1994 Clos du Clocher

Community Tasting Notes (10) Avg Score: 88.6 points

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  3/24/2022 - forceberry wrote: 89 Points

  A blend of mainly Merlot with some Cabernet Franc (25-30%). Aged for 16-20 months in oak barriques. 12,8% alcohol.
  
  Very slightly hazy and somewhat evolved figgy color with a tertiary, syrupy-brown hue. Aged, evolved and quite savory nose with rather tertiary aromas of beef jerky, some soy sauce, a little bit of pruney dark fruits and dried black cherries, light nuances of wizened blackcurrants, a hint of smoke and a touch of forest floor. The wine is aged, silky smooth and rather tertiary on the palate with a medium body and savory flavors of meaty umami, some wizened red fruit, a little bit of sour cherry bitterness, light earthy nuances of forest floor, a hint of beef jerky and a touch of minty greenness. The overall feel is still surprisingly firm and tightly-knit for the age, thanks to the high acidity and still moderately grippy tannins. The finish is aged, juicy and quite grippy with long, savory flavors of meaty umami and soy sauce, some wizened red plums, a little bit of smoke, light pruney tones, a hint of earth and a touch of wild strawberry.
  
  A nice and still fully enjoyable, but already a bit too tertiary Pomerol red that still packs quite a bit of structure, but is slowly giving up in the fruit department. There is still quite a bit of fruit intensity left in the wine, but the overall feel is starting to turn quite pruney, meaty and old, making the wine come across as a bit anonymous in style. However, even if the wine is slowly gliding into that anonymous old wine territory, it was still quite recognizable for what it was, as I poured the wine blind to a small band of wine enthusiasts and it really didn't take more than a moment or two before people guessed that the wine was a claret, soon adding that more likely from the right bank rather than the left one. All in all, pretty good stuff, but probably would've been much better and more interesting some 5+ years ago. Perhaps a bit pricey for its current quality at 31€.

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  11/21/2021 - Gemofwine Likes this wine: 94 Points

  Decanting needed & after 1 hour 25 mins, it is marvellous :)
  Bouquet aromatics with fresh orange and bergamot, and it kept evolving pleasingly from moments to moments, with dried strawberries & raspberries initially then to bouquets & then twigs and stems & green tobacco leaves.
  
  Palate is mineral with integrated tannins, and then the next moment we find the tannins surfacing forward, and then it is more mineral again. It is harmoniously blended with an elegant acid backbone. Apparent skilful winemaking.

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  10/23/2021 - RightBankKane Likes this wine:

  Beautiful wine that drank well right out of the gate. The cork separated and crumbled but was obviously sound in terms of keeping the wine. Bouquet is mild and lightly confectionary, with spun sugar, a bit of chocolate and butter. The palate is singing with a sweet taste rather than dusty dry or acidic. Mouthfeel is excellent: there is definite structure and length, but it is supple and lithe and has a bit of round, fatty or glycerous plushness. This particular bottle seems like it could keep in a cold cellar but there is no reason to delay in drinking. 1994 was not a heralded left bank vintage but was better in Pomerol and Saint Emilion and this wine was a bargain at just ~$35 only four or five years ago at a one-off from JJ Buckley. Two more bottles in the cellar. Nice aged claret.

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  4/19/2020 - Rick S wrote:

  Decanted and Drank 4/19/20 with mixed BBQ.
  Though it was past prime, wasn’t so bad!
  
  Tannins were mostly gone, but, in no way had wine turned.

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  10/27/2012 - mychurch wrote: 88 Points

  Still goin strong, with a lot of chocolate.

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