2023 Clos L'Eglise, Pomerol

The 2023 Clos l'Église presents a gorgeous contrast of intense dark fruit against a mineral backbone that confers energy. There's a ton of nuance here. Graphite, crushed rocks, plum, mocha, spice, leather and dried herbs are all vividly sketched. There's a bit more Cabernet Franc in this year's blend, as one of the Merlot parcels is being replanted. That results in an especially nuanced Clos l'Église that captures the best the year had to offer.

The 2023 Clos l’Eglise is the usual blend of 70% Merlot and 30% Cabernet Franc, picked September 12 and finishing the following day for the Merlot, with the Cabernet Franc plucked from vine on October 1. It has a refined, very well-defined bouquet, pure and poised, the terroir coming through stronger than its stablemate, Poesia, at the moment. The palate is very smooth on the entry with a touch of dark chocolate infusing the black fruit, quite powerful in style, but the acidity keeps the leash tight. Possessing very good length, this should match the previous vintage in quality.

A very tight and focused red with racy tannins and a linear, racy texture. It’s medium-bodied with excellent energy and plenty of blackberry and olive flavors. Very long finish. 14% alcohol. 3.7 pH. 70% merlot and 30% cabernet franc.