The Grand Vin was picked between 21 September and 4th October for the Merlot, with the Cabernet Franc picked on 6th October. A blend of 90% Merlot and 10% Cabernet Franc (aged in 80% new oak) it has Burgundy-like minerality and purity on the nose that is taciturn at first, but blossoms nicely in the glass whilst maintaining a sense of restraint and focus. The palate is medium-bodied with very pure fruit and a silky texture. The acidity is extremely well judged, the Cabernet Franc lending this wine just a touch of edginess. There is sublime focus on the mineral-laden finish. One day, Denis Durantou will make a wine that does not merit a stream of superlatives. But that day seems a long way away. – eRobertParker.com, May 2013

The carefully-crafted precision of the fruits is clear right from the first nose. A serious, subdued L'Eglise Clinet at 10 years old, putting a marker down in terms of carefully-crafted fruits and fine-boned tannins. Enjoyable, tertiary notes of truffles and earth are just beginning to surface. 80% new oak.

This big, showy wine with lots of body and structure wowed a group of tasters who rated it higher than the first growths. Certainly a splendid effort, with smoky, ripe, concentrated fruit, but a bit of a bruiser. Denis Durantou, who died too young in 2020 aged 62, was on top form at the time.

The 2012 L'Eglise Clinet is a real head-turner. Explosive and rich in the glass, the 2012 boasts superb depth throughout. Sweet floral and spiced notes develop first, followed by intense red and blue-fleshed fruit. Violets, mint, sage and sweet spices add nuance as the 2012 opens up, but it is really the wine's vertical structure that stands out above all else. I very much like the pure energy that is so central to the wine's personality. This is a superb showing, and one of the clear highlights of the year. Readers should cellar the 2012 for at least a few years.

Insane aromas of wet earth, dried fruits, oyster shell and white pepper. Full body and a seamless texture of gorgeous tannins and fruits. Goes on for minutes. So wonderful now but will be better in 2019. – jamessuckling.com, Feb 2015

This delivers a gorgeously pure and racy core of raspberry, boysenberry and blackberry fruit, melded perfectly with singed black tea leaf, dried star anise and roasted apple wood notes. Velvety and alluring overall, but there's a bright minerality buried on the finish. Best from 2016 through 2027. 1,417 cases made. – James Molesworth (WineSpectator.com, May 2015)

(90% Merlot/10% Cabernet Franc)
Deep, sweet and inviting with violet and dark, ripe cherry and blackcurrant. Palate immediately has some more energy and vibrancy and reveals big, sweet ripe tannins, broad but pretty rather than heavyweight fruit and a clean, long finish.

[90M/10CF] Ample, generous, mouthcoating wine, firm but fine in moderate tannin; as usual a most appealing density of flesh, rich, long and tenacious, juicy and complex at once, both serious and yet surprisingly immediately seductive; long and warm and scented to finish. A very fine Eglise Clinet. 2019-32+ [M.Schuster, Bordeaux Mar/Apr 2013]

(90% merlot and 10% cabernet franc; 80% new oak): Deep ruby. Exceptionally pure aromas of fresh blackcurrant, blueberry, minerals, violet and sweet spices. Sweet, suave and dense, with highly refined flavors of red berries, blackberry and cinnamon, and an impression of sucrosité that is truly unforgettable. The finish is long and delicately peppery, with lingering nuances of cinnamon, vanilla and strawberry jam and building, youthfully chewy but noble tannins. This very refined wine may turn out to be one of the handful of stars of the vintage. The merlot was harvested between Sept 21 and October 4, and the cabernet franc on October 6th.

Tasted blind. This wine is a sophisticated lawyer somehow. Lots of layers and urbanity. Source of great reward. Mid weight but so much subtlety. Not simple sweetness but great profundity. Drink 2018-2035 – jancisrobinson.com, Jan 2016

A wine that wins my nomination for the title of "wine of the vintage" is the 2012 L'Eglise Clinet, a fleshy and enveloping Pomerol evocative of dark cherries and berries mingled with licorice, spices, pencil lead, truffle and rose petals. Full-bodied, broad and textural, it's lavish and expansive, with terrific depth at the core, supple tannins and a long, resonant finish. Seamless, charming and impeccably balanced, this transcends the vintage, and while it's deceptively drinkable now, it remains a mere adolescent at age 11.

A wine that wins my nomination for the title of "wine of the vintage" is the 2012 L'Eglise Clinet, a fleshy and enveloping Pomerol evocative of dark cherries and berries mingled with licorice, spices, pencil lead, truffle and rose petals. Full-bodied, broad and textural, it's lavish and expansive, with terrific depth at the core, supple tannins and a long, resonant finish. Seamless, charming and impeccably balanced, this transcends the vintage, and while it's deceptively drinkable now, it remains a mere adolescent at age 11. 100pts WK Dec 2023
A gorgeous wine from proprietor Denis Durantou, this blend of 85% Merlot and 15% Cabernet Franc is an inky purple color, with gorgeous purity of black raspberries, blackcurrants and blackberry with a hint of truffle and spring flowers. Its is full-bodied, opulent and a tour de force in this vintage. Great presence on the palate, fabulous purity and a long finish make for a magnificent bottle of wine to drink over the next 20-some years. 96 points – Robert Parker (Wine Advocate #218, Avril 2015)