Clos l'Eglise 2023

Strong aromatics, really quite deep, opulent and rich. Tart and sour but then soft and almost creamy with some spiced notes in the background and some ferrous iron notes. Quite a lot of bite and tang. A little tight still, coiled and restricted on the finish by the wood and the slightly austere tannins, but there’s good, slow expansion and a sense of finesse as well as mouthwatering freshness. I like this—not charming as such, but it has confidence and punch, although it’s a little toasted on the finish. Ageing 50–55% new oak.

Aromas of dark berries, plums, cassis, iron and a hint of cocoa powder savoriness. Medium-bodied with well-packed flavors and fine, dusty tannins carrying the fruit to a long but pristine finish. There is still nice fluidity at the end, making it very poised and drinkable now, but it should develop more complexity with age. Drink or hold.

The 2023 Domaine de l'Église has a much better nose than the La Croix du Casse: more fruit for starters, black cherries and blueberry, nicely defined with a touch of incense. The palate is medium-bodied with quite firm tannins, but here matched by black fruit laced with tobacco and black pepper. A bit rough-hewn on the finish, but otherwise a decent, old-school Pomerol.

Chocolate, flowers, mint, black cherries, orange peel, plum, and licorice fill the aromatic profile. The palate is even better with its multiple layers of chocolately dark red fruits, spice, espresso, and plums. The texture is pure silk and velvet, with an opulent, fruit-packed finish. The blend is 70% Merlot with 30% Cabernet Franc, making this the highest percentage of Cabernet Franc ever used in the blend. Drink from 2029-2055.

Smoky oak, good lift and zip, waves of rosemary and dark chocolate, cocoa bean, espresso, intense but with peony and iris aromatics, and fresh waves of acidity that send the palate upwards to meet blueberry fruits. Love the silky texture, and the grip, very much an appellation signature. The oldest vines here are more than 80 years old, planted before the frost of 1956. Mathieu Bellot is the vineyard consultant, but there is no outside winemaking consultant.

The bouquet of Clos l’Eglise initially shows its ageing through wafts of toasty notes, but floral and fruity nuances soon take over, while a mineral touch emerges in the background. Depth builds over the minutes, and the aromatic harmony is a wonderful sign of what’s to come. Rather slender on the attack, the wine follows a compact line that gradually gains in breadth and intensity. Carried by a silky, even slightly suave texture, the wine has real character and benefits from the precious contribution of a structuring acidity. A wine that takes the stage on tiptoe and then delivers a performance of exceptional precision and vigour. The whole clearly needs time to fully blossom, but the level it is showing today is thrilling!

Dark, intense, beautiful color. Very aromatic nose, with ripe, creamy fruit. Precise on the attack, very aromatic through the mid-palate, with a lovely texture and a velvety feel, the wine unfolds juicy and long, carried by fine tannins and leaving plenty of room for its fragrance. Tasted after decanting.