France · Other producers

Clos L'eglise

Clos L'Eglise is a Pomerol estate with eight clay, gravel and iron-rich parcels, planted to 70% Merlot and 30% Cabernet Franc, producing a rich red matured in new French oak.

The producer

Clos L'Eglise is an 18th-century Pomerol estate on Bordeaux's Right Bank. Sylviane Garcin-Cathiard bought it from the Moreau family in 1997 for €12 million. Today Helene Garcin Leveque manages winemaking and marketing, while Patrice Leveque manages the organically farmed vineyard. Merlot supplies ripe plum and broad body, while Cabernet Franc adds floral detail and a firmer finish. The 5.9-hectare vineyard is divided into eight parcels on clay, gravel and iron deposits. Fermentation takes place in eight insulated stainless steel tanks, followed by barrel malolactic fermentation and 18 to 24 months in 100% new French oak. Clos L'Eglise is rich, full-bodied and lush, with plum, black fruit, chocolate and mineral notes. The 2004 is ready to drink now; the dense, tannic 2020 is suited to further ageing.

Known for

Merlot-led Pomerol from eight organically farmed parcels, including a Cabernet Franc parcel planted in the 1940s, fermented in stainless steel and aged in new French oak.

Notable facts

The story

The 1997 Pomerol sale

In 1997, Sylviane Garcin-Cathiard bought Clos L'Eglise from the Moreau family for €12 million. The property had already been redesigned and modernized by the Moreau family in 1975, after an estate history reaching back to the 18th century. The purchase transferred Clos L'Eglise into a new ownership chapter, with the vineyard and cellar later managed through the separate responsibilities of Patrice Leveque and Helene Garcin Leveque. Garcin-Cathiard's purchase price set a new benchmark for Pomerol at the time.

From the atlas

Clos L'Eglise

At A Glance

Clos L'Eglise is a Pomerol estate on Bordeaux's Right Bank, with 5.9 hectares divided into eight main parcels. Its red Pomerol is planted to 70% Merlot and 30% Cabernet Franc, farmed organically, fermented in stainless steel, and matured in new French oak. The style is rich, full-bodied and deeply concentrated, with ripe plum, chocolate and floral notes.

The Producer

Sylviane Garcin-Cathiard bought Clos L'Eglise from the Moreau family in 1997 for €12 million, opening a new ownership chapter for an estate whose history reaches back to the 18th century. Today Helene Garcin Leveque handles winemaking and marketing, while her husband Patrice Leveque manages the vineyards. The division is practical and visible in the wine: Patrice oversees the organic work among the parcels, while Helene carries the fruit through fermentation, barrel malolactic fermentation and extended oak ageing.

Clos L'Eglise produces approximately 2,400 cases a year. The principal wine is a single red Pomerol built around Merlot's ripe plum fruit and full body, with Cabernet Franc adding floral detail and a firmer line.

Place

Pomerol is the appellation, and Clos L'Eglise's parcels lie mostly southwest of the chateau. The combination of clay, gravel and iron deposits suits a Merlot-led red with dense fruit and a mineral edge. In the glass, the site reads as weight and concentration around the middle of the palate, while Cabernet Franc keeps the perfume lifted and the finish firm.

Soil And Site

The vineyard covers 5.9 hectares in eight main parcels rather than one continuous block. Vines average 35 years of age, with one Cabernet Franc parcel planted in the 1940s. A density of 7,150 vines per hectare keeps the planting closely spaced, and the old Cabernet Franc vines provide a distinct source of floral character within a vineyard dominated by Merlot.

Story

Clos L'Eglise has moved through several kinds of renovation. The Moreau family redesigned and modernized the property in 1975, building on an estate that dates to the 18th century. Since 2012, eight insulated stainless steel tanks of 55 hectoliters each have replaced the older oak vats for fermentation. The change gives the cellar a more clearly defined fermentation setting before the wine moves into barrel for its softer, longer phase. Vineyard work and cellar work now sit with different members of the family, Patrice in the parcels and Helene in winemaking and marketing.

Vineyards And Cellar

Organic farming begins with the 70% Merlot and 30% Cabernet Franc planting. Merlot supplies the ripe plum, broad body and lush middle palate; Cabernet Franc brings floral notes and a firmer edge, with the 1940s parcel adding older vine material to the blend.

Fermentation takes place in eight insulated stainless steel tanks, each holding 55 hectoliters. Malolactic fermentation then occurs in barrel, where the wine's acidity feels rounder and its texture becomes fuller. The wine spends 18 to 24 months in 100% new French oak barrels of 300 liters. That long élevage adds a substantial frame around the dark fruit and helps account for the chocolate character associated with the finished wine.

Wines

Clos L'Eglise is the named principal wine, a red Pomerol made from the estate's Merlot-led vineyard. Its range position is clear: the bottle is rich, full-bodied and opulent, with ripe plum, chocolate and floral notes, and production remains around 2,400 cases annually.

Vintage age changes the register. The 2020 is dense and mineral, with black fruit and firm tannic shape. It has a drinking window beginning around 2030 and extending to 2050 or beyond, so it belongs to the cellar for now. The 2004 occupies the opposite position in the range: it is ready to drink now, with a more open red-fruited profile and enough acidity to keep the finish active.

In The Glass

The wine begins with ripe plum and black fruit, the natural register of a Merlot-led Pomerol from clay and gravel. Floral notes rise behind the fruit from Cabernet Franc, especially the older parcel planted in the 1940s. New French oak brings chocolate alongside the fruit, while the iron-bearing soil contributes a mineral impression.

On the palate, the wine enters broad and full-bodied, then gathers around a dense, lush middle. In a young vintage such as 2020, firm tannins tighten the black fruit and leave a mineral, drying finish that needs years in bottle. In the 2004, red berry fruit and spiced plum arrive with more accessible acidity, and the finish remains persistent without requiring another decade of waiting.

A Bottle To Understand It

Clos L'Eglise 2004 is the right first bottle because it is ready to drink now. It is the estate's principal red, made from the Merlot-led Pomerol vineyard and given the long maturation associated with the house. In the glass, expect ripe red fruit, spiced plum, floral lift and a firm line of acidity carrying through the finish. It offers the estate's full-bodied, lush style in a bottle that can be opened today, while a younger vintage such as 2020 asks for further bottle development.

Anecdote

In 1997, Sylviane Garcin-Cathiard bought Clos L'Eglise from the Moreau family. The purchase price was €12 million, an extraordinary figure for Pomerol at the time. The property had already been redesigned and modernized by the Moreau family in 1975, so the sale transferred a long-established estate into a new ownership chapter. Garcin-Cathiard's arrival was followed by the family management now divided between Helene Garcin Leveque, who handles winemaking and marketing, and Patrice Leveque, who works in the vineyards. The price set a new benchmark for Pomerol.

Final Word

Clos L'Eglise brings together an old Pomerol estate, eight clay and gravel parcels, a 70% Merlot planting, and a Cabernet Franc parcel dating from the 1940s. Organic vineyard work, stainless steel fermentation and 18 to 24 months in new French oak lead to a red with ripe plum, floral notes, chocolate, full body and long bottle life. Open the 2004 for its current drinking window; cellar the 2020 for its dense fruit and firm tannins.

Sources

Open Clos L'eglise in the interactive map →