Ellen Clifford

8.9

Post-show bev. Goes down easy. It’s that hint o’ green that keeps it flowing. Not too tannic, not too much of anything—which is to say there is enough. Totally pleasant. It’s like watching Sesame Street as an adult. Won’t challenge your brain but will be pleasant and give you, if not the warm fuzzies then at least a bit of alcohol-induced warmth. If I needed four glasses at a Seder I could. Oh wait you wanted real notes? If you didn’t stop reading now.
WSET-ish style:
Eye: medium ruby, thick tears Nose: cherries, huckleberries, a hint of asphalt and a lick of arugula. Palate: dry, medium acid, medium minus tannins, high abv, medium body and flavor intensity, cherry cordial, blueberry pancakes (no maple but vanilla tinged, green pepper, green...apple? Is that a Granny Smith in my merlot? May be. Medium finish. — 6 years ago

Ron R

9.2

My second bottle of this. Very well done by LmM. Lovely, decadent nose of blueberries and maple syrup. Palette is smooth and soft. Good complexity and length. Great every day quaffer, and at $35, absolutely no reservations here. — 7 years ago

Adam Greenberg

9.2

Great fall/autumn beer with maple, nuts, spices and aged in bourbon barrels. A little sweet, but really good. — 9 years ago

J Greene

9.2

Have only had the 13 before this. Got a few half bottles of the 11 from the store down the street (half bottle at 9.99 when 750 bottle costs 35???). The 11 is drinking well. Some dark fruit and nice structure with solid tannins. — 6 years ago

Mark Garcia

9.7

This is a go too but harder to find. One of the best in my opinion — 6 years ago

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9.5

This is phenomenal! The Netflix series Love, check it out. But this wine is really impressive. It has herbs (tarragon, fennel), some rich maple syrup infused honey, spritzy red apples even at this age and a steely minerality. There's some nice brett here like dirty wool but it's not heavy and makes the age of this more elegant. Still has high acid in old age. I want a case! $35!!!! — 8 years ago

Whitney Csik

9.5

Unique, generous in complexity, multiple-dimensional expression of the savagnin grape from Jura. Initially it reeks of NY street nut carts--candied nuts, maple syrup. Candied fruit, beautiful citrus and green apple. Ripe, vibrant acidity. Dry. Great pairing wine. — 10 years ago

Bob McDonald

9.7

An amazing freak of a wine that sells for $250 for 350ml and is a steal if you can grab a bottle. James Talijancich said the grape bunches were so dry “they would fall off if you brushed against them “ but in the end they picked them anyway. Picked at an astonishing 35 degrees Baume. On the palate it is concentration and power plus essence of raisin with the consistency and weight of light machine oil. The final Wine was 27 degrees Baume. Apart from raisins there was toffee and maple syrup on nose and palate with a finish that went on for minutes. A truly amazing experience especially for a fortified white wine. World Class. — 6 years ago

David T

Independent Sommelier/Wine Educator

9.5

3000th post. 🎉 On the nose; sweet, lush; black cassis, liqueur notes, sweet tarry notes, rich, lush; blackberries, dark cherries, black plum, plum, caramel, mocha, caramel, baking spices, warm, moist, rich, dark soils and fresh dark florals. The body is M and the tannins are round and soft. She is a beauty. Ripe, rich; blackberries, black plum, plum, dark cherries, black raspberries & poached strawberries. liqueur notes, sweet tarry notes, dark chocolate, mocha, caramel, baking spices, menthol, warm, moist dark earth, soft leather, dry rock powder, sweet black tea, fresh violets, dark, red florals, perfect round acidity and a rich, round, elegant fruit driven finish that last and lasts. Photos of; Clos E'Lgise and estate vines, signage, Helen Garcin-Leveque and her husband Patrice Leveque and their barrel cellar. Producer history and notes...Clos L’Eglise is one of the older chateaux in Pomerol dating back to the 18th century. The same time the farmhouse that is still in use was constructed. At the time, Chateau Clos L’Eglise was a larger estate. It once had been apart of the Gombaude Guillot. Eventually the estate was split in half. On one side of the street, you had Chateau Clos l’Eglise; which was owned by the Rouchut family. Across the street sat Chateau Clos l’Eglise-Clinet, which was owned by the Mauleon family. After awhile, Clos l’Eglise Clinet eventually changed its name to Chateau l’Eglise Clinet which also simultaneously gave birth to what we know today as Clos L’Eglise. While the wines are now produced by Helene Garcin that was not always the case with Clos L’Eglise. At one point, the estate produced wines under a leasing arrangement held by the Rouchut family. The modern era of Clos L’Eglise began in 1975, when the property facilities were all redesigned and modernized by the Moreau family. The Moreau’s also owned Chateau Plince. The old, non temperature controlled wood tanks were replaced by stainless steel. The vineyards were also expanded. Instead of buying more vines, the owners simply planted land that was being used as a pasture. Imagine now, Pomerol land being used to feed cattle. In the past, the property was planted with a much larger percentage of Cabernet Sauvignon, near 20%. All the Cabernet Sauvignon vines were eventually ripped out and replaced by Merlot. The next step of it's evolution took place in 1997 when the Right Bank estate was sold to Sylvaine Garcin Cathiard by the Moreau family. If the Cathiard name sounds family, she is the sister of Daniel Cathiard, the owner of Chateau Smith Haut Lafitte. The sale set a new benchmark price for Pomerol when it sold for 12 million Euros! Today that price would be laughable! Prior to 2000, that was considered a huge price for Pomerol. Further investment was needed to replace the aging concrete vats and again modernize the facilities. In fact, the first vintage of Clos L’Eglise made by Helene Garcin was produced at Haut Bergey in Pessac Leognan. Helene Garcin also manages two estates in St. Emilion, Chateau Barde Haut, Chateau Poesia (Mendoza, Argentina) and Branon, which is situated in Pessac Leognan. Helene Garcin was put in charge of the property. She hired Michel Rolland as a consultant and a complete renovation of the facilities took place. Michel Rolland was eventually replaced by Alain Raynaud. Starting with the 2015 vintage, Thomas Duclos recently replaced Alain as the consultant. Their property is nearly 6 hectares. L’Eglise soils are rich clay, gravel and iron. It's located on a sloping hill near Chateau Clinet, Chateau L’Eglise Clinet and Chateau Trotanoy. Clos L’Eglise is planted to 80% Merlot and 20% Cabernet Franc. On average, the vines are 35 years of age. There is one old parcel of Cabernet Franc that was planted in the 1940’s. Vinification of Clos L’Eglise takes place in 55 hectoliter, insulated, stainless steel tanks. The new steel tanks replaced the oak vats in 2012. Malolactic fermentation takes place in barrel. Clos L’Eglise is aged in 100% new French oak for between 16 and 18 months. The property also has a second wine, Esprit de L’Eglise. On average, about 1,200 cases of Clos L’Eglise are produced every year. — 7 years ago