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.

Score: 96 Robert Parker (RP), The Wine Advocate (WA), April 2015

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.

Score: 95 James Suckling (JS), JamesSuckling.com, February 2015

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.

Score: 95 Antonio Galloni (AG), Vinous Media (VM), January 2016

The 2012 l’Eglise-Clinet was picked 21 September to 4 October for the Merlot and on 6 October for the Cabernet Franc. This is one of my favorite recent vintages. It is so vivacious and well defined on the disarming nose with pretty red cherry and strawberry aromas, crushed stone, smoke and wilted rose petal. The palate is medium-bodied with fine tannin, endowed with a sense of exuberance that the 2013 could only dream of. I admire the precision and tension interwoven through this l’Eglise-Clinet and the manner in which it fans out on the succulent finish. This is a Pomerol that just wants to go out and give pleasure. Tasted at the l’Eglise-Clinet vertical at the château in April 2018.

Score: 95 Neal Martin (NM), Vinous Media (VM), July 2019

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.

Score: 100 William Kelley (WK), The Wine Advocate (WA), December 2023