Aromas of rich cherries, cassis, burning embers, violets and dark chocolate introduce the 2020 Pape Cl_ment, a medium to full-bodied, rich and fleshy wine that's ripe, layered and generously extracted but also a touch deeper and more reserved than the flashy 2019. While it would be an exaggeration to say that this estate's red wines are making much of a shift in the direction of restraint, the style is certainly less aspirational than it was a decade ago.
The 2019 Pape Clément has turned out well in bottle, delivering a rich bouquet of cherries, blackcurrants, plum liqueur and blackberries mingled with notions of burning embers, licorice and a nicely integrated framing of new oak. Full-bodied, deep and concentrated, it's a layered, fleshy wine, with a deep core of ripe but lively fruit, plenty of powdery tannin and a long, expansive, discreetly heady finish. This is a powerful, dramatic Pessac with a transatlantic accent and will drink well with only a few years' bottle age.
This 32.5-hectare estate is surrounded by the city of Bordeaux, not far from Haut-Brion. In the vineyards, farming is thoughtful, with Esca-infected vines counted and registered by tractor, and both horses and an electric tractor are employed to avoid compacting the soils―and to respect the neighboring dwellings. While the château isn't organic, the use of chemical products is kept to a minimum, and activity in the estate's beehives is monitored immediately after a treatment to verify that there hasn't been any adverse impact. Planted in red with roughly equal parts Merlot and Cabernet Sauvignon, and in white with roughly equal parts Sauvignon Blanc and Sémillon, Pape Clément produces some of Pessac-Léognan's richest, most dramatic wines, though recent years have seen a discreet turn toward a somewhat more restrained style, a shift especially obvious in the château's white wine: Merlot is picked a touch earlier than in the past; foudres and large-format oak barrels now supplement 225-liter barriques; and the percentage of new oak is more modest. The style remains, however, rather oaky and extracted―the aesthetic, in other words, of the early 2000s. With a talented technical team in place and a superb terroir that's beautifully maintained, I suspect that could easily change.
Offering up notes of crisp nectarine, lemongrass and white flowers, the 2020 Pape Cl?ment Blanc is medium to full-bodied, satiny and seamless, with bright acids, attractive purity of fruit and a long, aromatic finish. This is the most elegant white wine produced by this estate over the last decade, and it has turned out well in bottle.
The 2021 Pape Cl?ment Blanc shows the tension and cut that this vintage could bring to dry white Bordeaux. Exhibiting aromas of gooseberries, nectarine, confit citrus and pastry cream, it's medium to full-bodied, fleshy but incisive, with a textural attack and a bright, saline finish. It's a blend of 72% Sauvignon Blanc, only 22% S?millon, 5% Sauvignon Gris and 1% Muscadelle.
This 32.5-hectare estate is surrounded by the city of Bordeaux, not far from Haut-Brion. In the vineyards, farming is thoughtful, with Esca-infected vines counted and registered by tractor, and both horses and an electric tractor are employed to avoid compacting the soils―and to respect the neighboring dwellings. While the ch?teau isn't organic, the use of chemical products is kept to a minimum, and activity in the estate's beehives is monitored immediately after a treatment to verify that there hasn't been any adverse impact. Planted in red with roughly equal parts Merlot and Cabernet Sauvignon and in white with roughly equal parts Sauvignon Blanc and S?millon, Pape Cl?ment produces some of Pessac-L?ognan's richest, most dramatic wines, though recent years have seen a discreet turn toward a somewhat more restrained style, a shift especially obvious in the ch?teau's white wine: Merlot is picked a touch earlier than in the past; foudres and large-format oak barrels now supplement 225-liter barriques; and the percentage of new oak is more modest. While there's still room for evolution, these 2021s represent fine efforts in a challenging vintage.
