1995 Château Clinet- France, Bordeaux, Libournais, Pomerol (2/7/2019)
Served blind in the middle of a lineup of much younger wines, this was clearly “different.” Bricking at the edge made it clear there was some age on the wine. Leather, dried flowers and damp earth smells accented lingering black fruit. A smooth, almost resolved palate entry gave way to some lingering tannins in the middle, making it clear that there’s still some room for this to develop. The fruit and savory notes merged very well, making for a cohesive, friendly flavor profile. Only medium weight overall, the finish was slightly clipped, indicating that further decanting would have been helpful. The wine had been decanted 2 hours prior to tasting, but by the end when we could re-taste before the reveal the finish had begun to flesh out. Plenty of time in hand for this wine.
I’m a fan as well, had several bottles last year. Early maturity, but mostly fruit-filled and expressive. Interesting comparison is the ‘95 L’Eglise Clinet which is a clear step up in complexity. Probably age longer as well, but all mine are gone. ‘95 Right Banks in fact are all gone from my cellar. Too good now.
Jean Michel Arcaute made very good wines there then. During that same era, he was also involved with Croix du Casse – another Pomerol – and the 1995 CdC remains a lovely, vibrant wine. I’ve been consuming a case over the years and it refuses to fade.
I really loved how the 95 right banks have developed. I didn’t expect that.