Chateau Clinet lies at the highest point of the Pomerol Plateau on the Gunz gravel terrace, origin of the appellation’s most prestigious crus. It’s a remarkable terroir of old gravel and deep clay over a subsoil of clinker. The vines sink roots 5 metres deep where they are gently warmed by naturally occurring volcanic stones.

The estate has been producing some of the world’s most prestigious wines for centuries. The Belleyme Map, published in 1785, shows the terroir of Chateau Clinet was already exclusively under vine.

Since the 1980s, Jean-Michel Arcaute has managed the vineyard. He has been instrumental in revolutionizing them, replanting with Merlot instead of Cabernet and introducing hand-harvesting, manual selection, and a longer cuvaison.

Merlot accounts for the vast majority of grape varieties (90%) with the remainder being made up of Cabernet-Sauvignon (9%) and Cabernet Franc (1%). The total area under vine is 11.3 hectares and the average age of the vines is 40 years.

The vines are grown with total respect for the environment, giving pride of place to tilling and grassing rather than using chemicals and the human hand over machines.

The vinification process for Chateau Clinet aims to maintain the freshness, finesse and character. Harvesting is always carried out manually, and following meticulous selection, gravity delivers the grapes to the vats. The cellar layout allows good traceability from the vineyard to the end of the aging period. The production of a well-defined parcel can be followed in each vat, then each barrel.

On average, fermentation and maceration lasts for one month, whereupon the wine is transferred into barrels. ‘Free run’ wines are separated from ‘pressed’ wines, and then aged separately. The wine is aged in French oak barrels. around 60 percent new with the remaining being one-year old.

![2010 Clinet [Bordeaux Blend] 750](https://www.jjbuckley.com/permalink/bottle/image/2010-192-750)

The 2010 Clinet is a Bordeaux Blend from the Pomerol region of Bordeaux, France. This red wine is produced by Clinet and utilizes a blend of 85% Merlot, 12% Cabernet Sauvignon, and 3% Cabernet Franc. It is aged in 60% new oak barrels and 40% one-year-old barrels. The vines are approximately 43 years old and are planted on a combination of clay and gravel soils. The wine has a 14.0% alcohol content and is sealed with a cork closure.

John Perry from JJ Buckley gives this wine a high praise, scoring it 98 points. Perry describes it as "a sensational wine" with "fabulously fragrant and enticing" aromas, highlighting "layer upon layer of concentrated blackberry, mineral earth, and mocha flavors." He concludes that this wine "could potentially be a 50-year wine."

Wine Spectator rates it at 95 points, noting its "showy, packed and well-endowed" nature with notes of "warm linzer torte, plum preserves, and blackberry reduction." They describe it as "muscular on the back end" and suggest that it requires significant cellaring, recommending it for consumption from 2017 through 2035.

James Suckling, scoring it 97 points, praises its "gorgeous nose with lots of dark fruit like plum and blueberries" and states that it is "dense and velvety on the palate with superbly polished tannins." He advises allowing it at least five to six years of bottle age to fully appreciate its quality.

Robert Parker's Wine Advocate also rates it at 95 points, noting its "deep garnet color" and flavors of "Black Forest cake, blueberry compote, and plum preserves" with "pleasant poise and loads of savory sparks on the finish."

Jeb Dunnuck awards it 96 points, calling it a "deep ruby/purple-tinged beauty" with aromas of "blackcurrants, black cherries, damp earth, and forest floor." He describes it as "full-bodied, concentrated and deep, yet also elegant and layered."

Neal Martin's Wine Journal gives it 94 points, highlighting its "tempting truffle-scented bouquet" and "crisp red berry fruit on the entry."

Wine Enthusiast, scoring it between 92-94 points, describes its "new wood mint aromas" and "richness" with "firm and dense" tannins.

Jeff Leve from TheWineCellarInsider.com rates it 98 points, describing it as "opulent, lush, and loaded with layers of perfectly ripe, black and red plums, chocolate, cherries, flowers, truffle, licorice, smoke, and a background note of mint."

Decanter, awarding it 97 points, notes its "poised and confident" nature with flavors of "coffee beans and bitter chocolate" alongside "cassis and blackberry autumnal berry fruits."

Finally, Jane Anson gives it 96 points, praising its "confident, well-sculpted" nature with "cloves and fennel notes" and "an undercurrent of fresh mint."

Overall, the 2010 Clinet is highly praised by multiple reviewers for its complex layers, rich flavors, and potential for aging.