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A wine I’ve had multiple times, the 2012 Clinet is a rich, beautifully pure effort that has terrific notes of black currants, plums, charred earth, licorice and smoke. Luxuriously textured, full-bodied, impeccably balanced and incredibly sexy on the palate, this is a fabulous Pomerol that I’d happily drink anytime over the coming 15-20 years.Jeb Dunnuck | 96 JDWith a dense purple color and gorgeous levels of fruit, especially black raspberry and blackcurrant, this full-bodied, opulent style of wine is another great success for Clinet, a château that has been on top of its game for the last decade. This is stunning stuff, and whatever new oak has been used – and there is plenty – it is totally disguised by the luxurious and extravagant fruit level. This full-bodied, opulent Pomerol should drink well for 15 or more years.Robert Parker | 95 RPA wine of total precision, the 2012 Clinet possesses striking aromatic nuance and delineation. Crushed flowers, sweet raspberries, herbs and mint flesh out effortlessly, with silky, polished tannins that add to the wine’s feel of graciousness. The spherical, beautifully textured finish suggests the 2012 will offer a wide drinking window of pure pleasure over the next 15-20 years. This is impressive. The 2012 is 90% Merlot, 9% Cabernet Sauvignon and 1% Cabernet Franc.Antonio Galloni | 95 AGFabulous nose of orange peel, blueberries and blackberries. Full body, firm tannins and a cocoa, cedar and berry finish. Little austere now but so fine. Truly outstanding for the vintage. Better after 2016.James Suckling | 93 JSThe gorgeous plum cake, melted licorice and steeped currant and blackberry fruit is inlaid with notes of fruitcake and singed vanilla bean. Long and plush through the finish, with a buried charcoal spine that adds needed cut. Best from 2017 through 2027.Wine Spectator | 93 WSThis firmly tannic wine is solid and potentially quite complex. The structure is paramount, exhibiting substantial weight, while still hinting at the juicy fruity acidity on the finish.Wine Enthusiast | 91 WEIntense nose. Dark fruit and chocolate notes. Plump mid-palate. Fresh and lively on the palate. Good length. Harmonious, even a little restrained. Drinking Window 2019 - 2028.Decanter | 90 DEC

A gorgeous wine from proprietor Denis Durantou, this blend of 85% Merlot and 15% Cabernet Franc is an inky purple color, with gorgeous purity of black raspberries, blackcurrants and blackberry with a hint of truffle and spring flowers. Its is full-bodied, opulent and a tour de force in this vintage. Great presence on the palate, fabulous purity and a long finish make for a magnificent bottle of wine to drink over the next 20-some years.Robert Parker | 96 RPThe 2012 L’Eglise Clinet is a real head-turner. Explosive and rich in the glass, the 2012 boasts superb depth throughout. Sweet floral and spiced notes develop first, followed by intense red and blue-fleshed fruit. Violets, mint, sage and sweet spices add nuance as the 2012 opens up, but it is really the wine’s vertical structure that stands out above all else. I very much like the pure energy that is so central to the wine’s personality. This is a superb showing, and one of the clear highlights of the year. Readers should cellar the 2012 for at least a few years.Antonio Galloni | 95 AGThis delivers a gorgeously pure and racy core of raspberry, boysenberry and blackberry fruit, melded perfectly with singed black tea leaf, dried star anise and roasted apple wood notes. Velvety and alluring overall, but there’s a bright minerality buried on the finish. Best from 2016 through 2027. 1,417 cases made.Wine Spectator | 94 WSRich, ripe and dense. Expressive red berry nose with toasted oak evident. Sweet, plush mid-palate (heightened by 14.5% alcohol although that doesn’t show). Long, firm finish. A touch dry on the end. Drinking Window 2020 - 2032.Decanter | 91 DEC

The 2012 Le Gay is beautifully seductive, powerful and layered from start to finish. A wine of crystalline precision and nuance, the 2012 literally sparkles with striking aromatic presence and fabulous overall balance. Lavender, slate, mint and crème de cassis are some of the many notes that blossom in a silky Pomerol that has it all. I imagine the 2012 will reward readers with many years of fine drinking.Antonio Galloni | 95 AGA polished, suave style, with alluring plum sauce, melted black licorice and fruitcake notes backed by a solidly built finish of plum skin and black tea. Shows ample stuffing.Wine Spectator | 92-95 WSThe 2012 from Le Gay sports an inky purple color as well as masculine, lifted notes of plums, violets, licorice and scorched earth. A big, rich, concentrated effort, it has impeccable purity, a firm, focused, structured core, notable acidity, and superb concentration, all suggesting it needs to be forgotten for 7-8 year. It should keep for 15+ years.Jeb Dunnuck | 95 JDThis is a beautiful, dense, meaty, purple-colored wine, with loads of earth, iron, blackberry and cassis fruit. It is full-bodied, rich and opulent with great length, terrific purity and surprisingly sweeter tannin than I would expect from this terroir that tends to produce a masculine style of wine. Impressive and backward, this Le Gay should drink well for at least 20 years.Robert Parker | 94+ RPAn exemplary wine, this is powerful, rich and full of ripe red fruits. The palate is dark, but brightened by acidity, red fruits and a beautiful line of freshness.Wine Enthusiast | 94 WEThis is dense and polished with refined tannins and beautiful fruit. Full-bodied yet reserved and elegant. Very long and attractive. Better in 2018.James Suckling | 92 JS