burgers for the family.
No formal notes just impression. Delicious today and will be even better if left alone. Year in and out an easy purchase with fantastic QPR.
94+
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7/3/2022 - Sonoma-W Likes this wine: 96 Points
Smooth, dark fruit -- a L'Evangile cousin for sure
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5/12/2022 - wren460 Likes this wine: 93 Points
This wine right now should not be drank at all. If you have some or want to open a bottle I would recommend to wait at least 7 year+. The wine has it all but it is way young and needs to balance out. This is the kind of wine that I know that in 15 years it will be a 97+ pointer. It is a full, in your face wine, with lots of tanins and lots of power. It just needs time to settle down.
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4/2/2022 - fozzibaer Likes this wine:
I wanted to see the potential and yes it is certainly there.
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2/4/2022 - ayalao3 wrote: 94 Points
Good descriptions below.
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11/25/2021 - Orange Tsian wrote: 94 Points
香气上比较克制，似乎有点羞怯。随着香气慢慢走，可以闻到黑樱桃、黑莓、黑李子之类的黑色果味，果味浓郁但又精致，还带着些许轻盈感，透着和煦的光，看见成熟果实上水珠的晶莹，随后玫瑰、薰衣草的花香摇曳着展开，十分自然。微微湿润的森林气息，甘草、些许粉质的矿物也变得温柔起来。入口也是如此，结构颇大，集中度较高，单宁多且光滑，展开于舌面，薄薄的，似乎小湖。成熟浓郁的果实，并没有变成果酱和糖果，而是春日午后时分的野餐果篮，饱满的黑樱桃、黑莓、黑醋栗，似乎还有些树莓和红车厘子，光滑透亮，沾着水珠，在口中浮动。鲜花一点点地开，花丛中明媚非凡，几分俏皮。就连淡淡的矿物、烟叶、一点丁香之类的香料都跳动起来了。94+/100
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11/25/2021 - wineappellation Likes this wine: 95 Points
Expressive fruits, minerals and earth. Well balanced, good finesse, one of the better Pomerol of the vintage with its elegance.
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11/15/2021 - Philippe_C wrote: 92 Points
Nez de chocolat, leger poivré... Légure amertume, tannin leger, très jeune.
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6/21/2021 - Xavier Auerbach wrote: 94 Points
Amsterdam UGCB Tasting (Amstel Boathouse, Amsterdam, NL): Really shining in the powerful and masculine style of the Château, wonderfully floral and expressive, big tannins are perfectly integrated, tight finish, excellent length. Outstanding but needs time.
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6/21/2021 - FransS wrote: 94 Points
The 2018 UGCB tasting Amsterdam 6/21/2021 (Amsterdam, Amstel Boathouse): A charming bouquet, everything in the plus compared to the Le Bon Pasteur, not really convincing in the midtaste, but in the concentrated aftertaste there is a rematch. I suggest room for a point more in future.
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3/29/2021 - MJP Hou TX Likes this wine: 95 Points
From a 375. PNP- A wow wine on the nose. Red fruit on the palate with so much going on. Opened next to an 18 Gravette de Certan so there was some concept of vintage but stylistically so different. Clinet was more ripe and showed concentration and youth. Almost new world in style with a touch more oak. 95+ with upside
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3/15/2021 - Jeff Leve wrote: 97 Points
Deeply colored, the wine is intensely concentrated with layers of black, red and blue fruits accompanied by licorice, dark cocoa, truffle, flowers, espresso bean and hints of Asian spice. There is a fabulous sense of purity to the fruits that really comes alive when the layers of velvet-drenched fruits hit your palate. The wine is equally hedonistic and elegant, which is a hard thing to accomplish. The wine will age and evolve with ease for 3 decades.
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3/5/2021 - Elpaninaro wrote:
from half bottle.
deep black/purple color, sweet clay and blueberry on the nose, on the palate a vibrant and very ripe fruit- but with a very manipulated feel, remembering what this wine used to be like it feels like the hedonistic indulgence of the fruit comes at a great cost- there is no nuance here, no subtlety, it certainly offers a great wave of velvety ripe fruits with some clay underpinnings- but it also seems this could have come from anywhere, with time in glass this settled down and proved a better accompaniment to the meal than it did at first- but make no mistake this is the "modern" Bordeaux style almost at its most severe with the one saving grace being that it is at least balanced and not suffering from an overdose of oak, I could see this evolving into something very tasty and enjoyable in time- but I fear the nuance of site will be forever lost in large degree.
For me **? with my AFWE hat on, but for the style certainly better than most and with good balance
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11/2/2020 - sirpat00 Likes this wine: 96 Points
Arvi Bordeaux 2018 Arrivage (Dolder Grand, Zurich): Tasting of 2018 Bordeaux in the bottle. A mixed vintage where St. Emilion often ended up over-ripe and cooked while Pomerol seems to have fared better, as did the left bank. Wine of the tasting was Rauzan Ségla, but the Léovilles (Barton and Poyferré), Pichon Lalande and Clinet presented themselves brilliantly as well.
Tasting note:
A nose showing a tightly woven net of aromas. At this point precision didn't appear to be the strong suit, but you discover tons of flavours. Apart from mixed, mostly red berries there is mint, dried herbs, fresh oregano. Hints of meaty flavours add to a fleshy appearance. Good density on the palate with push and a firm structure. In my view Client continues to punch above its weight / price, especially in very recent vintages starting with 2015.
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10/13/2020 - R J Lewis wrote:
N: very ripe nose, blackcurrant/berry, almost compote character,
P: Well balanced, alcohol is in check. Ripe fruit, powdery tannins which are quite high. Does this lack some structure and layers? Falls away a bit on the palate. But well-made and tasty.
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10/3/2019 - Mascarello59 Likes this wine: 94 Points
2018 Bordeaux tasting event (Stockholm): Rich dark fruit with a modern, inviting style. Sweet voilets. Elegant with very fine tannin. Accessible now before closing down. Give it 10+ years.
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7/3/2019 - rossi.wine wrote: 94 Points
Tasted next to 2009. 10% Cabernet Sauvignon. Red cherry fruit, hints of dark fruit, floral notes, chocolate, liquorice, spices on the nose. On the palate equally dense and concentrated. Good acidity, very well integrated tannins, slightly spicy, again notes of chocolate. Very long. 93-94+
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4/19/2019 - Jeff Leve wrote: 98 Points
Sensual, luscious and sexy, this is bottled decadence. The wine takes pure plums drenches them in velvet and drizzles them with roses, dark chocolate, licorice, espresso and truffle. The wine is full-bodied, concentrated, powerful and lush. Produced from blending 85% Merlot and 15% Cabernet Sauvignon and hitting 14.75% alcohol, the wine is aging in 75% new, French oak barrels. The harvest took place September 19 to October 5. 97-99 Pts
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