Chateau Clinet   Clinet

2007 Clinet

By Chateau Clinet

2007 Clinet from Chateau Clinet, Pomerol, Bordeaux

The 2007 vintage in Bordeaux was a year that demanded the utmost skill and precision from vintners. Amidst a season fraught with climatic caprice, Chateau Clinet emerged with a wine that commands respect for its mastery over such challenging conditions. The 2007 Clinet reveals the adeptness of Pomerol producers to sculpt an enchanting wine even when nature appears parsimonious.

 

Unyielding Quality in a Temperamental Year

As one delves deep into the nuances of this particular year, it is palpable that the 2007 Clinet took all that was proffered by an unpredictable climate and transformed it into a vintage of unexpected grace. Relatively cool temperatures led to an unhurried ripening period, providing grapes with ample time to concentrate their character. Inevitably, this has led to a Pomerol that distinguishes itself with subtle complexity rather than overt power.

 

A Vintage Reflecting Resilience and Elegance

In the glass, the 2007 Clinet from Chateau Clinet displays a garnet hue, hinting at the evolving nature of its age. Initial olfactory engagement offers ripe blackberry intertwined with seasoned leather and a whisper of earthy truffle - a testament to its Pomerol DNA. The palate is met with finely wrought tannins and an elegant structure, underpinned by mature dark fruit notes intertwined harmoniously with secondary flavours of tobacco and spice.

While perhaps overshadowed by more celebrated vintages in terms of opulence, herein lies its charm - the ability to deliver nuanced pleasure, understated refinement, and a quietly confident assertion as one ponders its place in a well-curated investment portfolio. For the astute collector who values subtlety and finesse in their Bordeaux collection, the 2007 Clinet offers an articulate testimony to skillful wine-making in less-than-ideal conditions.

After several years in bottle, this vintage confounds initial expectations, offering investors both a sense of security in their selection and providing an alluring narrative behind each cork popped. A compelling choice for investors aiming to diversify with poised examples of Pomerol's potential, the appeal of the 2007 Clinet lies firmly within its deft ability to tell the story of its birth year without uttering a single word.

Market price (HKD)

HK$8,430.00

12x75cl

Highest score

91

POP score

80

Scores and tasting notes

91

Tasted at BI Wine & Spirits' 10-Years-On tasting, the 2007 Clinet offers attractive kirsch, black cherry, leather and game on the nose, a touch of truffle and peppermint emerging with time. The palate is medium-bodied with a gamy, leathery entry, a healthy pinch of black pepper lacing the black fruit, leading to a surprisingly structured and masculine finish. Unlike some of its Pomerol peers, I can see this Clinet holding up and even improving over the next decade. This was a very positive showing. Tasted February 2017.

Neal Martin - The Wine Advocate, 30 June 2017

91

One of the finest Pomerols of the vintage, Clinet's 2007 reveals an impressive display of chocolate-infused black cherry and blackberry fruit intertwined with hints of truffles and incense. It is a dense, medium to full-bodied, well-built effort with sweet tannin as well as surprising richness and length. This beauty, a blend of 85% Merlot, 10% Cabernet Sauvignon, and 5% Cabernet Franc, can be drunk now or cellared for 10-15 years. It was made from yields of 35 hectoliters per hectare, and the natural alcohol is a remarkable 14%.

Robert Parker Jr - Wine Advocate #188 April 2010

90

Tasted blind at Bordeaux Index's Clinet vertical. A blend of 85% Merlot, 10% Cabernet Franc and 5% Cabernet Sauvignon, matured for 16 months in 60% new oak. This has a strong scent of espresso on the nose, the oak a little dominant at first, but mellowing with aeration to offer cherry liqueur, blueberry and violets. Good definition. The palate is medium-bodied with a savoury entry, slightly finer tannins that leads to a cohesive irony finish with touches of dark berries, wild strawberry and chestnut. Very fine and supple, the '07 will offer pleasurable medium-term drinking. Tasted February 2011.

Neal Martin - Wine Journal May 2011

Vintage performance