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No written review provided. | 92 W&SThe 1998 La Dominique replicates the fine performance it showed from magnum two weeks earlier. The bouquet offers blackberry, raspberry coulis, sage and truffle on the nose, a touch of mint developing with time. The palate is medium-bodied with fine grain tannins, still fresh and cohesive with black fruit, tobacco, a touch of dark chocolate with a finish you might easily mistake for a Pomerol. There is just a note of dryness and linearity on the finish, at least in the bottle, but larger formats should still give lots of pleasure. Tasted at the vertical tasting at La Dominique.Vinous Media | 91 VMThe 1998 is a soft, fat, voluptuously-textured, opulent effort with a dense ruby/purple color, and gorgeous aromas of olives, black cherry jam, blackberries, chocolate, and espresso. This full-bodied wine is hedonistic, flashy, and nearly decadent in its display of luxurious fruit, high glycerin, and spice. Anticipated maturity: now-2015.Robert Parker | 90 RPSolid, with complex aromas of blackberry, violet and berry. Medium- to full-bodied, with silky tannins and a black olive and cherry aftertaste. Very good indeed. Best after 2005. 4,580 cases made.Wine Spectator | 90 WSThe 1998 Chateau La Dominique is a very good wine and one that strikes me as still straddling the line between the modernist and traditionalist camp for this vintage. It is not as deeply red fruity or complex as the beautiful wines made here in the 1982 and 1986 vintages, but neither is it as overtly powerful as the 1989 or more recent vintages. The bouquet is deep and complex, wafting from the glass in a fine blend of black cherries, menthol, cigar wrapper, dark soil tones, nutty new oak and a smoky topnote. On the palate the wine is pure, full-bodied and quite suave on the attack, with a good core of ripe fruit, still some firm tannins and good length and grip on the complex and well-balanced finish. The perception of tannins on the backend here builds with air, so if one is inclined to drink the wine now, I would not leave it overly long in decanter prior to serving. It is a very good vintage for La Dominique. (Drink between 2022 - 2055)John Gilman | 90 JG

A complete and sexy wine with very polished and refined tannins yet there’s an energy and posture that gives the wine such intrigue. Buy it. James Suckling | 96 JSVery grapey on the nose, with mineral, tarragon and fresh flowers. Full-bodied, with very well-integrated tannins and a light vanilla, berry and milk chocolate aftertaste. Subtle and balanced. The best Nenin in years. Best after 2012.Wine Spectator | 93 WSA very smooth, rich wine, with a slight touch of pepper from the alcohol. The tannins are huge but submerged by ripe fruit. There’s almost Napa-like ripeness, but also delicious acidity.Wine Enthusiast | 91 WEAn attractive minty, almost eucalyptus nose, with red cherry brightness; however, it’s not as dense or long as the 2015. Indeed, while the 2015 is a little closed, the tannins here come across almost hard by comparison, making the wine less charming than you’d expect from a Pomerol. The blend contains 74% Merlot and 26% Cabernet Franc. Drinking Window 2018 - 2030.Decanter | 90 DEC

Milk chocolate and blackberry aromas follow through to a full body, with very soft tannins and a long, caressing finish. This is so delicious now, but has a balance of fruit and tannins. One of the best from this estate in some time. Best after 2014. 2,500 cases made.Wine Spectator | 92 WSSuperrich in its dark fruit, black herbs and boldly oaked flavors, this is also firm and, in the end, extremely tannic. It finishes dry, the power of the tannin increasing with air, with a grip that will need long bottle aging to relent. Check on it ten years from the vintage.Wine & Spirits | 92 W&SI recall enjoying this wine from barrel, with its fresh fruit aromatics, solid tannins and fine length. Tasted two years ago in Bordeaux, it again showed freshness but lacked density. Tasty, but not at the level of the 2015. A blend of 75% Merlot, 18% Cabernet Sauvignon and 5% Cabernet Franc. Drinking Window 2018 - 2022Decanter | 90 DECFruity and smoky, this wine succeeds on its charm, with soft tannins, acidity and superripe fruit. With its (for Pomerol) high percentage of Cabernet Sauvignon, the wine certainly has structure, but maybe misses on richness.Wine Enthusiast | 90 WE

Clinet has produced a blockbuster wine, even in the lighter, less consistent vintage of 2011. It reveals a dense purple color as well as an abundance of black cherry, black currant and blackberry fruit intermixed with licorice, incense and a touch of camphor. Full-bodied, opulent and fleshy with a substantial finish, this showy, dramatic 2011 should drink well for 15-20 years. Brilliant!Robert Parker | 95 RPThis is alluring, with lovely blackberry, boysenberry and fig pâte de fruit flavors gliding along, lined with subtle charcoal and black tea notes and carrying through to a lush yet defined finish. A hedonist’s delight on the surface, offering inlaid grip for balance. Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon and Cabernet Franc. Best from 2015 through 2030. 4,580 cases made.Wine Spectator | 93 WSThis is a rich Pomerol for the vintage with plenty of berry, chocolate and toasted-oak character. Full body with round, soft tannins. Needs two or three years to come together.James Suckling | 92 JSBlackberry fruits dominate this ripe wine. It is already delicious, with a round and well-cushioned structure.Wine Enthusiast | 92 WEThe 2011 Clinet has a perfumed nose, quite floral and perhaps more Saint-Émilion in style rather than Pomerol, though I appreciate its mineral undertow. The palate is medium-bodied with slightly more pliant tannins, fresher than its peers with spicy red fruit with a bitter but focused finish. This is a fine Clinet that is drinking perfectly now, though many vintages surpass this in recent years. Tasted blind at the annual 10-Year-On tasting.Vinous Media | 90 VM

Has a velvety edge, with notes of steeped plum and warm cherry sauce, flecked with light tobacco and savory hints. Offers a gentle, pretty finish. Drink now through 2024. 3,667 cases made.Wine Spectator | 90 WSThe mellow richness and generous scale of this wine helps to keep the tannins in check. Full and juicy. Drink in 2019.James Suckling | 90 JS

A dusty and pretty wine with cigar-box, chocolate and plum character. Full body, round and polished tannins and a flavorful finish. Needs three or four years to come together. Drink in 2021.James Suckling | 94 JSThe 2015 Grand Pontet has a more opulent bouquet than some of its peers, although I found more control and definition here. The palate is medium-bodied with a sprinkle of dark chocolate on the entry, although here it does not occlude the terroir, and the fineness of the tannins can be seen underneath. It is a bold Saint Émilion, but it does not push everything too far.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 91-93 RP-NMLayers of bitter chocolate, coffee, pencil shavings and spicy dark fruit combine with fine grained tannins and a youthful freshness. (Drink between 2024-2036)Decanter | 90 DEC

Aged for seven months in wood, this ripe wine has power as well as richness. Its spicy character chimes with the dense white fruits from old Sémillon. Drink from 2025.Wine Enthusiast | 91 WE