CHÂTEAU CLINET

The 2016 Clinet offers an intriguing combination of power and finesse. Iron, smoke, red cherry jam, blood orange and leather all power through in this racy, sensual Pomerol. In some moments, Clinet is silky and nuanced, while at other times a darker, more brooding side comes through. The 2016 has so much to offer. I would prefer to cellar it for at least a few years. Drinking range: 2024 - 2036 Rating: 94 Antonio Galloni, www.vinous.com (Jan 2019)

The 2016 Clinet is a blend of 90% Merlot and 10% Cabernet Sauvignon that was picked from 22 September for the young vines, the older vines picked 1 and 2 October, finishing with the Cabernet Sauvignon the following day. It was cropped at 49 hectoliters per hectare and matured in 70% new oak and the remainder in second-fill barrels. It has 14.15% alcohol and a record-breaking 94 IPT. It has a very linear bouquet, quite strict and intense with a light iodine and marine scent merging with the black fruit. This is a more "aristocratic" nose for Clinet, sophisticated and one of the most nuanced I have encountered. The palate is medium-bodied with filigree tannin that forms the foundation of a more masculine Clinet, complex and focused with a subtle spiciness coming through on the finish, which fans out with confidence and leaves a disarming, saline tang in the mouth. Yes, this is a magnificent Clinet, cool and mineral-soaked, both cerebral and lip-smackingly delicious. Drinking range: 2024 - 2055 Rating: 96-98 Neal Martin, www.vinous.com (Apr 2017)

Dark in profile, with plum, blackberry and black currant fruit melded together, while wood spice and bramble hints run along the edges. Plenty of depth and length here, with lively tobacco and tar notes on the finish. This fleshes out with air too. Impressive, in the richer style. Rating: 94-97 James Molesworth, The Wine Spectator (Apr 2017)

The linear character to this is so impressive with beautiful blackberries and blueberries. Crushed stones and minerals. Medium to full body. Very pretty. Rating: 94-95 James Suckling, www.jamessuckling.com (Apr 2017)

The colour on this is deep and inky and a blast of cassis and black cherry fruit greets you on the nose. It has undeniable oak impact, but also a lovely lift that carries right through the palate, and that incredible Clinet precision. A fantastic 2016, not as exuberant as 2015 but showing the quality of the vintage where even the big-shouldered wines have a stunning lift, and a feeling of an invisible gossamer curtain holding them in place. Not a hedonist's vintage like 2009 or 2015, but cerebral in the style of 2001 and 2010. Strong coffee and grilled caramel on the finish. Drinking range: 2027 - 2050 Rating: 97 Jane Anson, Decanter (Apr 2017)

A backward, brooding wine, the 2016 Clinet presents a distinctly dark expression of the appellation and vintage. Black fruit, smoke, licorice and heavy toast notes are front and center. Powerful, structured and dense in the glass, the 2016 is a Pomerol that makes its case with sheer intensity rather than finesse. There is not much subtlety here. If the 2016 comes together, and it may, it will merit an even more positive note. Rating: 92-95 Antonio Galloni, www.vinous.com (Apr 2017)

Generally at the fresher end of the spectrum in Pomerol, this doesn’t lack weight or texture, but has backbone, savoury tannins and bright acidity too. It’s a dense wine, with plenty of chocolatey oak, yet it’s balanced, poised and long on the palate. Drinking range: 2024 - 2034 Rating: 94 Tim Atkin MW, www.timatkin.com (Apr 2017)

The 2016 Clinet has a gorgeous bouquet of copious red berry fruit mixed with truffle and undergrowth scents, all fresh and vibrant. The palate is medium-bodied with supple tannins and, like the L’Evangile that preceded it at this blind tasting, displays noticeable acidity. However, it is more knitted together than that wine, and it fans out wonderfully on a long, spicy, quite firm finish that prompted me to score lower than I might have done, because it remains a very fine Pomerol in the making. Tasted blind at the annual Southwold tasting. Drinking range: 2024 - 2050 Rating: 94 Neal Martin, www.vinous.com (Dec 1899)