or Château L’Église-Clinet 2023 (Pomerol), professional critics have been extremely consistent in placing it among the very top wines of the vintage, often in “near perfect” territory.
Professional ratings (2023 vintage)
Across major critics:
- Neal Martin (Vinous): 98–100 points
- James Suckling: 97–98 points
- Jeb Dunnuck: 95–97 points
- Antonio Galloni (Vinous): 94–97 points
- Jane Anson (Inside Bordeaux): 97 points
- Decanter: 97 points
- Lisa Perrotti-Brown (Wine Independent): 97–99 points
- Wine Advocate (William Kelley): 93–95 points
- Jeff Leve (Wine Cellar Insider): 97–99 points
Critical consensus
- Widely described as one of the top wines of the 2023 Bordeaux vintage, frequently mentioned alongside the very best Right Bank wines.
- Style is consistently noted as deep, concentrated, and highly structured yet refined, with very fine tannins and strong aromatic precision.
- Common tasting descriptors include blackberry, cassis, plum, violets, crushed stone/mineral tones, chocolate, tobacco, and spice.
- Critics emphasize high aging potential (often 2030–2050+ range) and a wine that may still improve in bottle.
Overall professional summary
- Range of top-tier scores: ~93–100 points
- Most common band: 96–99 points
- Critical standing: First division Pomerol, frequently cited as a potential “perfect-score” candidate in bottle
98-100pts Vinous
The 2023 L'Eglise Clinet was picked between September 10th and 14th and matured in 82% new oak. It has a stunning bouquet with enthralling delineation and focus, very intense with black berries, raspberry, crushed stone, Earl Grey and a touch of blood orange. The palate is medium-bodied with fine-boned tannins and a dash of cracked black pepper. It's very harmonious and fans out brilliantly on the finish. It is surely going to vie with the stupendous 2022, and this ranks as one of the best wines of the vintage.
-Neal Martin
97-99pts The Wine Independent
A blend of 90% Merlot and 10% Cabernet Franc, L’Eglise-Clinet 2023 has a pH of 3.7. It is deep garnet-purple in color and opens with an initial burst of gregarious fruit, with blueberry preserves and ripe, juicy plums giving way to perfumed waves of lilacs, cinnamon stick, star anise, crushed rocks, and forest floor. The medium to full-bodied palate is tightly coiled at this stage with the taut, intense black and blue fruit core intertwined with minerals and exotic spices, supported by firm, rounded tannins and compelling tension, finishing very long and fragrant. A head-turner!
97-99pts The Wine Cellar Insider
The wine quickly focuses you on its floral characteristics paired with black raspberries, plums, black, with white cherries, dark chocolate, and just an edge of coffee beans. The palate however, is where the excitement takes place. The wine is opulent, rich, aromatic, concentrated, and long. The mark of freshness is there, but, you also experience the wine's elegance, and silky tannins, as well as its length, and width on the mid-palate, and finish. Interestingly, here, it was the moderate amount of sun hours that helped make the vintage as it shielded the grapes from the late summer heat wave. From a blend of 90% Merlot with 10% Cabernet Franc, 14.60% ABV. The harvest took place September 10-September 14. It is great to see continuing strong wines from the Durantou family. Drink from 2029-2060.
97-98pts James Suckling
The purity and precision of this young L'Eglise Clinet is exceptional, with finesse, intensity and fine tannins that last for minutes on the palate. It grows slowly and then builds and continues. The energy is terrific. Finishes long and confident. All about structure with finesse. The tannins really are refined and tightly woven. 90% merlot and 10% cabernet franc.
97pts Decanter
Crafted from deep rooted vines in both clay with clayey gravel, this estate succeeds like no other in expressing power from this appellation but without any hard or drying tannins, which one can encounter in 2023 from other estates. Cool and confident menthol, bright tangy red berry and blueberry fruit aromas introduce an almost Pauillac like palate whose tannic grip is happily balanced by blood red orange like freshness. Aging in 82% new oak, this wine was made from grapes picked before the September rains: the tannins show no rawness, but rather pristine ripeness. I love the linear focus enveloped with subtle succulence, ending with a long finish. Give it the full opportunity to improve in your cellar, not before 2033, when it will reward your patience fully.
97pts Jane Anson
Rises through the palate, intense and concentrated with cloves, pomegranate, black pepper, cumin, rosemary, rich black fruits balanced and given lift and contrast by nuanced and fresher raspberry leaf, tomato leaf, saline squid ink, and fresh citrus peel acidities. This has cohesion, precision, lift and character. Noëmie Durantou winemaker. Harvest September 1 to 18. 42hl/h yield.
95-97pts Jeb Dunnuck
The Grand Vin 2023 Château L'Eglise Clinet checks in as 90% Merlot and 10% Cabernet Franc that's resting in 82% new barrels. It brings another level of density as well as purity, with fabulous notes of cassis, ripe black cherries, chocolate, smoked tobacco, iron, and spice, as well as a kiss of background graphite. Medium to full-bodied, concentrated, yet very much in the vibrant, fresh, classic style of the vintage, it has ripe tannins and a gorgeous finish. It shines on all accounts, offering beautiful purity and complexity and plenty of richness, and it should have a broad, lengthy drink window.
94-97pts Vinous
The 2023 L'Eglise Clinet is fabulous. Rich, deep and vertical in structure, this is all poise. Nothing in particular stands out, as all the elements are impeccably balanced. Time in the glass helps this open a bit, but the 2023 is a wine of reserve - a wine that is not showing all it's cards. Gravel, incense, tobacco, dried herbs and mocha open with some coaxing. This will be stellar in time.
-Antonio Galloni
93-95pts Wine Advocate
The 2023 L'Eglise Clinet unwinds in the glass with brooding aromas of dark berries and cherries mingled with baking chocolate, pipe tobacco and toasty new oak. Full-bodied, layered and muscular, with a sweet core of fruit framed by rich, powdery, generously extracted tannin, it's broad-shouldered and powerful, concluding with a long, expansive finish. It's a blend of 90% Merlot and 10% Cabernet Franc that checks in at 14.6% alcohol.
History
Chateau L'Eglise Clinet is now amongst the elite of Pomerol producers. Its vineyards were originally part of Chateau Clinet and Chateau Clos l`Eglise respectively, and the property came into being in the 1950s. L'Eglise Clinet has been owned and run by Denis Durantou since 1982. Its 5.5 hectares of vineyards are located on the Pomerol plateau, where the soils are rich in gravel, clay, sand and iron. L'Eglise-Clinet's wine is typically a blend of 80% Merlot and 20% Cabernet Franc.
