The 2013 Château Clinet is a red wine from the prestigious Pomerol appellation on Bordeaux’s Right Bank, produced by Château Clinet, a renowned estate owned by Ronan Laborde since 2004. The wine is crafted from vines grown on the Pomerol plateau, where iron-rich clay and gravelly soils contribute to its distinctive character. The 2013 vintage is a blend of approximately 85% Merlot, 12% Cabernet Sauvignon, and 3% Cabernet Franc, with Merlot dominating, lending a velvety texture and rich fruit profile. The wine is aged for around 16 months in oak barrels (60% new, 40% one-year-old), resulting in a medium-bodied wine with a deep crimson-purple hue, offering aromas of blackberry, graphite, and tobacco, with a sappy mid-palate, pliant tannins, and a black pepper finish. The 2013 vintage is noted for its linearity, freshness, and understated elegance, a departure from the richer style of warmer vintages, making it a well-crafted wine despite the challenging growing season.

The double magnum format (3 liters, equivalent to four standard 750ml bottles) is a large-format bottle, often prized for its aging potential due to slower oxygen exchange, which can enhance the wine’s development over time. This format is rare and typically sought after by collectors or for special occasions.

Food Pairings

The 2013 Château Clinet’s plush, Merlot-driven profile with soft tannins and notes of dark berries, spice, and tobacco makes it a versatile pairing wine. Recommended pairings include:

• Beef: Grilled or roasted beef, such as filet mignon or ribeye, complements the wine’s dark fruit and structured tannins.
• Lamb: Herb-crusted rack of lamb enhances the wine’s spicy and earthy notes.
• Poultry: Rich poultry dishes, like duck confit or roasted chicken with rosemary, pair well with its smooth texture.
• Rich Red Pasta: Dishes with tomato-based meat sauces, such as ragù, match the wine’s fruit-forward character.
• Game: Venison or other game meats align with the wine’s subtle earthiness.
• Cheeses: Aged cheeses like Comté or Gouda complement its complexity.
• Vegetable-Based Dishes: Roasted red peppers or mushroom-based dishes, such as porcini risotto, pair well with its softer tannins and fruit profile.

Critics Reviews

The 2013 vintage in Bordeaux was challenging due to wet conditions and uneven ripening, but Château Clinet produced a commendable wine under the circumstances. Here are key critic reviews for the 2013 Château Clinet:

• Neal Martin (Wine Advocate): “The 2013 Clinet has a well-defined bouquet of blackberry, graphite, and light tobacco scents, very Left Bank in style – unsurprisingly, given the contribution of the Cabernet. Medium-bodied and sappy on the mid-palate, with pliant tannins and moderate depth, and a lovely touch of black pepper toward the finish. Not a powerful Clinet and certainly far from the style of 15–20 years ago, but there’s a linearity and understatedness about this Pomerol, a freshness that should guarantee it will repay 5–6 years in bottle. This is a very well-crafted Clinet even if I do not rank it as a classic. If it puts on more weight, it may well land at the top of my banded score.” Score: Likely in the 88-91 range (exact score not specified in sources).
• General Context: Critics note that the 2013 vintage required meticulous vineyard management (e.g., green harvesting to remove unripe berries) to achieve quality, and Château Clinet’s careful winemaking under Jean-Michel Arcaute’s legacy and Ronan Laborde’s direction resulted in a balanced, approachable wine. While not as opulent as top vintages like 1989 or 2009, it is praised for its precision and freshness.

• Wine-Searcher: Aggregated score of 90/100 based on 23 critic reviews, praising its savory and classic red style.
• Wine Enthusiast (Barrel Sample, April 2014): Noted as a rich and structured wine, combining ripe Merlot with a dry texture.
• KL Wines (February 2015): Described as having “hints of stones and wet earth, full body, ultra-fine tannins, and incredible length,” with immediate drinkability.
• CellarTracker: Community reviews call it a “nice little wine” but slightly pricey for its value, recommending food pairings like steak or spicy Asian dishes.

  The wine is generally well-regarded for its balance and approachability but considered less exceptional than top Pomerol vintages, reflecting the challenging 2013 growing season.

Drink Window

The 2013 Château Clinet is described as approachable in its youth due to its softer tannins and vibrant fruit, but it has the structure to age gracefully, especially in a double magnum format, which typically extends aging potential.

• Optimal Drinking Window: 2018–2028. The wine is likely drinking well now (2025) but can be cellared for another 3–5 years to develop further complexity, with peak enjoyment expected around 2023–2026. The freshness and balanced acidity suggest it will hold well but may not evolve as long as richer vintages like 2009 or 2010.
• Note on Double Magnum: Large formats like double magnums age more slowly, potentially extending the drinking window to 2030 or beyond with proper storage (cool, dark, stable conditions).