2020 Château Clinet, Pomerol, Bordeaux

Cask sample taken 6 April. 80% Merlot, 20% Cabernet Sauvignon. Vines 39 years old. Very dark right to the purplish rim. Rich and sumptuous aroma of pure, sweet, black fruit, entwined with oak's sweet spice. Powerful and a little charry on the palate, the tannins thick and compact but already smooth. A big, alcoholic beast of a wine but ends with unexpected freshness, and, even with this high alcohol, just about in balance. Long, chewy finish. Wholesome, powerful.Drink 2030 - 2044julia_harding MW, JancisRobinson.com (April 2021)

Inky; very ripe and quite oaky to smell; rich and powerful, very fresh in acidity, very finely tannic, well-balanced in this rather potent style; a surprising and individual wine, it is both powerful and fine at once, full of perfume within its ample proportions, long and subtle across the palate, transparent and intense, but without any sense of “thickness,” tenacious to taste, and with a great fragrant persistence. It is, not surprisingly, a touch warm on the palate, if you are sensitive to the level of alcohol, which also hardens the very fine tannins slightly. But it is also racy and delicate, almost fine liqueur- or spirit-like, but without the alcohol. Quite how it will develop in bottle, I have no idea, but it is certainly a very individual, a sort of special expression of the year. Plenty to consider.Drink 2028 - 2050Michael Schuster, The World of Fine Wine (May 2021)

This is extremely polished with ultra fine tannins that are so exquisite, giving this a seamless and weightless mouth feel. Medium-bodied, extremely long and harmonious.james_suckling, jamessuckling_com (April 2021)

The 2020 Clinet (a blend of 80% Merlot and 20% Cabernet Sauvignon) has an opaque purple-black color, needing a little coaxing to unleash bold, powerful notes of plum preserves, blueberry compote and black raspberries, followed by suggestions of cracked black pepper, menthol, cedar chest and rose oil with a hint of licorice. The big, rich, full-bodied palate is a powerhouse, bursting with impactful black and blue fruit preserves flavors, supported by ripe, rounded tannins and seamless freshness, finishing very long and fantastically perfumed.Drink 2027 - 2057Lisa Perrotti-Brown MW, Wine Advocate (May 2021)

The 2020 Clinet is a gorgeous, vivid Pomerol. Today, the Clinet feels a bit closed in on itself, but has terrific energy and plenty of drive. Dark cherry jam, mocha, rose petal, new leather and tobacco start to open with a bit of time in the glass. Readers will have to be patient here. There is plenty to look forward to.Drink from 2030 to 2060antonio_galloni, Vinous.com (June 2021)

The 2020 Clinet was picked September 14–17 for the Merlot and September 24 for the Cabernet Sauvignon, at 38hl/ha, and matured in 80% new oak. Its 15.0° alcohol is the highest ever. The bravura nose delivers copious black cherries, blueberry and violet aromas that explode from the glass. This is a Pomerol that really wants to make an impression. The palate is medium-bodied with succulent ripe tannins, hints of chocolate chip infusing the mixture of black and blueberry fruit. Lavish and satiny in texture toward the long finish. This is a bold and extravagant Clinet that I hope will just find a little refinement and more terroir expression during its élevage. If it does, it should land at the top of my banded score. Drink from 2027 to 2055Neil Martin, Vinous.com (May 2021)

I continue to love the wines from this estate, and the 2020 Château Clinet is no exception. Straight-up sensational notes of blueberries, cassis, violets, tobacco, and earth all emerge from the glass, and this beauty is full-bodied, with a rich, concentrated mid-palate, flawless balance, and a great finish. It shows the tighter, fresher, more focused style of the vintage, yet it still brings plenty of mid-palate depth as well as an expansive texture. It has enough oak to warrant short-term bottle age but will have 25-30 years of overall longevity. This is a gorgeous wine.jeb_dunnuck, jebdunnuck.com (May 2021)

Deep cherry damson red in colour, clear depth. Touches of kicking spice right from the start, I like the surprise of the battle between richness and bitterness. It feels like a heavy blanket of fruit which is burrowing down but then kicks off to let the air in alongside velvet stroking tannins, very Pomerol with coffee and chocolate. Feels confident and powerful, good stuff, if broad shouldered. A yield of 38 hl/ha. Will see at least 16 months in barrel. Tasted twice, also at Pomeol Seduction; and this is a big, seductive wine.Drink from 2029 to 2044jane_anson_mw, Decanter (April 2021)