The best wine that Guillaume Thinepont has produced to date at this small estate is the 2022 Guillot Clauzel, an attractive blend of 83% Merlot and 17% Cabernet Franc that exhibits aromas of blackberries, violets, iris and sweet soil tones. Medium to full-bodied, fleshy and polished, with supple tannins and a suave, seamless, perfumed profile, Thienpont's decision to reduce the amount of new oak used to only 30% makes for even greater purity and expressiveness.

Managed by Vieux Chateau Certan's Guillaume Thienpont since 2018, this 2.5-hectare Pomerol estate has delivered a fine performance with the 2021 Guillot Clauzel. Exhibiting aromas of rose petals, sweet spices, smoke, red cherries and berries, it's medium to full-bodied, supple and fleshy, with a good core of fruit, supple tannins and a penetrating finish. A blend of some 20% Cabernet Franc and 80% Merlot, it's one of the few remaining values in the universe of high-quality Pomerol.

A blend of 85% Merlot and 15% Cabernet Franc, the 2020 Guillot Clauzel has turned out beautifully. Wafting from the glass with aromas of dark cherries, plums and licorice, it's medium to full-bodied, elegantly layered and fleshy, with a vibrant core of fruit, polished tannins and a penetrating finish. As readers will remember, this 2.5-hectare estate has been managed by Vieux Chateau Certan's Guillaume Thienpont since 2018.

This wine is now being made by Guillaume Thienpont, from Vieux Chateau Certan. The blend this year is 85% Merlot and 15% Cabernet Franc, harvested between the 23rd of September and 4th of October. The alcohol came in at 14.4% and the pH is 3.7. It is being aged in French oak barrels, 50% new. Deep garnet-purple colored, the 2019 Guillot Clauzel bursts from the glass with flamboyant notes of plum preserves, baked black cherries and mulberries with hints of dark chocolate, licorice and black peppercorns plus a waft of smoked meats. Medium to full-bodied, the palate delivers open-knit, black fruit flavors with plush tannins and compelling freshness, finishing long and juicy. Clearly, this is a property on an upward trend and one to watch!

The 2018 Guillot Clauzel is a blend of 75% Merlot and 25% Cabernet Franc with a pH of 3.65 and 14.4% alcohol. Deep garnet-purple colored, it comes bounding out of the glass with expressive red and black berry preserves, Black Forest cake and garrigue with hints of tobacco, fragrant soil, cloves and star anise. Medium to full-bodied, the palate is beautifully structured with ripe, fine-grained tannins and seamless freshness lifting the dense, earthy layers to a long, refreshing finish. Nicely done!