Recommended by the New York Times, Wine Spectator, Food & Wines, and Many More. Check out our recent Press.

Award-winning NYC wine shop – free local delivery & fast nationwide shipping. Learn more

Chateau Clinet, Pomerol, 1990

Red Wine from Bordeaux, France
by Chateau Clinet
$419.00
Taxes and shipping calculated at checkout.
Use code 10OFF to get 10% off 12+ bottles

Thirty-five years old, from one of the great Right Bank vintages of the modern era. 1990 was the wine that helped put Clinet back on the map: Jean-Michel Arcaute had taken over the estate in 1986 and brought in Michel Rolland, ushering in late harvests, ripe Merlot, and 100% new oak — a radical break from the sleepy Clinet of the 1970s. Within a few years the wine was being mentioned alongside Pétrus and Lafleur. The 1990 was the apex of that early surge: rich, concentrated, built to last. Today, at thirty-five, this is a fully mature library Pomerol — secondary aromatics, resolved tannins, the kind of bottle to open carefully, decant gently, and drink with reverence.

Shipping

Every step of the journey is managed to uphold the integrity of each bottle.

  • Nationwide Access: Flat-rate shipping available to most U.S. states with delivery in 3-5 business days.
  • Temperature-Monitored Shipping: We closely monitor weather conditions and make informed decisions to ensure shipments travel safely, with insulated packaging and refrigerated transport available when required.
  • Wine-Specific Protective Packaging: Specialized materials designed to maintain label integrity and prevent breakage during transit.
  • Provenance Assured: All wines are maintained in climate-controlled conditions at our shop until the moment of dispatch.

Returns & Exchanges

We stand behind every bottle we sell.

  • Corked wine? Full refund or exchange within 60 days
  • Damaged shipment? Contact us within 48 hours
  • Storage or quality concerns? We're here to help


View our complete return policy →

Have Questions?

Our team is here to help.

Hours

Sunday - Thursday: 12 pm - 8 pm

Friday: 11am - 9pm

Saturday: 10am - 9pm

Email: help@flatiron-wines.com
Phone: (212) 477-1315

Antonio Galloni

92 points

"My previous encounter with the 1990 Clinet was out of magnum, circa the release of my Pomerol tome around a decade ago. It was impressive. However, this bottle suggests that this lauded Pomerol is beginning to stumble after 30 years. Rather volatile on the nose, the 1990 offers smudged black cherries, kirsch, green olives and dates, heady and ostentatious, though missing a bit of refinement. The palate is quite hedonistic, loaded with glycerine, a core of sweet black fruit with touches of fresh date and camphor, some VA just evident on the finish. Highly enjoyable for sure, though I would not leave bottles too long to drink. It is a Pomerol rather emblematic of the time." —Neal Martin

Robert Parker

97 points

"A sensational effort, and one of the two finest Clinets made before the 2008, this prodigious wine made by the late Jean-Michel Arcaute has always been a sprinter out of the gate. Even at age 19, it continues to strut its stuff. A dense blue/garnet/purple hue exhibits slight lightening at the edge, and the gorgeous nose offers up aromas of sweet blueberries, licorice, smoke, acacia flowers, and camphor. Full-bodied with silky tannins, low acidity, and terrific purity, this 1990 has hit its plateau of full maturity where it should remain for another decade." —Robert M. Parker, Jr.

Jancis Robinson

16 points

"Very dark crimson with a rust rim. Sweet, menthol nose. Dusty nose – fruit is fading but there are very firm tannins on the finish too. Not especially gracious but it has survived well. Thick, heavy."

More about Chateau Clinet

Ronan Laborde's Pomerol gem. Clinet spent years in obscurity before Jean-Louis Laborde acquired it in 1998. Today it ranks with Pétrus and Lafleur for sheer quality—proof that great terroir eventually rises no matter how long it sleeps.

Wine Details

  • Grape Variety

    Merlot

  • Vintage

    1990

  • Size

    750ml

  • Farming Practice

    Traditional

Flatiron's Take

From the Importer

What has to say about this wine:

Tasting Notes & Food Pairings

Perfect Pairings

An occasion bottle that wants quiet partners. Roast duck with figs, squab with truffle, a simple rare ribeye, aged hard cheeses, or just sip slowly with quiet attention and good company.

Tasting Profile

Medium to full-bodied and fully secondary, with dried plum, truffle, tobacco leaf, leather, cedar, and warm spice. Tannins fully resolved, the texture velvety, the finish long and contemplative. Mature Pomerol at its finest.

More wines from Chateau Clinet

View all