94-96

Antonio Galloni

Vinous

The 2025 Clinet is a dark, brooding wine, largely because of the significant presence of Cabernet Sauvignon—a rarity in Pomerol, but a tradition here dating back to vines that were planted in the 1930s and 1950s. Plum, blackberry, gravel, incense, licorice and scorched earth stain the palate. Harvest started on September 4, the earliest ever. Yields were 34 hectoliters per hectare. Lots saw about 30 days on the skins, on the longer side for the château. Malolactic fermentation was done in barrel. Élevage is 60% new oak and 40% once-filled new oak. 04/2026

96-98

Neal Martin

Vinous

The 2025 Clinet was the earliest picking ever, from September 4, and aged in 60% new oak plus 40% one-year-old barrels. Vintages now have a little more Cabernet Sauvignon, as a hectare of Merlot was uprooted. Now this has a delightful nose, perhaps the most elegant and refined that I have encountered at this stage: vivid red cherry, raspberry and wild strawberry scents, neatly embroidered oak, more floral in style. The palate is medium-bodied with chiselled, fine tannins, bright and tensile, exquisite focus, with a peacock's tail on the finish. Quite crystalline on the finish, this is a Clinet that I would like in my cellar. Or at the dinner table. Or in my glass. 05/2026

93-95

Yohan Castaing

Robert Parker/Wine Advocate

Less marked by oak than in recent vintages, the 2025 Clinet reveals a refined bouquet of cedar, dark berries, spice and fresh licorice. Medium- to full-bodied, dense and layered, it’s broad-shouldered yet more tensile than usual, built around a structured core of fruit and concluding with a long, perfumed finish. Reflecting the vintage in its balance between density and approachability, it remains true to the estate’s style, with a firm, robust frame. It will benefit from some years in bottle to fully harmonize. This is a blend of 80% Merlot and 20% Cabernet Sauvignon. 04/2026

96-98

Jeb Dunnuck

Jeb Dunnuck

Dense purple-hued, the 2025 Château Clinet is a ripe, sumptuous, and seamless beauty with so much to love. Ripe red, blue, and black fruits, violets, smoky tobacco, and chocolate all shine on the nose, and it's full-bodied on the palate, with a pure, layered, graceful mouthfeel, ultra-fine tannins, and a great finish. It shows just how successful the more clay-dominant soils of Pomerol were in this vintage, and it's unquestionably up with the crème de la crème of the vintage. 05/2026

97

Jean-Marc Quarin

Jean-Marc Quarin

Couleur noire. Nez intense, fruité, subtil. Touche de résine. Ample à l'attaque, juteux en milieu de bouche, avec du goût et un gras fin abondant, le vin évolue lentement vers une longue finale complexe, dense, aérienne, fraîche et incrachable. Assemblage : 80% Merlot, 20% Cabernet Sauvignon. Degré d'alcool : 14°. 04/2026