Château Pape Clement, Pessac-Léognan, Bordeaux, 2016

Overview of the Wine
Chateau Pape Clément owes its name to its most illustrious owner. A man of the cloth born in 1264, Bertrand de Goth became Bishop of Comminges, in the Pyrenees Mountains, at the age of 31; he later became Archbishop of Bordeaux in 1299.

He then received as a gift the property in Pessac, the Vineyard de La Mothe. Taken by a passion for the vine, he continually took part personally in equipping, organizing and managing the domain in accordance with the most modern and rational practices. Nevertheless, on 5 June 1305 the cardinals met in a conclave in Pérouse and appointed him to succeed Pope Benedict XI, who had passed away prematurely after only eleven months of reign. Bertrand de Goth took the name of Clement V.

Supported by Philip IV, it was he who decided in 1309 to move the papal court to Avignon, thus breaking with Rome and its battles of influence. During this same period, the weight of his responsibilities led him to relinquish his property, giving it to the Archbishop of Bordeaux. Henceforward, the vineyard was to be known to posterity under the name of this enlightened pope.

8 June 1937 was a dark day in the vineyard's history, when a violent hailstorm destroyed virtually the entirety of the estate. Two years later, Paul Montagne bought it and gradually brought it back to life. Thanks to his efforts, the vineyard returned to its former rank and stood up to the surge in urbanization. His descendents, Léo Montagne and Bernard Magrez, perpetuate this secular tradition so that Chateau Pape Clément wines continue to delight the wine-lovers of today and tomorrow.

Winemakers
Léo Montagne and Bernard Magrez

Grape / Blend
60% Merlot, 36% Cabernet Sauvignon, 3% Petit Verdot, and 1% Cabernet Franc

Origin
Paussac-Léognan, Bordeaux, France

Winemaker's Tasting Notes
The wine is a ruby ​​red color of good density, with brown, mahogany, and tile-red highlights. It retains its brilliance and clarity. The disk is quite thick. The tears are fine and well-marked, abundant, and regular. The nose appears expressive, frank, and complex. We note all sorts of fragrance families: fruit, floral, and spicy.

The attack is frank, round and smooth, even caressing. Intense aromas initially recall the complex sensations perceived on the nose. There is a scent of leather and lightly burnt wood, notes of roasting. The beauty of the vintage reveals elegance, more than volume. The wine displays a beautiful aromatic amplitude. As for the finish, it is remarkably elegant.

98 Points - James Suckling
Stunning concentration of perfectly ripe blackcurrants here with a delicate whiff of vanilla oak and extremely fine tannins that are almost perfectly integrated on the seductive and delicate palate, right through the almost literally breathtaking, super-long and very polished finish. Try from 2022.

97 Points - Jeb Dunnuck
Tasted on two separate occasions, the 2016 Château Pape Clément never failed to impress, offering a huge, powerful, full-bodied personality as well as beautiful notes of cassis, graphite, high-class cigar tobacco, asphalt, and graphite. About as sexy as it gets in the vintage, with silky tannins and loads of fruit, it’s perfectly balanced and has a great finish. The 2016 is a blend of 60% Merlot, 36% Cabernet Sauvignon, and the balance Petit Verdot and Cabernet Franc, all raised in 60% new barrels.

96 Points - Wine Advocate
Blended of 60% Merlot, 36% Cabernet Sauvignon, 3% Petit Verdot and 1% Cabernet Franc, the 2016 Pape Clement has a deep garnet-purple color and quite a serious, earthy nose with truffles, tilled soil, underbrush and smoked meats over a cassis, baked plums and redcurrants core plus a touch of lavender. Medium to full-bodied, firm and grainy, the palate is built like a brick house, supporting muscular black fruit and earthy notions and finishing very long and mineral laced.

96 Points - Wine Independent
The 2016 Pape Clement has a deep garnet color. It features scents of vibrant baked plums and crème de cassis, with suggestions of garrigue, charcoal, forest floor, and violets. Medium to full-bodied, the palate is laden with juicy black fruits, supported by velvety tannins and seamless freshness, finishing long and spicy.

95 Points - Wine Enthusiast 
This rich, warm wine offers tannins cushioned within layers of black fruits. It is dense with structure and fruit while also having the freshness and acidity typical of this vintage. The wine will age for several years, becoming richer and more opulent. Drink from 2025. Roger Voss

95 Points - Vinous
The 2016 Pape Clement has a more understated but quite compelling bouquet of blackberry, wild strawberry, crushed stone and orange pith aromas. With aeration, it reveals impressive delineation. The medium-bodied palate offers supple tannins. There is a core of licorice-tinged black fruit, but I detect just a soupcon of greenness in the finish, as if one lot did not quite achieve phenolic maturity. Hopefully that will be assimilated with bottle age. Tasted blind at the annual Southwold tasting.

94 Points - Falstaff
Dark ruby ​​garnet, opaque core, subtle lightening of the edges, delicate notes of precious wood and vanilla, underpinned by black berry fruit, and a mineral touch. Full-bodied, juicy cherries, very elegant and balanced, supporting fine tannins, pleasant freshness, good length, and assured aging potential.

Product size: 750ml