2018 Clinet

Tasted blind. Some evolution at the rim. Quite evolved and integrated. Medium weight. Sandpaper tannins on the end. (JR)

Confident, poised, layers of graphite, slate, chocolate shavings, dark blackcurrant and blueberry fruits. These are big tannins that are going to need another five to 8 years in bottle, but the decadence is already clear, and this is a wine that is going to impress any table that it is served at in years to come.

The 2018 Clinet, which was cropped at 38hl/ha, has an exquisite bouquet of lavish black cherry and raspberry fruit, and still those bunches of violets I observed from barrel, flanked by potpourri. The aromatics are well defined and the new oak seamlessly integrated. The palate is medium-bodied with sappy black fruit. It has firmed up since I tasted in barrel, when I noted that it felt like a "muscular" Clinet in the making. That trait is emphasized in bottle, and those accustomed to the more hedonistic Clinets of yore might find it a tad more reserved and drier. But it is a style that suits it well. White pepper leaves the mouth tingling after it has departed, the fitting conclusion to a superb – dare I say cerebral? – Clinet that has a long and prosperous future.