Stefan Dolhain

9.4

2020 vintage. A blend of 65% Merlot, 30% Cabernet Sauvignon and 5% Petit Verdot. A little timid in the beginning, but opened up fine after 15 minutes in the glass. Purity of fruit ( both black and red), 2020 freshness, Pessac-Léognan spiciness and high quality tannins.Long finish with a nice licorice touch. Great value too, somehow Fieuzal remains somewhat under the radar. Stephen Carrier makes the wine, Thomas Duclos consults. — 7 days ago

Seekan Lee

9.0

France 2016 for 6.5 euros very nice — 7 years ago

Stefan Dolhain

9.6

2018 vintage. As Juliette Ɓécot wanted to produce more elegant, accessible wines, Thomas Duclos replaced Michel Rolland as consulting oenologist with the 2017 vintage. I must say the new style is extremely convincing, and this 2018 is the best wine I have ever tasted from this estate. Although it is very concentrated, elegance is the keyword here, honouring the fine terroir on the limestone plateau. Raspberries, blueberries, flowers, subtle cedar wood, and a slight hint of fresh mint fighting for your attention. In the mouth, it seems so effortless, with layers of red and black fruit, velvety tannin and a very, very long mineral finish. The 14,5% abv is beautifully integrated. — a year 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

Stefan Dolhain

9.8

2019 vintage Saint-Emilion Grand Cru. Calicem is produced from a small vineyard (less than one hectare) adjacent to Grand Cru Classé Couvent des Jacobins whose owner bought it in 2015. It was planted in 1961/1962 with 100% Merlot from old clones.and it is vinified separately from Couvent des Jacobins (first vintage 2015).This beautiful 2019 is made in microscopic quantities (2188 bottles) with the "vinification intégrale" method which leads to a more gentle extraction and better wood integration. Winemaker Denis Pomarède and consulting oenologist Thomas Duclos did a great job in crafting a beautifully balanced wine with extraordinary elegance, purity, silky tannins and a long finish with an intriguing minerality. Don't expect a blockbuster, this is all about subtlety. Very impressive Saint-Emilion of Premier Grand Cru Classé quality, well worth trying to grab a bottle. Abv. 14,5 %. — 3 years ago

Joshua McCasland

9.3

Crisp, elegant, racy--best cider I've ever tasted. — 10 years ago