Château Clinet

Château Clinet takes its name from the owner of the property in the Middle Ages, and the estate's own account traces the vineyard's existence under the Clinet name back to 1595. The property was listed among the "Pomerol First Growths" in the earliest editions of Cocks and Féret's Bordeaux and its Wines, and was among the appellation's pioneering estates to carry the title "Château." The estate sits at one of the highest points on the Pomerol plateau and is recognizable by its red shutters. The site is published by Groupe Clinet SARL, a limited liability company with 8,156,552 euros in share capital, registered on the Libourne Business Register, and headquartered at 16 Chemin de Feytit, 33500 Pomerol.

• Name traces to the owner of the property in the Middle Ages; the Clinet name is documented on the vineyard back to 1595
• Listed among the "Pomerol First Growths" in the earliest editions of Cocks and Féret's Bordeaux and its Wines
• Among Pomerol's pioneering estates to carry the title "Château"
• Published by Groupe Clinet SARL, headquartered at 16 Chemin de Feytit, 33500 Pomerol

Ronan Laborde began managing Château Clinet in 2004, a property that has been in his family since 1999. He manages the estate alongside his wife, Monique Laborde, who serves as the estate's Marketing and Sales Director. On September 6, 2022, the couple announced the acquisition of their direct neighbor, Château L'Ecuyer, a 3.4-hectare property on the Pomerol plateau previously farmed by the Société Petit-Lecuyer, managed since 2004 by Emeric Petit, who also manages Château Tournefeuille. The two properties keep separate identities and terroirs; L'Ecuyer's winery sits between Clinet's historic property and Ronan By Clinet, a newer winery built in 2015 in the Bourgneuf locality.

• Ronan Laborde has managed the estate since 2004; family-owned since 1999
• Monique Laborde serves as Marketing and Sales Director alongside Ronan
• September 6, 2022: acquisition of neighboring Château L'Ecuyer (3.4 hectares), previously farmed by Société Petit-Lecuyer, managed since 2004 by Emeric Petit
• Clinet and L'Ecuyer keep separate identities and terroirs; L'Ecuyer's winery sits between Clinet's historic estate and the Ronan By Clinet winery built in 2015 at Bourgneuf

The vineyard covers 11.5 hectares planted to 75% Merlot and 25% Cabernet Sauvignon, with vines averaging 40 years old. The estate describes its soils as a mix of sand, clay and gravel, while the Union des Grands Crus de Bordeaux describes the terroir as gravelly clay. A prized plot known as La Grand Vigne, planted beside Pomerol's church, holds vines around 90 years old. Most vineyard operations are carried out by hand, and harvested grapes are moved by gravity flow to the estate's underground cellar.

• 11.5 hectares: 75% Merlot, 25% Cabernet Sauvignon; average vine age 40 years
• Soils described by the estate as sand, clay and gravel, and by the Union des Grands Crus de Bordeaux as gravelly clay
• La Grand Vigne: a prized Merlot plot beside Pomerol's church, with vines around 90 years old
• Most vineyard work done by hand; grapes moved by gravity flow to the underground cellar

Grapes pass an initial selection on arrival at the winery, followed by a further stage of hand sorting before entering the vats. Cone-shaped vessels transfer grapes by gravity into custom-built vats, and barrels are sealed with screw-on bungs for an airtight seal. Fermentation takes place in small, thermo-regulated stainless steel vats, with each plot vinified and later barrel-aged separately before blending. The estate's own account puts aging at an average of 16 months in barrels that are 60% new French oak.

• Initial selection on arrival followed by hand sorting before grapes enter the vats
• Cone-shaped vessels move grapes by gravity into custom-built vats; barrels sealed with screw-on bungs
• Fermentation in small, thermo-regulated stainless steel vats, plot by plot, with separate barrel aging before blending
• Aged an average of 16 months in barrels that are 60% new French oak, per the estate's own account

The estate's current lineup is sold through its own online shop. Château Clinet is the grand vin; Fleur de Clinet is the estate's second wine. By Clinet is a further Pomerol bottling, and Château Lecuyer, the former Château L'Ecuyer acquired in September 2022, is sold as a separate Pomerol label. Ronan by Clinet is listed as a Bordeaux Red wine; Ronan by Clinet Blanc is sold alongside it as a white wine.

• Château Clinet (Pomerol): the grand vin
• Fleur de Clinet (Pomerol): the estate's second wine
• By Clinet (Pomerol) and Château Lecuyer (Pomerol, the former Château L'Ecuyer): separate estate-owned labels
• Ronan by Clinet (listed Bordeaux Red) and Ronan by Clinet Blanc (white): sold alongside the estate's Pomerol wines on the shop

Primary sources (the estate's own site, chateauclinet.com): the story page and legal/credits page; and the estate's own online shop, shop-clinet.com, for the current wine lineup and prices. Secondary sources: the Union des Grands Crus de Bordeaux's Château Clinet page, and Vitisphere's September 12, 2022 report on the Château L'Ecuyer acquisition. Last verified 2026-09-14. Where the estate's own site and a secondary source disagree, the estate's own site governs.