PRESS REVIEW 2018
Apr 2019
96-97
Fantastic depth of fruit to this young wine with crushed-berry, tile and stone character. Full-bodied with superb structure. Polished yet intense tannins. Powerful finish. Best ever?
Antonio Galloni
Apr 2019
92-95
The 2018 Clos L'Eglise is a powerful, brooding wine with a huge core of super-ripe, dense fruit and equally imposing tannins. In 2018, heat and mildew impacted yields and resulted in a big, rich wine. Dark cherry, graphite, plum, mineral, spice and licorice add to an impression of brooding power. It will be interesting to see what élevage does here. Today, Clos L'Eglise is a real powerhouse. The blend is 80% Merlot and 20% Cabernet Franc.
James Molesworth
Mar. 2019
93-96
Grippy from the start, featuring bramble and tar notes, layered with steeped plum and blackberry cobbler flavors. A touch chewy, but displays ample energy, with nice spice details on the finish.
Apr 2019
93-94
Pourpre violacé. Bouquet intense, complexe, marqué par des notes de cassis, de mûres et de réglisse. Touche de sureau. En attaque, le vin est friand et dense. Belle expression aromatique en bouche, suivie de tannins aux grains fins, parfaitement intégrés. Finalement, la structure confère une belle race en fin de bouche. Seule la finale peine à révéler du fruit, mais au vu de la substance présente, ceci est juste une question de temps.
Apr 2019
94-96
The 2018 Clos l'Eglise from this talented team is also beautiful, with ripe, sexy notes of blackberries, plums, graphite, smoked earth, and chocolate. Possessing the beautiful fruit of the vintage, medium to full-body, a great mid-palate, and building tannins, and a great finish, this deep, flawlessly balanced, complete Pomerol should be snatched up by savvy readers.
Lisa Perrotti-Brown
Apr 2019
94-96
The 2018 Clos l'Eglise is a final blend composed of 80% Merlot and 20% Cabernet Franc; the Merlot was harvested September 19-20, and the Cabernet Franc was harvested on October 10. Deep garnet-purple colored, it explodes on the nose with bold, expressive plum preserves, blueberry compote, mincemeat pie and sandalwood with nuances of lilacs, woodsmoke, Indian spices and dusty soil. Full-bodied, rich, velvety and decadently fruited in the mouth, it offers layer upon layer of voluptuous fruit, finishing long and spicy.
Apr 2019
18 (96)
Couleur sombre, intense et belle. Nez très aromatique, fin, fruité, pur, mûr, frais et subtil.
Délicat dès l'attaque, très savoureux en milieu de bouche, fondant et pourtant dense, le vin gagne du gras entre le milieu et la finale. Il s'achève long, sèveux, juteux et sans angle tannique. C'est très bon. Assemblage : 80 % merlot, 20 % cabernet franc.
Jeff Leve
Apr 2019
95
Powerful, plummy, silky, deep and fresh, this full-bodied wine is long and filled with dark, red pit fruits, chocolate, espresso and violets. Give this velvet textured beauty a decade to age and it is going to be superb
PRESS REVIEW 2017
Apr 2018
92-93
This is a very juicy red with blackberries, blueberries and hints of chocolate. Medium to full body, firm and silky tannins and a flavorful finish. Tight.
Antonio Galloni
May 2018
92-95
The 2017 Clos L'Eglise is a wine that brings together power, tension and energy. There is quite a bit of richness to the fruit, but also plenty of supporting structure. Beams of underlying tannin give the 2017 its drive and sense of direction, while keeping the flavors perked up. Bright red stone fruit, mint and white pepper lead into a sculpted finish lifted by striking floral notes. This is a decidedly tannic, tightly wound Pomerol that is going to require patience, but it is also hugely promising.
Neal Martin
May 2018
91-93
It has a well-defined, very pure bouquet with cranberry, dark cherries, bay leaf and crushed stone. It needs a little time to open in the glass and is not as immediate as the 2016 last year. The palate is medium-bodied with supple tannin, very smooth in texture with a slightly lactic note towards the finish. There is a touch of dark chocolate that infuses the red berry fruit with a subtle liquorice tincture that lingers on the aftertaste. This is a fine Clos l’Eglise although I do feel this year that its stablemate in Saint-Èmilion, Barde-Haut, takes the top honor.
Apr 2018
92-94
Another pretty, elegant wine in the vintage, the 2017 Clos l'Église (80% Merlot and 20% Cabernet Franc aging in new barrels) offers a forward, medium-bodied, ultra-fine and seamless profile as well as classic Merlot fruit, spice and floral aromas and flavors. It’s not a blockbuster but shines for its purity of fruit, ripe tannin, and impressive length. It’s going to drink nicely right out of the gate yet also evolve gracefully.
Bernard Burtschy
93-94
La robe est violette très sombre avec un nez intense de truffe et de chocolat noir. Le vin est dense, frais, assez droit, un peu strict, d’une belle longueur, sans son moelleux habituel mais très élégant. Le vin a été élaboré avec % 80 merlot et 20 cabernet-franc comme d’habitude. Les vendanges se sont déroulées le 6 septembre pour le merlot et le 2 octobre pour le cabernet-franc. Bougies et lanternes ont bien servi pour lutter contre le gel. Le vin 14° avec un pH de 3,65. 5-15 ans.
Lisa Perrotti-Brown
Apr 2018
90-92
Blended of 80% Merlot and 20% Cabernet Franc, the deep garnet-purple colored 2017 Clos l'Eglise comes bursting forth with fresh black plums and black currants notions with hints of black raspberries, black pepper and Indian spices plus touches of lavender and roses. Medium-bodied, firm, grainy and with seamless freshness, it fills the palate with spicy black fruits and finishes long and perfumed.
Apr 2017
17 (94)
Couleur sombre, intense et belle. Nez intense, fin, fruité, mûr et complexe. Moelleux à l’attaque, suave au développement, particulièrement fruité et savoureux, le vin se développe avec de l’éclat vers une finale où il s’étire, savoureux, long. Un délice !
Jeff Leve
Apr 2018
93-95
Dark chocolate, plum and truffle notes are the first things you notice. Full bodied, lush, rich, ripe and fresh, the wine offers a lot of minerality, cocoa and ripe, juicy plums. The wine was made from a blend of 80% Merlot and 20% Cabernet Franc.
PRESS REVIEW 2016
Yohan Castaing
2017
17-18,5
Très beau nez de fleurs, de fruits noirs bien frais et parfaitement murs. Bouche délicate, veloutée, très beaux tanins pour un ensemble complet, superbe au toucher de bouche taffetas. Le retour de Clos l'Eglise !
Apr 2019
95
Lots of smoke, black olives and brown sugar to the ripe fruit on the nose. Full body, rich and chewy tannins and a spice, toffee, smoke and coffee finish. Not overdone. Needs at least five years to come together.
Apr 2017
93-94
Lots of blueberry and blackberry character here. Medium to full body, firm and silky tannins and a savory finish. Should develop beautifully. Exciting young wine.
Yohan Castaing
Apr 2017
Coup de Coeur
Il est difficile, certaines fois, d’appréhender d’un coup d’un seul, la puissance du terroir. Cela demande des va-et-vient, des essais, des détours. Rien que de très normal. Mais quand une propriété rencontre son terroir ou plutôt le redécouvre à l’issue d’un millésime d’exception, tout est réuni pour réaliser de grands vins. Hélène Garcin et son époux, Patrice Lévêque, homme remarquable de la vigne, réalisent un 2016 de toute beauté. Cette année, l’éclat, le ravissement, les touchers de bouche de taffetas ressurgissent. Il est vrai que dans ce millésime particulier, les grands terroirs font merveille et se révèlent comme rarement. Rien d’étonnant donc à voir Clos l’Eglise comme un pomerol de grande race. Souvent, il ne faut pas grand-chose pour que le terroir s’émancipe. Juste le laisser venir à vous.
Antonio Galloni
Jan. 2019
95
The 2016 Clos L'Eglise is endowed with tremendous density and lushness. Blackberry jam, chocolate, leather, spice and licorice give the 2016 much of its flamboyant, forward personality. Readers should expect a rich, explosive Pomerol built on textural resonance.
Antonio Galloni
Apr 2017
92-95
The 2016 Clos L'Eglise is a powerful, dense wine. In 2016 Clos L'Eglise presents a distinctly deep, spiced expression, with tons of clove, cinnamon, leather, cedar and tobacco overtones. Rich, ample and creamy, the 2016 possesses notable depth and richness in all of its dimensions. The wine is powerful, ripe and intense, with just enough freshness to add a measure of balance. To be sure, the style is one built on textural richness and resonance, with ripeness pushed to the edge.
Mar. 2018
92
This has a juicy core of damson plum, raspberry and cherry coulis flavors, offset by light black tea and floral notes. Offers a rounded feel through the finish while retaining a sense of freshness. Hard to resist the fruit here.
Feb 2019
97
The 2016 Clos L'Eglise is a rock star wine that has everything: thrilling amounts of cassis and blackberry fruits, notes of lead pencil, tobacco, and damp earth, full-bodied richness and depth, sweet tannins, and a fabulous finish that leaves you looking for another sip. It shows the purity and classic style of the vintage to a T and is a brilliant, layered, opulent wine to drink over the coming two decades. This wine is a blend of 80% Merlot and 20% Cabernet Franc, aged in new oak, and comes from the talents of Hélène Garcin & Patrice Lévêque. I’d be thrilled to have bottles of this in the cellar.
Oct 2018
94-96+
More backward and reserved than the 2015, the 2016 Clos l'Eglise is an 80/20 split of Merlot and Cabernet Franc brought up in new barrels. It reveals copious amounts of blackberry fruits, scorched earth, and graphite, and is full-bodied, powerful, and dense on the palate. Possessing notable acidity and no shortage of tannins, it’s a wine built for the long haul.
94
Belle plénitude en bouche avec une sensualité de tannins poivrés et floraux. On apprécie la structure et la fraîcheur de constitution, le retour de violette apporte une distinction racée à la finale.
Bernard Burtschy
2017
18
Le millésime 2016 confirme avec brio la révolution amorcée en 2015 vers un vin plus frais et plus équilibré. La rondeur d'un beau merlot est mise en valeur par la fraîcheur du millésime, le vin est de belle densité, le travail de fond dans le vignoble fait merveille dans ce millésime.
Yohan Castaing
2017
17-18,5
Nez de violette, de fruits noirs très frais, beau boisé. Bouche subtile et veloutée, de très beaux tanins, du volume, de la rondeur, du moelleux. Un vin complet et superbe. Toucher de bouche de taffetas. Le retour de Clos l'Eglise parmi les grands. Enfin...
Jacques Dupont
Apr 2017
16
Fruité frais, cerise, sureau, charnu, dense, juteux, tanins fins, poudrés, élevage élégant.
Lisa Perrotti-Brown
Mar 2019
94+
Deep garnet-purple in color, the 2016 Clos ‘’Eglise (a blend of 80% Merlot and 20% Cabernet Franc) rolls seductively out of the glass with notions of chocolate covered cherries, preserved plums and blueberry compote with hints of sautéed herbs, yeast extract, pain grillé, peppered salami and tilled soil. Full-bodied, concentrated and totally sensuous in the mouth, it has a wonderfully plush texture and just enough freshness supporting generous fruit layers, going to a long, savory sparked finish.
Neal Martin
Apr 2017
93-95
The 2016 Clos l'Eglise is a blend of 80% Merlot and 20% Cabernet Franc, and was the first to be picked by the Garçin-Léveque family (before Barde-Haut, d'Arce and Poesia). It has a high pH of 3.65 and it was matured in 100% new French oak. It has a very intense bouquet with macerated small black cherries, raspberry coulis, oyster shells and crushed violets, well defined and quite penetrating in style. The palate is medium-bodied with grainy tannin, layers of black fruit laced with black pepper and a touch of black pepper. There is a little chewiness to the texture towards the harmonious finish, which is one of the most primal that I have encountered in recent years. The barrel maturation will lend a little more sheen to this Pomerol--a long-term prospect that will deserve several years in bottle.
Apr 2017
18 (96)
Très belle couleur intense, pourpre et sombre. Nez fin, fruité, frais avec des notes de framboise et de crème fraiche. Bouche charnue au corps plutôt allongé, se développant fondante et très parfumée vers une finale longue au toucher noble. Aspect envoûtant. Du grand vin.
PRESS REVIEW 2015
Apr. 2018
95
This is a more layered and juicy wine with a soft and round tannin texture. Walnuts and chocolate. Full-bodied, gentle and welcoming to taste. Chocolate and coffee undertones. Subtle and lightly decadent. Better than I remember.
Mar. 2018
92
A polished, rounded style, with a friendly licorice and singed vanilla frame around a core of warm cherry and plum compote flavors. Gains some juicy energy through the finish, with the fruit showing ample persistence.
2016
92-95
Offers a delicious core of plum, raspberry and cherry preserve notes, backed by flavors of apple wood and licorice that still need to integrate fully. A solid wine in the making.
Oct 2018
95
I loved the 2015 Clos l'Eglise, a sensational Pomerol that easily surpasses the 2014 (and I suspect the 2017 as well). Based primarily on Merlot (there’s a good kick of Cabernet Franc), it offers a sexy perfume of kirsch, ripe black cherries, vanilla spice, and dried flowers. Full-bodied, upfront, and silky on the palate, it has terrific sweetness in its tannins, no hard edges, and a great finish. Count me in as a fan. It has two decades of prime drinking ahead of it.
Lisa Perrotti-Brown
Apr 2018
94
Medium to deep garnet-purple in color, the 2015 Clos l'Eglise has a very earthy nose of black soil, truffles and mossy bark over a core of kirsch, blackberry preserves and dried mulberries with wafts of rose hips and oolong tea. Full-bodied, richly fruited and packed with savory layers, it has a firm frame of grainy tannins and just enough freshness, finishing long and earthy.
Neal Martin
Apr 2016
94-96
The 2015 Clos l'Eglise was picked on 8, 14 and 23 September apropos the Merlot and the Cabernet Franc on 23 September. Co-proprietor Hélène Garçin-Léveque told me that for the first time, Clos l'Eglise was one of the first Pomerols to be picked since they felt that the grapes were fully ripe. So why wait? That clearly is vindicated by the bouquet with ebullient, ripe blackberry and wild strawberry fruit, almost Burgundy-like in terms of its purity. The palate is medium-bodied with very fine, tensile tannin, brimming over with energy, tightly packed towards the more linear finish than usual. This is a Clos l'Eglise built for long-term bottle ageing, though I suspect it will actually come round a little earlier than usual. A wonderful Pomerol, almost understated, but full of personality.
Mar 2018
18 (96)
En choisissant de vendanger parmi les premiers à Pomerol cette année, Patrice Lévêque a décidé volontairement de bouger le profil de ce cru que j'aime par ailleurs. Cette approche pourrait le mener vers un nouveau style plus prisé des esthètes. Couleur sombre et intense. Nez parfumé. Jolie entrée en bouche raffinée puis le vin se développe fondant, très nuancé avant de prendre de la puissance entre le milieu de bouche et la finale. Il s'achève long sur une corpulence plus subtile que de coutume. Construction sur l'arôme. Très bonne longueur. Tannin fin.
PRESS REVIEW 2014
Feb 2017
95
Exotic aromas of blueberries, flowers and tangerines. So perfumed. Medium to full body, firm and silky tannins and a long and refined finish. Lovely length. Drink in 2020 but already delicious.
Antonio Galloni
Feb. 2017
94+
Rose petal, sweet red cherry, plum, mint and new leather notes abound in the 2014 Clos L'Eglise. Polished, lifted and very sexy, the 2014 is decidedly gracious, finessed Pomerol. It has shut down a bit in bottle, but it is very pretty.
Antonio Galloni
Apr. 2015
91-94
The 2014 Clos L'Eglise is super-expressive from the very first taste. Dark red cherry, plum and crème de cassis meld into new leather smoke and violets in a supple, racy Pomerol built on texture. Readers will find a level of pure voluptuousness that is quite rare in this vintage.
Mar. 2017
92
There's a succulent feel to the warm raspberry and boysenberry confiture notes in this very fleshy red, with lots of black tea and singed cinnamon flavors filling in on the finish. This is grippy, very polished and fresh in feel.
2015
91-94
Ripe, with a full, fleshy feel to the plum sauce and melted licorice notes, all framed by a ganache edge. A lightly firm woodsy hint hangs on the finish, but this has more than enough fruit to soak that up.
Nov. 2017
91
While I wasn’t able to taste the 2015, I purchased a bottle of the 2014 Clos l’Eglise in the US for this report. This is a ripe, opulent, sexy wine from Helene Garcin’s tiny estate in Pomerol and is 80% Merlot and 20% Cabernet Franc brought up in new barrels. Notes of blackcurrants, smoked plums, mocha, and hints of spicy oak all emerge from this medium to full-bodied, elegant, seamless, and incredibly charming 2014 that’s already drinking beautifully, yet promises to keep for another 15+ years.
Neal Martin
Apr 2017
92
The 2014 Clos l'Eglise has a tightly wound bouquet, quite backward as you might expect, with broody black cherry, black truffle and touches of orange peel. The palate is medium-bodied with fine tannin, crisp and tensile with a gentle grip in the mouth, touches of allspice and clove emerging towards the nicely structured and linear finish that lingers in the mouth. This is a well-crafted Clos l'Eglise that I suspect will have much more to give after three or four years in bottle.
Neal Martin
Apr 2015
92
The Clos l’Eglise 2014 was picked on 23 September until the 27 September with the last parcel of Cabernet Franc, matured in 100% new oak in 300- and 500-liter barrels. It has a well-defined, expressive bouquet already with subtle wet clay scents infusing the black cherry and blackcurrant fruit, a touch of violet developing with time. The palate is medium-bodied with fine tannin, perhaps a little pinched compared to their Barde-Haut ’14 with sappy black fruit on the finish. This is broody and introspective compared to recent vintages, although there is impressive length here and it may merit a higher score after bottling.
Apr 2015
17,5 (95)
Couleur intense et belle. Nez fruité, mûr, subtil. Ample à l’attaque, gras au milieu, moelleux et riche, ce vin profond et juteux évolue noble sur une grande finale sèveuse et parfumée. C’est difficile à cracher. Beau vin complet.
