2018 Clos du Clocher Pomerol [JS95][V93-95][D94][WA92-94][JD91-93]

Producer: Clos du Clocher 
Region: Pomerol, Bordeaux, France  
Blend: 80% Merlot, 20% Cabernet Franc 
Year: 2018  

James Suckling, 95 Points 

"Sweet tobacco, cedar, wet earth and mushroom aromas with dark fruit, following through to a full body with rich, chewy tannins to the cool fruit. Powerful and tannic, yet polished and poised. Try after 2025." 

Vinous, 93-95 Points 

"The 2018 Clos du Clocher, picked from 27 September until 5 October, was matured in 60% new oak. It has a classic Pomerol bouquet with blackberry and raspberry fruit laced with smoke and black truffle. The palate is quite intense, as you would expect, since the yield was 32hL/ha. Supple tannins, very saline in the mouth with a generous sprinkling of black pepper on the finish. This is an impressive Pomerol in the making with very good persistence. Superb." 

Decanter, 94 Points 

"This is good, precise, inky and concentrated in colour with the texture the first thing you feel here, it actually takes a good few minutes before the fruit comes to the fore. The tannins are powerful, a little more brooding than some Pomerols this year but then the layers appear. The Cabernet Franc is hidden at first and you get the texture of the Merlot, then the florality of the Cabernet arrives, as does liquorice, silky plum and blackberry fruit. Give it time because this is a great Clos de Clocher, perhaps a little departure in terms of style but in the right direction – it’s starting to clearly put a stake in the ground alongside the really serious Pomerols - a property that is getting better and better. 3.8pH." 

Wine Advocate, 92-94 Points 

"Composed of 70% Merlot and 30% Cabernet Franc, the deep purple-black colored 2018 Clos du Clocher slips sensuously out of the glass with kirsch, black cherry compote and preserved plums scents with hints of Chinese five spice, candied violets and Ceylon tea. Full-bodied, rich and laden with black fruit preserves and exotic spice layers, it has a soft texture and just a spark of mid-palate freshness, finishing long and opulent." 

Jeb Dunnuck, 91-93 Points 

"The dark plum-colored 2018 Château Clos Du Clocher is a rich, chewy, concentrated Pomerol that has impressive amounts of dark fruits, earth, chocolate, and smoked tobacco. Medium to full-bodied and concentrated, with a stacked mid-palate, it’s a serious wine that’s going to benefit from 2-4 years of bottle age and keep for 15+." 

Alcohol: 14.5% 

*Price and availability in store may vary. Vintage date may differ from pictured.