Château Feytit-Clinet 2010

Château Feytit Clinet was considered an unremarkable estate in Pomerol for much of the 20th Century, yet it has experienced a phenomenal turnaround.  This property lies west of the prestigious Pomerol plateau, where the stars of the region like Le Pin, Château Pétrus and Château Trotanoy bask in the limelight.  Yet with all that in mind, the estate is an incredible Pomerol producer whose scores have been increasing since the talented Jeremy Chasseuil took over operations.  It is without a doubt a property that merits much distinction in one of the most prestigious wine regions in the world.
 
The earliest records of Château Feytit Clinet date all the way back to 1825 when it was owned by a member of the de Goumbalt family.  By 1964 the property entered a lease agreement with the Moueix family, owners of the incomparable Château Pétrus.  Château Feytit Clinet had some impressive neighbors, including L’Eglise Clinet and Latour à Pomerol and it was only a matter of time before it would attract attention from many interested buyers.  In 2000, a young and fiery gentleman named Jeremy Chasseuil set his sights on purchasing the property.  There was one problem, the city of Bordeaux owned 50% of the vineyards.  Jeremy not only needed to purchase those plots, but he had to prove he could manage such a property.  Thankfully, due to his skills, he was able to prove himself a worthy owner of Château Feytit Clinet.  A passion for wine runs in the bloodline of the Chasseuil family, and Jeremy’s father, Michel, has one of the largest, most interesting wine collections in the world.  He even wrote a book on this collection, titling it, “100 Vintage Treasures.” Prior to Jeremy’s ownership, Château Feytit Clinet was not taken seriously by the Parkers and Ansons of the world.  But all that would soon change. 
 
Jeremy Chasseuil made grand, sweeping changes at the estate.  He reduced the yields and switched the property over to green harvesting.  The tiny 7-hectare parcel of land, planted with 90% Merlot vines and 10% Cabernet Franc vines is now harvested entirely by hand.  These vines are 30 years old on average, and thrive in the heavily graveled, clay and sandy soils.  Jeremy also lowered the yields over at Château Feytit Clinet by over half, resulting in a richer and more concentrated wine.  In addition to making changes in the vineyard, Jeremy made plenty of changes in the vat room. The grapes are sorted twice before and after destemming and are now vinified in concrete to preserve freshness. The wine remains on its lees – which is a technique often used in Burgundy – for several months.  This yields a fuller-bodied wine, with a roundness, weight, and depth.  Jeremy Chasseuil also increased the percentage of new oak barriques from 25 to 75%, resulting in a wine with more structure, and greater aromas of dark chocolate and truffle.  For those who love powerful, rich wines, Château Feytit Clinet is an especially dense Pomerol, with complexity and nuance aplenty.

"As I have indicated in previous reports, Feytit-Clinet is a property on the rise. The 2010 comes from a tiny vineyard of about 18+ acres just across the street from Trotanoy and Latour a Pomerol. A blend of 95% Merlot and 5% Cabernet Franc reaching 14.5% natural alcohol (a nearly standard level of alcohol in most Pomerols and St.-Emilions in 2010), this wine sports a dense purple color and a sweet nose of mulberries, blueberry liqueur, cassis and licorice as well as hints of mocha and white chocolate. Full-bodied, dense, and rich, with sweet tannin and good acidity giving it a laser-like precision and freshness on the palate, this wine should drink nicely for 15+ years." - Robert Parker Jr, The Wine Advocate, (2/27/2013, Issue 205), Ratings: 95, Drink: 2013-2028

"From an up and coming estate, this 2010 was made from yields of 33 hectoliters per hectare. It achieved 14.5% natural alcohol. A blend of 95% Merlot and 5% Cabernet Franc, it boasts an opaque purple color along with sweet blueberry and raspberry fruit intermixed with hints of truffles, charcoal and background oak. Dense, unctuously textured and full-bodied with super concentration and purity, this beauty is well-worth buying given the upward qualitative trend exhibited by Feytit-Clinet. It should drink well for 15-20 years." - Robert Parker Jr, The Wine Advocate, (5/1/2011, Issue 194), Ratings: 92-94, Drink: 2013-2031