2020 Château Pape Clement Rouge Grand Cru Classé de Graves

With its 2019 vintage, the Château Pape Clement Rouge Grand Cru Classé de Graves has put a very nice wine on the map and is now up against the Premier Crus in terms of level (fortunately not yet in terms of price, but this will certainly happen). This flagship of Mr. Bernard Magrez is completely de-stemmed by hand, berry by berry, and only the berries with an intact skin end up in the wine. A gigantic cost of personnel (more than 20 men for the stripping), but with an extraordinary result.

The Pape Clement Rouge is a blend of 50% Cabernet Sauvignon & 50% Merloten and has matured for 18 months on oak barriques, 60% of which are new and other 2nd year oaks. In the glass, the Pape Clement has a deep garnet red color with a purple tinge. The Pape Clement needs some oxygen but then slowly unfolds with notes of fragrant earth, crushed rock, iron ore and tobacco, which then turns into red and black currants, cherry, rose and black tea. Full and wonderfully lively, it is medium to full bodied with firm and fine-grained tannins and an amazing freshness, very long (mineral) finish.

With its smoky and spicy bouquet, the red Pape cement is of an admirable quality and a very characteristic softness. The wine is both concentrated, fine and harmonious, with an aromatic palette as broad as it is precise. The depth and length in the mouth are exceptional. The quality of the terroir, persistent efforts and dynamism have paid off, bringing Pape Clément to a level very close to that of the premiers crus. The recent assessment of the international wine press also confirms this

96-98/100 Parker
98/100James Suckling
96-98/100 Vinous