Clos l'Eglise 2003

Fresh and fruity with lovely berry, grapes and flowers. Full-bodied, round and delicious. Long. Best after 2006. 3,500 cases made.

Incredible floral character on the nose with violets and mushrooms. Medium body, super fine tannins and a linear finish. Shows focus and finesse. Love the balance. Nothing to do with the very hot vintage.

Dull medium red. Full-blown aromas of redcurrant, caramel and mocha, with a mineral note giving some lift. Then fat and smooth on the palate, with limited flavor definition and an obvious hot-year character. Notes of plum, coffee and roasted nuts. Offers moderate depth and finishes with substantial dusty tannins.

The 2003 Clos L'Eglise shows the difficulties of this extreme vintage with Merlot (and in particular, in Pomerol), offering overripe, plummy, fig fruits, chocolaty, spicy aromas and flavors, medium to full-bodied richness and a touch of dry tannins. Nevertheless, it has good mid-palate density and solid concentration as well as impressive length on the finish. It's not getting any better, but it still has charm. Drink up.

Dense color in the middle, fading markedly at the rim. An open nose with a slight alcoholic edge: Ruby Port shimmer, dried figs, and clear honey notes from a raisin-like Merlot character. On the palate, broad and rich on the outside, but showing a crumbly dryness at the core; again plenty of fig tones, tannins that feel astringent, a firm, brawny structure and an unfinished center. If the wine can absorb its tannins, it will become a powerhouse; otherwise it will end up as a tannin hammer.

04: Medium-dark garnet ruby. Compact yet fine bouquet; wild berries, exotic woods and light coffee. Dreamy, silky texture with a beautiful sweetness through the mid-palate—almost perfumed. A delicate, almost dancing Pomerol with raspberry seed notes on the finish. 17/20 2008 – 2016 The colour is dense in the centre, strongly fading at the rim. Open bouquet with a slightly alcoholic feel, a Ruby-Port shimmer, dried figs, and clear honey notes from a raisined Merlot. On the palate it’s broad and rich on the outside, while showing a crumbly dryness at the core; again lots of fig tones. The tannins feel coarse, firm and unfinished in the middle. If it manages to digest these tannins, it will have unusually high power, but there’s also a risk it will end up as a tannin block.

The 2003 Clos L'Eglise is deep garnet in color with a touch of brick. It bursts with notions of baked blackberries, Morello cherries, and plum preserves, giving way to nuances of violets, licorice, and forest floor. Medium to full-bodied, the palate explodes with slowly evolving black and red berry preserves flavors, framed by ripe, rounded tannins and just enough freshness, finishing long and fragrant.

Sun-kissed accents of the vintage, with volume and just the right density. Drink now.

Very pleasant wine, with aromas of ripe fruit and licorice. The body lacks a bit of maturity in flavor, but everything is well integrated, especially after decanting.

Pomerol was one of the weakest appellations in the 2003 vintage, and Clos l’Eglise exhibits caramelized notes, a superficial mouthfeel, red currants and cherries. Drink it up.