Wine Ratings

wines

Seven years ago I said this was a monumental wine, and at two different recent tastings, it was a true star of the vintage. Its stunning dark plum color offers up notes of caramelized red and black fruits, toffee, smoke, Asian plum sauce, sweet cherries, chocolate, and espresso. Its spectacular aromatics do not disappoint on the palate, as this multi-dimensional, highly complex, opulent wine seems to have hit a magical point in its evolution. Full-bodied, and concentrated, there is no issue with drinking this dazzling effort now, but those who own it can certainly cellar it for another 15 or more years. Bravo!Robert Parker | 96 RPThis is a ripe and intense red with a layered and intense character of chocolate and dried tomatoes. Full-bodied, layered and spicy with cloves and dried thyme. Very flavorful.James Suckling | 95 JSThis is rather dramatic, with lush, layered blackberry puree and mocha notes that just keep going and going, picking up juicy black licorice and Black Forest cake flavors along the way. This has the spine to pull it off but is really for the all-hedonism-only crowd.--Blind 2000 Bordeaux retrospective (December 2015). Drink now through 2025. 1,250 cases made.Wine Spectator | 94 WSFull ruby-red. Superripe, alluring aromas of raspberry, cherry liqueur, mocha, coffee, game, violet and truffle. Thick, concentrated and sexy, with perfectly integrated acidity giving the wine uncanny vivacity and lightness of touch considering its great ripeness and richness. Underlying minerality contributes to the impression of precision. Very intensely flavored and long on personality. An utterly captivating drink.Vinous Media | 93 VM

This is the Clos L’Eglise that takes it all to another level with incredible brightness and focus. Full-bodied yet racy and so long. It goes on for minutes with the violets, lavender and hot stones. Pomerol magic.James Suckling | 98 JSAnother brilliant wine from Helene Garcin-Leveque, the 2010 Clos L’Eglise comes from a 15-acre vineyard near the well-known church just to the west of the high plateau of Pomerol. It is a blend of 80% Merlot and 20% Cabernet Franc. Loads of roasted espresso notes intermixed with white chocolate, plum, Asian soy, blackberry and black cherry fruit make for an intensely perfumed set of aromatics. Plump, fleshy and full-bodied, with beautiful fruit as well as undeniable purity and an enticing texture, this is a succulent, lush Pomerol to drink over the next 12-15+ years.Robert Parker | 95 RPThe 2010 Clos l’Eglise has a slightly reductive nose that soon blows off to reveal ample red and black fruit melted tar and black truffle scents. The palate is velvety smooth on the entry, displaying a fine bead of acidity and supremely well-integrated oak. This is a classy, seductive Pomerol that lingers long in the mouth. Superb. Tasted blind at Farr Vintners 10-Year On Bordeaux horizontal.Vinous Media | 95 VMMore mocha, espresso, and chocolate-laced dark fruits emerge from the 2010 Clos L’Eglise. It’s more dense, powerful, and backward than the 2009, yet certainly in the qualitative ballpark. Full-bodied, locked and loaded, with ripe yet certainly present tannins, this is a great vintage that’s just now starting to come around. I’d still give bottles another couple of years, but it’s a stunning wine.Jeb Dunnuck | 95+ JDOffers gorgeous mouthfeel, range of fruit and length. A velvety feel belies the dense structure buried here, while thoroughly enticing linzer torte, plum sauce and blackberry pâte de fruit flavors pump along, supported by singed spice, apple wood and ganache. Displays flesh, structure, definition and drive. One for the cellar. Best from 2016 through 2030. 1,250 cases made.Wine Spectator | 94 WS

The 2020 Clos L’Eglise is outrageously vivid and hauntingly beautiful. Inky red fruit, wild flowers, mint and rose petal come alive in the glass, all framed by powerful yet well-balanced tannins. Although the 2020 is a young, structured wine, its balance is absolutely impeccable. I can’t wait to taste it from bottle. It is a super showing from Hélène Garcin and Patrice Lévêque.Vinous Media | 95-97 VMBased on 80% Merlot and 20% Cabernet Franc raised in 70% new French oak, the 2020 Château Clos L’Eglise is a beauty that’s going to match the magical 2009 and 2016. Dense purple-hued, with stunning notes of black cherries, cassis, graphite, licorice, and crushed stone, it hits the palate with full-bodied richness, classic Pomerol elegance and purity, and a great finish. This is a magical, concentrated, blockbuster of a wine that somehow stays and delicate and ethereal as they come. Don’t miss it!Jeb Dunnuck | 95-97+ JDA Pomerol with gorgeous crushed-berry, walnut, hazelnut and chocolate character, as well as a full body with ultra fine tannins that frame the wine beautifully. Extremely long finish. Three super wines in a row since 2018.James Suckling | 96-97 JSVery deep purple-black colored, the 2020 Clos l’Eglise leaps from the glass with vivacious notes of crushed black cherries, redcurrant jelly and ripe, juicy blackberries, leading to an undercurrent of camphor, graphite and cedar chest, plus a touch of crushed rocks. The medium to full-bodied palate is bursting with ripe black fruits, supported by rounded, approachable tannins and seamless freshness, finishing on a persistent mineral note.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 93-95 RPInky ruby colour, a muscular big-styled Pomerol which will win plenty of friends. Velvety tannins, great persistency, confident, contemporary and deftly walks the line between concentrated and nuanced. Drinking Window 2028 - 2040.Decanter | 94 DEC