Clos du Clocher | FINE+RARE

About the producer

In 1924, Libourne-based wine merchant Jean-Baptiste Audy purchased a vineyard on the Pomerol plateau close to the village church, beginning the story of Clos du Clocher. Today, his great-grandson, Jean-Baptiste Bourotte runs the 5.9 hectare property along with the négociant business and the family’s other properties, which include Châteaux Bonalgue and Beauséjour. The oldest parcel dates back to 1957.

The Merlot-dominant blend offers classic Pomerol richness and roundness in the mouth with Cabernet Franc bringing elegance and finesse.

In the vineyard

This vineyard sits on the Pomerol plateau, renowned for its clay soils with a vein of distinctive blue clay and deep gravels making up the subsoil. Merlot represents 70% of the vineyard with Cabernet Franc making up the numbers. The average age of the vines is around 40 years old with a parcel of Cabernet Franc dating back to 1957. Its owners have adopted the Environmental Management System: no herbicides are used and organic treatments are implemented where possible.

In the winery

In addition to selection in the vineyard, a densimetric sorting system allows this estate to carry out another sorting of the berries, based on the state of maturity, measured by density. As a result, each tank is more homogenousl; extraction is conducted on a tank by tank basis. The tanks – both cement and stainless steel – are small, allowing for greater precision. Infusion is preferred rather than forced extraction to obtain colour and tannin.

The final blend is usually 70% Merlot and 30% old vine Cabernet Franc, which is created with consultant Michel Rolland and his team. The wine then spends 18 months in French oak barrels of which two-thirds are new.

About the producer