2006 Château l'Église-Clinet

The 2006 L’Eglise-Clinet was picked 15 to 21 September and matured in 80% new oak. It has quite a deep color and a little more turbidity than other vintages. It offers brambly red fruit on the nose, secondary aromas of black tea and truffle, not as powerful as the 2009 but with fine precision. The palate is medium-bodied with a slightly candied opening, more a playful l’Eglise-Clinet with finely chiseled tannins, moving towards more secondary notes of liquorice and a light marine note (seaweed?) towards the finish. Tasted at the l’Eglise-Clinet vertical at the château in April 2018.

Tasted at Bordeaux Index's annual 10-Year On tasting in London. The 2006 Château L'Eglise-Clinet has a killer bouquet: intense black and red fruit, crushed rose petals, a touch of potters wheel and dried herbs. It possesses one of the classiest aromatics in the Pomerol appellation. The palate is medium-bodied with fine tannin, dense dark berry fruit laced with black tea, dried herbs and a touch of juniper, gently building towards a lightly spiced, dense finish with impressive substance. This is a long-term Pomerol that needs another 3-4 years in bottle. Tasted January 2016.

Tasted blind. Very dark garnet. Big and bloody. Lots of (well-managed) tannin still with some real vigour. Unusually dry (as opposed to sweet and fleshy) for a Pomerol. But decent wine. (JR)