Clos l'Eglise 2003

Lots of violet and floral character with plum and berry. Full, round and juicy, with plummy vanilla and chocolate character. Yummy wine. Best after 2008. 1,090 cases made.

Incredible floral character on the nose with violets and mushrooms. Medium body, super fine tannins and a linear finish. Shows focus and finesse. Love the balance. Nothing to do with the very hot vintage.

Dull medium red. Full-blown aromas of redcurrant, caramel and mocha, with a mineral note giving some lift. Then fat and smooth on the palate, with limited flavor definition and an obvious hot-year character. Notes of plum, coffee and roasted nuts. Offers moderate depth and finishes with substantial dusty tannins.

The 2003 Clos L'Eglise shows the difficulties of this extreme vintage with Merlot (and in particular, in Pomerol), offering overripe, plummy, fig fruits, chocolaty, spicy aromas and flavors, medium to full-bodied richness and a touch of dry tannins. Nevertheless, it has good mid-palate density and solid concentration as well as impressive length on the finish. It's not getting any better, but it still has charm. Drink up.

Dense colour at the centre, fading sharply towards the rim. Open, slightly alcoholic-seeming bouquet, ruby port shimmer, dried figs, distinct honeyed notes from a raisiny, over-ripened Merlot. On the palate, fat up front, revealing an almost crumbly dryness within, again plenty of fig notes, tannins with a tannic edge, still firm-cored and unresolved at the centre. If the wine manages to digest its tannins, it will turn into a powerhouse wine; otherwise it will end up as a tannic bruiser.

Medium-dark garnet-ruby. Concentrated yet refined bouquet; forest berries, exotic wood and light coffee. Dreamy, silky texture with a beautiful sweetness carrying through the palate – almost perfumed. A delicate, almost dancing Pomerol with raspberry pips on the finish. 17/20 2008 – 2016 The colour is dense at the core, fading strongly towards the rim. Open, slightly alcoholic-seeming bouquet, ruby port-like sheen, dried figs, distinct honey notes from raisined Merlot. On the palate, fat on the outside, revealing a crumbly dryness within, again plenty of fig tones, the tannins come across as tannic, grainy and unresolved at the core. If it manages to digest these tannins, it will possess unusually high power, though there is also a risk it could end up as a tannin bomb.

The 2003 Clos L'Eglise is deep garnet in color with a touch of brick. It bursts with notions of baked blackberries, Morello cherries, and plum preserves, giving way to nuances of violets, licorice, and forest floor. Medium to full-bodied, the palate explodes with slowly evolving black and red berry preserves flavors, framed by ripe, rounded tannins and just enough freshness, finishing long and fragrant.

Sun-kissed accents of the vintage, with volume and just the right density. Drink now.

Very pleasant wine, with aromas of ripe fruit and licorice. The body lacks a bit of maturity in flavor, but everything is well integrated, especially after decanting.

Pomerol was one of the weakest appellations in the 2003 vintage, and Clos l’Eglise exhibits caramelized notes, a superficial mouthfeel, red currants and cherries. Drink it up.