| Region of Production: | Pomerol AOP |
| Winery Location: | Pomerol |
| Year Established: | 18th century |
| Classification: | None |
Vineyard Holdings
11 ha
- 90% Merlot
- 9% Cabernet Sauvignon
- 1% Cabernet France
Top Wines Produced & Inaugural Vintages
- Château Clinet, Pomerol: Grand vin. 90% Merlot, 9% Cabernet Sauvignon, 1% Cabernet Franc (2015 vintage). Fermented in stainless steel vats. Aged for 18 to 22 months in 60% new barrels.
- Fleur de Clinet, Pomerol: Second wine. Harvested from vines purchased in 2012 and 2014 that are not used for the grand vin. Inaugural vintage 1997. (Domaine du Casse was the former second wine.)
- Ronan de Clinet, Bordeaux: 100% Merlot from purchased fruit in satellite Right Bank appellations.
Average Total Production
- 50,000 bottles
Summary
Château Clinet was one of Pomerol’s pioneering winegrowing estates, established in the 1700s, if not earlier. It is known to have existed in 1785, when it appeared on the Belleyme map of the area. In its early years, Clinet was owned by the Arnaud family, which also owned Pétrus. At that time, in the 1830s, both Pétrus and Clinet sold for the same price. In the latter half of the century, Clinet was passed to the Constant family. In 1882, it was sub-divided into Clinet, Clos L’Église, and L’Eglise Clinet. The property changed owners several more times throughout the 1900s, spending the first several decades under the stewardship of the négociant Audy family. Following what was considered a period of decline for Clinet, Georges Audy’s son-in-law Jean-Michel Arcaute took over the estate in the 1980s, hiring Michel Rolland as a consultant in 1985. Under their tenure, Clinet began to reclaim much of its renown. Arcaute continued as winemaker across several changes in ownership, first with GAN Insurance in 1991, followed quickly by Jean-Louis Laborde in 1998. Arcaute passed away in 2001, and Jean-Louis’ son Ronan has run Clinet since 2003.
Style & Vinification Techniques
Clinet offers a powerful Pomerol with proven aging capacity but noted inaccessibility in its youth. The vineyard, situated near the top of the Pomerol plateau, is worked by horses and harvested by hand. The wine ferments and macerates over the course of a month in stainless steel vats. Malolactic fermentation is carried out both in tank and in barriques, approximately 60% new, followed by 18 to 22 months of aging in barrel. Fleur de Clinet comes from a combination of purchased and declassified fruit.
Producer Website: Château Clinet