"94 Points Jane Anson, Decanter.com
This has the power of Pomerol Merlot combined with an elegant flood of tannins. The stunning purity of Durantou wines is always striking, and they really do suit the freshness of the 2016 vintage. Here the tannins are making an impression on the close of play, but they never stand in the way of the freshness and juice of these cassis fruits. Just so elegant. 100% Merlot, picked on 5th October, aged in 50% new oak. 41hl/ha. Drinking Window 2024 - 2040, April 2017"
La Petite Eglise is the 2nd label of l'Eglise Clinet
Chateau L’Eglise Clinet dates to 1803 when Jean Rouchut purchased some of the vineyard lands that later became L’Eglise Clinet. 1955 was the first vintage sold using the name Chateau l’Eglise Clinet. Even though the name has changed over the years, contrary to popular belief, the grape source used for the production of L’Eglise Clinet has been consistent since 1914. Before Denis Durantou took over Chateau L’Eglise Clinet, his great-grandfather managed the Pomerol estate. Because the family was seriously involved with farming, which was how they made their money, in 1914, they entered into a leasing agreement allowing a negociant to produce and sell the wine. In 1942, the grandmother of Denis Durantou made an arrangement with Pierre Lasserre, the owner of Clos Rene, to manage the estate. Chateau L’Eglise Clinet remained under a leasing agreement until the 1983 vintage. At that point, the fortunes for Chateau L’Eglise Clinet and the young Denis Durantou were about to change.
Denis Durantou took over Chateau L’Eglise Clinet in 1983 and had to fully renovate the cellars as there was no floor, only dirt. The vats were old, unclean, and lacked temperature control. He quickly added stainless steel, temperature-controlled vats, relined the cement tanks with epoxy, and increased the amount of new oak used to age the wine. More importantly, he replanted much of the vineyard. 1985 Chateau L’Eglise Clinet was his first true success. The level of quality really kicked in starting with the 1998 vintage and today, it is one of the true stars of Pomerol. Sadly, Denis Durantou passed away in May 2020.
The 4.4-hectare, cross-shaped, Pomerol vineyard of Chateau L’Eglise Clinet is planted to 85% Merlot, 14% Cabernet Franc and 1% Malbec. The terroir of Chateau L’Eglise Clinet is deep clay and gravel soils without excess water, thanks to the century-old drainage network and natural slopes which rise to 29 meters at their peak. The chateau retains a lot of old vines with 25% of the vineyard being more than 75 years old.
