2005 Château l'Eglise-Clinet, Pomerol, Bordeaux

In bottle. Darker and richer than the magnum! Dense and unevolved. Exciting and dramatic. Really concentrated. Very long. Rich and spicy. Unexpected.Drink 2019 - 2040jancis_robinson_mw MW, JancisRobinson.com (May 2015)

Saturated ruby-red. Superripe, deep aromas of black cherry, mocha, bitter chocolate, liquorice pastille and menthol; almost porty in its ripeness. Hugely concentrated and sweet, with perfectly integrated acidity giving shape and verve to the dark berry, violet and liquorice flavours. A very powerful, age-worthy wine with terrific grip and flavour definition. The serious but fine tannins arrive very late and coat the front teeth. It will be fascinating to taste this alongside the great 1998 in a decade or so.Stephen Tanzer, Vinous.com.com (May 2008)

The 2005 l’Eglise-Clinet was picked from 9 to 23 September. The bouquet races out of the blocks with red berry fruit, brown spices, black truffle and a whiff of smoke. Give it several minutes in the glass and it develops some gorgeous floral aromas, iris and violet, gaining precision with every swirl. The palate is medium-bodied with firm tannin that frames layers of red fruit infused with tea leaf, bay leaf, a touch of white pepper and an almost ferrous finish that caresses gently. This has long been a deeply impressive l’Eglise-Clinet with a half-century lifespan. Tasted at the l’Eglise-Clinet vertical at the château in April 2018.Drink 2020 - 2060Neil Martin, Vinous.com.com (July 2019)

85% Merlot and 15% Cabernet Franc.This is an elegant wine with wonderful length and beauty. Full yet reserved, showing loads of complexity. This is just starting to show its colours but still needs at least eight years. Don’t touch this until 2018. Please be patient with this one.james_suckling, jamessuckling_com (April 2012)

This is the first vintage made with young vines planted in 2001, at 8,000 vines per hectare over 1.5ha, with a pH of 3.6.Right from the first nose, you find yourself melting into the glass. Layers of complex aromatics prevent you from taking a sip too soon, just sit and enjoy the white truffles, black cherries, tobacco, menthol and liquorice root. These notes continue into the palate, and overall this wine has a huge caressing persistency. The tannins are still holding you tight, very much in control but unobtrusively so.Drink 2018 - 2038jane_anson_mw, Decanter.com

The 2005 L'Eglise-Clinet soars out of the glass with captivating aromatics. Inky dark fruit, graphite, lavender, liquorice, rose petal and spice captivate the senses. In the glass, the 2005 is outrageously beautiful, with layers of inky dark fruit that continue to open, seemingly with no end. Floral notes and redder tonalities of fruit develop with time in the glass. L'Eglise-Clinet is another wine in this tasting that just got better and better with time. It is an epic Pomerol that evokes so many memories of tasting at the château with late proprietor Denis Durantou. Well-stored bottles will prove to be nearly immortal.Drink 2025 - 2055antonio_galloni, Vinous.com.com (April 2021)

The Chteau l'Eglise-Clinet 2005 was served from bottle and from magnum (both ex-cellar). It has a magnificent nose with bewitching delineation: darker fruit than either the 2003 or 2004, blackberry, raspberry, hints of black tea and black truffle. The palate is medium-bodied with brilliant focus, still quite backward as so many grandees of this vintage remain, albeit beginning to soften towards the licorice-tinged finish. This is a benchmark for both Denis Durantou and this Pomerol estate, although I can see it testing wine-lovers' patience. Tasted March 2015.Neil Martin - 29/07/2016

Among the most saturated in color of all the 2005 Pomerols (which is saying something), this wine has a spectacular nose of licorice, mulberry, blackberry and sweet blue fruits. The new oak is completely hidden, the wine full-bodied, multi-layered and just stunning. The purity, richness and skyscraper-like mouthfeel are incredible. Give it another 5-10 years of cellaring and drink it over the following 30+ years.Drink 2020 - 2060Robert M. Parker, Jr., Wine Advocate (June 2015)

Among the most saturated in color of all the 2005 Pomerols (which is saying something), this wine has a spectacular nose of licorice, mulberry, blackberry and sweet blue fruits. The new oak is completely hidden, the wine full-bodied, multi-layered and just stunning. The purity, richness and skyscraper-like mouthfeel are incredible. Give it another 5-10 years of cellaring and drink it over the following 30+ years. robert_parker eRobertParker.com #219 Jun 2015 A sensational effort from proprietor Denis Durantou, this 2005 is a compelling wine, but purchasers should wait at least a decade to begin the magical liquid tour. One of the monumental wines of the vintage, it boasts a dense purple color as well as a glorious perfume of caramelized blackberries, blueberries, and raspberries, a hint of toast in the backward, fully integrated oak, full body, and exceptional density and richness. Prodigiously concentrated, this layered, broad Pomerol reveals a seamless integration of acidity, tannin, alcohol, and wood. It is a massive, yet remarkably elegant wine that is as singular as it is exhilarating. Anticipated maturity: 2017-2040. robert_parker - Wine Advocate - Apr-2008