Ch.Clinet 2006 750ml

30th May 2016,
Tasted at Bordeaux Index's annual 10-Year On tasting in London and then later at the château.The 2006 Château Clinet has a nose that appears to have reached maturity. Red berry fruit, red cherries, a touch of fig jam coming through with aeration. It is not as complex as the top tier vintages from Ronan Laborde and his team, yet there is charm in spades. The palate is medium-bodied with chewy tannin, grippy in the mouth and with an almost crunchy, cracked black pepper finish that is a little more reserved than I was expecting. I would personally open bottles of the 2006 over the next 10-15 years. Tasted March 2016.

Chateau Clinet is a small Pomerol property that has leapt to prominence in the last 15 years and now produces one of the most sought-after wines in the region. The 9-hectare vineyard is on top of one of the finest plateaux in Pomerol and is planted with Merlot (80%), Cabernet Sauvignon (10%) and Cabernet Franc (10%).
In the 1980s Jean-Michel Arcaute married Clinet's proprietor George Audy's daughter and by 1986 Jean Michel was running the property. He engaged the services of cult oenologist Michel Rolland, who introduced much later harvesting, ensuring super-ripe fruit, as well as extending the amount of time the wines spent in 100% new oak barriques. Within 5 years, Clinet's wine were being compared to those of Petrus, Lafleur and Le Pin, and selling for similar prices.
Clinet produces a wine which is concentrated and rich but is supremely well balanced with a finish that lasts and lasts. It is hard to resist when young, yet the wines from the best vintages will continue to improve for over 10 years. Jean-Michel Arcaute was tragically killed in a boating accident in 2001.

Meats, Beef and Venison