Chateau L'Eglise-Clinet, Pomerol 2015

Notes of cassis, bilberry, damson, charcoal and liquorice, with pure blackberry juice filling the crevices in between. The tannins are firm but flexible, allowing for some lightness. Hugely complex, but still hugely young. This vintage was made from the first year of the full maturity for these young vines – now 14 years old, 3.55pH. At this youthful stage you can feel the smoky, grilled brush of the oak, which is 70% new, with medium toast, and it’s double toasted to ensure there are no vanillin flavours. This wine will climb upwards and outwards towards the horizon, staking a claim for greatness in 2015.

The 2015 L'Eglise-Clinet is one of the wines of the vintage. Even better from bottle than it was from barrel, the 2015 towers out of the glass with stunning power and richness. Super-ripe black cherry, plum, licorice, tobacco and menthol are some of the many notes pulse through this riveting Pomerol. There is plenty of structure, but the tannins are nearly buried by the sheer intensity of the fruit. Hints of lavender, smoke, spice, licorice reappear to round out the finish. L'Eglise-Clinet is 90% Merlot, 10% Cabernet Franc, aged in 70% new oak. More importantly, the 2015 is a total pleasure bomb. This a fabulous wine from Denis Durantou. Don't miss it.

The violets, roses and dark fruits are so evident but they entice you in a subtle and fresh way. Full-bodied, dense and tannic, yet everything is so in tune with everything else and there are no hard edges or loose ends. It’s like a whirlpool that draws you down and then shows you its beauty. The harmony and complexity is phenomenal. Try in 2024 but I don’t want to wait.

Composed of 90% Merlot and 10% Cabernet Franc, the 2015 L'Eglise Clinet comes bursting out of the glass with a gorgeous perfume of exotic spices and potpourri over a core of blueberry compote, red currant jelly, spiced black plums and mulberries with touches of unsmoked cigars, powdered cinnamon and licorice. Big, rich and full-bodied, the palate offers exquisite harmony, packed with exotic spice and red and black fruit layers, finishing on an epically long-lasting mineral note. In an understated word: WOW.

The 2015 L'Eglise-Clinet has a compelling nose, with plush red fruit, malty, light white pepper and cumin scents emerging with time. Perhaps this is not as sophisticated as the best Right Bank wines this vintage, but it just needs time. The palate is medium-bodied, fleshy and smooth, with gentle grip and a hint of clove toward the finish. I am intrigued to see how this will evolve in bottle. Tasted blind at the 2015 Bordeaux Ten-Year-On tasting at Farr Vintners.