Chateau L´Eglise Clinet - La Petite Eglise 2019

JAMES SUCKLING: "This is so perfumed with violets and blackberries, even some black truffles. Full-bodied with wonderfully polished tannins that melt into the wine. Reserved at the finish. Extremely racy and long. The 20% cabernet franc in the blend gives this depth and complexity. One of the best I remember. Try after 2026."

WEINWISSER: "90 % Merlot, 20 % Cabernet Franc, 14,5 %-vol. Sattes Rubin. Vielschichtiges Bouquet nach dunklen Kirschen, dahinter getrockneter Rosmarin und Waldhimbeeren. Am delikaten Gaumen mit einer nervigen Rasse, engmaschigem Körper und reifem Extrakt. Im gebündelten Finale rote und blaue Beeren, Eisenkraut und Graphitspuren. Grosses Petite Église Kino – kann noch zulegen!"

THE WINE CELLAR INSIDER: "Soft, silky and vibrant, with so much fruit, lift, polish and refinement, it is difficult to believe this is their second wine. Fragrant, silky, sensuous and opulent, the wine leaves you with loads of black plums, licorice and chocolate. Enjoy this while waiting for the Grand Vin to develop. Drink from 2024-2036."

THE WINE ADVOCATE: "The 2019 La Petite Eglise has turned out brilliantly in bottle, wafting from the glass with aromas of raspberries, sweet spices, rose petals, black truffle, orange rind and loamy soil. Medium to full-bodied, velvety and concentrated, it's supple and enveloping, with lively acids, powdery tannins and a long, penetrating finish. These days, this isn't really a "second wine" per se, as it combines some younger vine fruit with two dedicated parcels, one located next to Pomerol's church, the other by the château of La Fleur-Pétrus."

JANCIS ROBINSON: "Finer style since the addition of the Cabernet Franc (first vintage 2017). Floral and fresh, even burgundian in its way. Lovely texture. Juicy. Long, clean finish. Now has another dimension."