Château Clinet

Château Clinet sits at one of the highest points on the Pomerol plateau, reaching 35 meters of elevation. The vineyard is spread across 21 parcels with a complex mosaic of soils: Günz gravel, clay, and iron-rich deposits known as crasse de fer. This combination creates excellent drainage, heat retention, and the mineral precision that defines the estate's style. Neighboring estates include Château L'Église-Clinet, Château Feytit-Clinet, and Château Trotanoy, while the estate also has parcels close to Lafleur and Petrus.

• Peak elevation of 35 meters on the Pomerol plateau; Günz gravel terrace with clay subsoil and iron-rich crasse de fer
• Vineyard divided into 21 parcels with planting density of approximately 6,600 vines per hectare
• Three main parcels: La Grand Vigne (old-vine Merlot in deep clay), Les Argilles (deep clay), and Le Plateau (gravel-rich soils)
• Neighbors include Château L'Église-Clinet, Château Clos L'Église, Château Feytit-Clinet, and Château Trotanoy

Ronan Laborde overhauled viticulture after taking over management in 2004, replanting portions of the vineyard and adopting eco-responsible practices. Close to 8.5 hectares of vines are farmed using horses for plowing, particularly in the La Grand Vigne parcel where 1934-planted Merlot vines demand special care. Grapes are hand-harvested, and the estate employs rigorous double-sorting at the winery, including a high-speed air-blade sorter followed by a final hand-selection. Yields are carefully managed, and Ronan expanded the estate through additional land purchases in 2010 and 2012.

• Horse plowing across approximately 8.5 hectares of vineyard; no systemic herbicides
• Hand harvesting followed by double sorting: air-blade sorter then final manual triage at the winery
• La Grand Vigne parcel planted in 1934 represents roughly 20% of total vines; some of the oldest Merlot in Pomerol
• Vineyard expanded through acquisitions in 2010 and 2012, with new vines split between the grand vin and Fleur de Clinet

Clinet's winery was comprehensively renovated in time for the 2014 vintage, replacing older wooden vats with temperature-controlled stainless steel tanks to enable precise, plot-by-plot vinification. Conical containers allow grapes to be transported by gravity into dedicated vats, minimizing handling. After fermentation and maceration, the wine is aged for 16 to 22 months in new French oak. In recent vintages, new oak usage has reached 80%. The wine is neither fined nor filtered before bottling, preserving texture and aging potential. Michel Rolland served as consultant oenologist until 2014; since then the estate has relied on an in-house winemaking team.

• Plot-by-plot fermentation in temperature-controlled stainless steel vats installed for the 2014 vintage; gravity-flow transfers throughout
• Aged 16 to 22 months in French oak; recent vintages use approximately 80% new oak barrels
• Neither fined nor filtered before bottling, preserving natural texture and long aging potential
• Michel Rolland served as consultant through 2014; Ronan Laborde's in-house team has produced wines independently since

Château Clinet's history dates to at least 1785, when old maps unearthed by the estate confirm vines were planted on the property. The Arnaud family, who also owned Petrus at the same time, once held Clinet, linking it to Pomerol's royal lineage. From 1900 to 1991, the Audy family owned the estate before Jean-Michel Arcaute, who arrived in the late 1970s, brought in Michel Rolland and transformed quality. The 1989 vintage earned a perfect 100 Parker points, putting Clinet on the world stage. Under Ronan Laborde since 2004, the estate has produced its second perfect-score vintage in 2009 and consistently achieved top critical acclaim.

• History of viticulture traced to 1785; formerly co-owned with Petrus by the Arnaud family, highlighting ancient prestige
• Jean-Michel Arcaute and Michel Rolland transformed quality in the 1980s; the 1989 earned 100 Parker points
• Ronan Laborde took management at age 23 in 2004 with no prior estate experience; has achieved average of 93+ Parker points across his vintages
• 2009 achieved a second perfect 100 Parker points, widely regarded as the finest wine ever made at the estate

Château Clinet shows a deeply concentrated, opaque ruby-purple color in youth. On the nose, expect ripe dark plum, blueberry, blackberry, and violet, alongside truffle, incense, and subtle graphite. The palate is full-bodied and rich, with silky, sweet tannins, impressive concentration, and a long finish. The style balances power with elegance in a way that reflects both the Günz gravel terroir and Ronan Laborde's commitment to precision winemaking. With age, tertiary notes of leather, tobacco, dried fruit, and earth emerge. The wine is typically best with a minimum of five to eight years of cellaring and can reward two decades or more of aging.

• Visual: Opaque, inky ruby-purple in youth with excellent color depth well into maturity
• Nose: Dark plum, blueberry, truffle, incense, violet, and graphite; toasted oak integrates with age
• Palate: Full-bodied, rich, with silky tannins, impressive concentration, and a long, complex finish
• Aging: Approachable young in great vintages but rewards 8 to 20 years of cellaring; tertiary complexity peaks after 12 to 15 years

Château Clinet's most acclaimed vintages trace a clear arc of quality. The 1989, made under Jean-Michel Arcaute and Michel Rolland, earned 100 Parker points and remains one of the great modern Pomerols. The 2005 marked the first major quality leap under Ronan Laborde's stewardship. The 2009 surpassed even the 1989 in Robert Parker's estimation, earning a second perfect score and nearly doubling case prices on release. More recent vintages including 2018, 2019, and 2020 have scored 96 to 98 points from critics including James Suckling and Jeb Dunnuck, cementing Clinet's position among Pomerol's elite.

• 1989: 100 Parker points under Jean-Michel Arcaute and Michel Rolland; still drinking magnificently with saturated purple color and multi-dimensional complexity
• 2005: First major quality leap under Ronan Laborde; powerful and opaque with dark plums, licorice, and truffle; now developing beautifully
• 2009: Second 100 Parker points; approximately 4,000 cases produced; blend of 85% Merlot, 12% Cabernet Franc, 3% Cabernet Sauvignon; widely regarded as the finest Clinet ever made
• 2018 to 2020: Consistently 96 to 98 points from top critics; 2020 scored 98 from both Suckling and Dunnuck as a blend of 80% Merlot and 20% Cabernet Sauvignon in 80% new oak