Wine Tasting Notes, Ratings

1995 Château Clinet

1. Not as seductive or charming as previous bottles, perhaps the toughness of the 1995 vintage is starting to show through. The wine was much more interesting on the nose than the palate. The finish displayed some hardness to the tannins and was a bit drying in the finish. Decanting for 2 hours helped, but this wine might be slowly drying out.

   90 points - Tasted Jun 11, 2013

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2. One of the top wines from a vintage better known for its rustic, tannic, nature. Juicy chocolate covered plums, truffles and floral aromas, round, soft textures and a long, opulent, fresh, black cherry finish are found in this wine. As it creeps closer to its 20th birthday, this has moved into the prime time drinking stage.

   93 points - Tasted Dec 3, 2012

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3. In a year filled with numerous hard, austere wines, 1995 Clinet is one of the top wines that overcomes the style of the vintage. With its chocoalte, floral, truffle, earth, black cherry, smoke and plum nose, the wine is pure silk and velvet, ending in a lush, sensuous, sweet, cocoa, earth and black raspberry finish. There is no hurry to drink this as it has the stuffing to age and develop for another 15-20 years. The wine was not decanted, just popped, poured and enjoyed!

   94 points - Tasted Jul 22, 2012

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4. This is a sexy style of Pomerol. With a bouquet of chocolate covered flowers, plum liqueur, truffle, fennel, spice and black cherries, the wine coats your palate with opulently textured black plums and black raspberry jam. Packed and stacked with layers of ripe fruit, Clinet was able to avoid the harsh style of tannins that plagued so many wines from this difficult vintage. The delicious Bordeaux could still improve, but it is drinking so well now, if you have more than a few bottles, it's time to open one and see for yourself. This is the last great Clinet of the Arcaute regime. It was a long 13 year wait until 2008, when the new owner, Ronan Laborde produced another stellar wine at this level of quality.

   94 points - Tasted Aug 31, 2011

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