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2018 Château Pape-Clement

Not Currently In Auction

Latest Sale Price

May 19, 2024 - $98

Estimate

RATINGS

99Jeb Dunnuck

...stunning crème de cassis and blackberry fruits as well as kaleidoscope-like notes of graphite, scorched earth, smoke, violets, and spring flowers, it offers full-bodied richness yet stays light on its feet, graceful, and almost ethereal on the palate, with integrated acidity and building yet seamless tannins.

97James Suckling

Aromas of wild blackberries, blueberries, dried lavender, cloves and eucalyptus with gravel and cocoa butter. It’s full-bodied with firm, powdery tannins. Polished and creamy with a core of ripe fruit that evolves to herbs, spices and chocolate. Fantastic concentration and seamless integration.

96+ The Wine Advocate

...vibrant notes of crushed black cherries, stewed black plums and black raspberries, followed by suggestions of violets, star anise, cardamom and camphor with a waft of iron ore. The medium to full-bodied palate delivers exhilarating energy, offering crunchy black berry and exotic spice layers with a solid frame of ripe, grainy tannins and loads of freshness, finishing long and mineral tinged.

96Wine Spectator

...warm mocha note drapes elegantly over a prodigious core of steeped red and black currant and blackberry fruit while waves of black tea, anise, fruitcake and applewood fill in on the finish. Structure is serious and well-imbedded. Really well put together.

96Vinous / IWC

...beautiful and inviting wine. Silky, perfumed and layered... Red/purplish fruit, lavender, rose petal and spice are front and center, while the oak - in the past so strong here - is really dialed back.

95Wine Enthusiast

...firm in stature yet shot through with vitalizing acidity. Its structure and full-bodied density are memorable and powerful.

17Jancis Robinson

Darkest of black fruits, dark in oak spice too...inviting top note of red fruits that adds unexpected charm. Oaky char and sweetness on the palate, really generous in smooth dark fruit and smooth, firm tannins.

PRODUCER

Château Pape-Clement

Château Pape-Clement is a 74-acre estate in Pessac. It is a Grand Cru of the Graves classification. The château is named after Pope Clement V, the 14th-century French pope who caused a major upheaval in the Catholic church when he briefly moved the papacy to Avignon. After the French Revolution the estate was sold to private owners. The vineyards were destroyed in 1939 by a hailstorm. A local agricultural engineer, Paul Montaigne, bought it and restored the vineyards. Today it is owned and operated by Bernard Magrez, who is Montaigne’s heir. The vineyards are planted to 58% Cabernet Sauvignon and 42% Merlot. About 45,000 bottles are produced annually. The second wine is Clementin du Pape Clement. Robert M. Parker Jr. has called Pape-Clement “one of the quintessentially elegant, complex, and most distinctive wines of Bordeaux.”

REGION

France, Bordeaux, Graves, Pessac-Léognan

Pessac-Léognan was created in 1987 from the northern part of the left bank Graves appellation. Before then it was simply part of Graves, or sometimes it was called Haut-Graves. Unlike many other Bordeaux appellations, Pessac-Léognan is known for both red and dry white wines, although its reds are more famous. The appellation includes ten communes and the area’s most important châteaux, including Château Haut-Brion, the only non-Médoc estate included in the 1855 Bordeaux classification. There are 2,964 acres of vineyards in Pessac-Léognan and 16 classified growth estates. The main red grapes grown are Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot, along with a small amount of Cabernet Franc. White grapes grown are Sauvignon Blanc and Semillon, with a little Muscadelle. Pessac-Léognan is considered to have the best terroir of the greater Graves region.