Château L'Eglise-Clinet, Pomerol, Bordeaux, France, 2012

Rich, ripe and dense. Expressive red berry nose with toasted oak evident. Sweet, plush mid-palate (heightened by 14.5% alcohol although that doesn't show). Long, firm finish. A touch dry on the end.

This big, showy wine with lots of body and structure wowed a group of tasters who rated it higher than the first growths. Certainly a splendid effort, with smoky, ripe, concentrated fruit, but a bit of a bruiser. Denis Durantou, who died too young in 2020 aged 62, was on top form at the time.