Chateau L'Eglise-Clinet, Pomerol 2006

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.

Bright ruby-red. Knockout nose combines dark berries and black cherry, licorice pastille, truffle, tobacco and sexy oak spices. Lush and sweet but with superb freshness and underlying structure. The wine's combination of suavity, backbone and compelling mineral-driven perfume is why I often find it hard to take merlot seriously when it's not grown on the Pomerol plateau. Finishes silky and very long. This has turned out splendidly.