Blackberries and blueberries with subtle black chocolate and violets on the nose, following to a full-bodied palate with polished, creamy tannins. Beautiful balance and really refined texture.\n \n Producer Information\n Château Clinet is a wine producer located in Pomerol, Bordeaux, on the Right Bank of the Gironde. The vineyards are planted predominantly to Merlot, alongside small amounts of Cabernet Sauvignon. These proportions are mirrored in the makeup of the highly regarded and ageworthy grand vin. The 1989 and 2009 vintages both achieved perfect 100-point scores from Robert Parker. When the Laborde family bought the château in 1998, consultant Michel Rolland increased the amount of time the grand vin spent in new oak and introduced a range of modern winemaking techniques in the winery. Today the château relies on an in-house group of winemakers. The vineyard site is one of the oldest in Pomerol, with evidence dated back to 1595. The 11 hectares (27 acres) are farmed using sustainable practices. There is grass cover between the vines, and around one-third of the property is plowed by horse. The canopy is trained high by Bordeaux standards, at 1.75 meters (5ft 9in). After manual sorting the grand vin is fermented in thermo-regulated stainless steel tanks with manual punchdowns. It is typically aged for around 16 months in 225-liter barriques, with 75 percent new and 25 percent one-year-old wood. Special barrel racks are used to allow the barrels to be easily rotated, to avoid stirring. Fleur de Clinet is made in partnership with a selection of growers throughout Pomerol. It is typically a 95:5 combination of Merlot and Cabernet Franc. It is aged for 12 months in second-fill barrels. The Laborde family has worked to further extend Clinet's range by creating an approachable range of AOC Bordeaux-level red and white wines. See Ronan by Clinet.
