2004 L'Eglise Clinet
By Chateau L'Eglise Clinet
2004 L'Eglise Clinet from Chateau L'Eglise Clinet, Pomerol, Bordeaux
The 2004 L'Eglise Clinet is a testament to the versatility and resilience of an estate that steadily garners accolades for its impeccable wines. My relationship with these concoctions spans decades, allowing me a comprehensive view of their evolution—a tapestry interwoven with climatic idiosyncrasies that each vintage bestows.
A Vintage With Character: Crafting a Sophisticated Investment
In the year 2004, Bordeaux experienced a season of moderate weather, allowing the vineyards of Pomerol to yield grapes that prioritised elegance and balance over opulence. This nuanced distinction is brilliantly encapsulated by the 2004 vintage of Chateau L'Eglise Clinet—singular among its brethren for its finesse and restrained power.
Upon delving into the glass, the wine unfurls with a patient complexity—ripe blackberries and plums mingling with earthy truffle notes and a wistful whisper of cedar. The 2004 vintage categorically stands out for its structured tannins which cradle the fruit aspects with an assuring embrace, ensuring that this wine reveals itself as an intriguing puzzle—one that wine enthusiasts find delight in deciphering over the years.
Investable Qualities: From Cellar to Portfolio
An integral part of a collector's portfolio, this vintage is not merely an object of gustatory pleasure but also a prudent investment. Structurally sound with a good acidity backbone, it provides assurance for longevity, a key consideration for investors looking at the long-term potential. And though each bottle from Chateau L'Eglise Clinet casts its own spell, the 2004 L'Eglise Clinet stands as a paragon of an investment-worthy Pomerol with its distinct personality crafted in a year that favoured subtlety over grandeur.
In summary, seasoned collectors and savvy investors will find the 2004 L'Eglise Clinet to be a wine that marries vibrant terroir expression with refined ageing potential—a confluence that makes it particularly appealing. It remains one of those elite wines from Bordeaux that reflects not just the character of its region but also the tenor of its time.
Market price (GBP)
£1,260.00
12x75cl
Highest score
95
POP score
84
Scores and tasting notes
Tasted single blind at FINE magazine’s vertical in Dusseldorf. This has a very ripe bouquet with macerated dark cherries, blackcurrant jam, boysenberry and a touch of graphite. Much more masculine and perhaps slightly broody compared to the first, but it opens nicely in the glass. The palate is full-bodied with very intense dark cherry, cassis and blueberry fruit interlaced with citrus lemon. Very well balanced, very fine mineralite showing through on the finish but so backward at the moment. I love the tension here though. Tasted February 2011.
Neal Martin - Wine Journal May 2011
The 2004 Château L'Eglise-Clinet needed 30-40 minutes to open in the glass before offering blackberry, briary, leather and black truffle scents that are very harmonious and actually build momentum in the glass. The palate is medium-bodied with grainy tannin, a little powdery in texture with black pepper and clove infused on what feels like a structured, masculine finish that is so typical of this vintage. However, it is well balanced and quite long in the mouth, certainly a commendable wine of the vintage, a L'Eglise-Clinet that should age well for another 10-15 years. This is a classic Pomerol and a classic L'Eglise-Clinet from Denis Durantou. Tasted February 2016.
Neal Martin - The Wine Advocate, 28 July 2016
A brilliant effort from proprietor Denis Durantou, this classic Pomerol reveals a dark purple color as well as sweet aromas of raspberries, black cherries, cassis, and hints of caramel and vanilla. It is made in a layered, medium to full-bodied style with moderately high tannin, and superb concentration, structure, and depth. Anticipated maturity: 2011-2025.
Robert Parker Jr - Wine Advocate #171 June 2007