2018 Château Clos l’Église

Description

96   James Suckling
“A round-textured and layered young Pomerol with berry, plum, chocolate and hazelnut aromas and flavors. It’s full-bodied, plush and luscious on so many levels. Try after 2026, when it tightens up.” (3/2021)

95   Lisa Perrotti-Brown
“The 2018 Clos l’Eglise is a blend of 80% Merlot and 20% Cabernet Franc. Deep garnet-purple colored, it comes bounding out of the glass with energetic scents of Morello cherries, fresh black plums, boysenberries and lavender, plus underlying nuances of crushed rocks, woodsmoke and black truffles. The full-bodied palate is packed with perfumed black fruit, supported by ripe, velvety tannins and tons of freshness, finishing on a lingering fragrant earth note.” (3/2021)

95   Antonio Galloni for Vinous
“The 2018 Clos L’Eglise is dense and powerful to the core. The tannins are equally forbidding, suggesting the 2018 is going to need a number of years to be at its best. Heat and mildew resulted in an unusually deep Clos L’Eglise. Dark cherry, plum, mocha, licorice, spice and gravel open with a bit of coaxing. Readers have to be patient here.” (3/2021)

94   Jeb Dunnuck
“A pretty, elegant wine from this terroir, the 2018 Château Clos L’Eglise reveals a ruby/purple color as well as smoking good notes of black cherries, blueberries, white truffle, damp earth, and a little bit of iron and bloodiness that emerge with time in the glass. With medium to full-bodied richness on the palate, it has ripe tannins, a balanced texture, and just a ripe yet elegant, fleshy profile. Give bottles 4-5 years of bottle age and enjoy over the following 10-15 years.” (3/2021)

93   Neal Martin for Vinous
“The 2018 Clos l’Eglise has an open, expressive bouquet of brambly red fruit, crushed strawberry and raspberry, intermixed with dark chocolate and espresso scents. It certainly repays 90 minutes to really open. The palate is medium-bodied with fine-grained and quite strict tannins that lend it more linearity than the Barde-Haut tasted alongside (also owned by the Garcin-Lévêque family). Black pepper and clove remain present on the finish and there is a persistent spicy aftertaste. This is a classy Pomerol, but it will require 3–4 years in bottle.” (3/2021)