Le Nouveau Bordeaux

Amid the dichotomies of influences that Château Clinet has, CEO finds that the secret to its success is the balance of both worlds, writes

nlike its Bordeaux neighbours, Pomerol does not have grand, ancient, castle-like châteaus pompously producing top quality wines. It is home to some of the most revered vintages in the world aged in nondescript establishments. As the old adage says, good things do come in small packages; Pomerol is not only modest in looks but also in size with only 800 hectares of vines under its wing. Nevertheless, it is the haven of some of the most expensive and sought-after wines in the world like Petrus, Château Lafleur, and Le Pin because of its rich terroir, idyllic climate, and limited production.

Pomerol plateau lies to the east of Libourne and separated from the river Dordogne to the south by another famous wine-producing town, Saint-Émilion. Unpretentious and simply enchanting for its notable rural ambience, the terrain is relatively flat with slight undulating slopes and the soil a diverse mixture of gravel, sand, and clay. It has what it calls Gunz gravel terraces—slopes of beautifully rounded gravel stones as large as pingpong balls, which extends along the Isle River towards Libourne, up to Pomerol and Figeac (Saint-Émilion). This unique terroir gives its world-famous Merlot wines distinct elegant flavour of luscious sweet notes tempered with well-balanced minerality.

At the heart of this fertile terrace is Château Clinet. One might mistake it for a humble abode because of its cream-coloured brick walls and red window shutters, but apparently it is just