| Producer | Chateau Pape Clement |
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| Country | France |
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| Region | Bordeaux |
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| Subregion | Pessac Leognan |
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| Varietal | Red Blend |
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| Vintage | 2018 |
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| Sku | 210000027383 |
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| Size | 750ml |
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4
Coming from 66% Cabernet Sauvignon, 30% Merlot, and the rest Cabernet Franc brought up in 60% new French oak, the 2018 Château Pape Clement from Bernard Magrez is a gorgeous wine that's performing even better from bottle than barrel, which is always a good sign. Deep ruby/purple, with 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. The Cabernet Sauvignon really sings at this point, and there's almost a Médoc-like regalness here. Reminding me of a slightly more elegant 2005 (it also has similarities to the 2016), it will benefit from 4-6 years in the cellar and keep for 30+ years.
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. Try from 2024.
The 2018 Pape Clement is a blend of 66% Cabernet Sauvignon, 30% Merlot and 4% Cabernet Franc, aged for approximately 18 months in oak barriques, 60% new. Medium to deep garnet-purple colored, it rolls out of the glass with 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. Still very primary, it will need a good 5 years in bottle to deliver that next-level experience and will drink over the next 30+ years.
The 2018 Pape-Clément has a very intense nose of blackberry, briar, cedar and crushed flowers. That showiness that I commented upon in barrel has ebbed away to reveal a most sophisticated nascent wine. The palate is medium-bodied with supple tannins, layers of graphite-infused black fruit and a keen thread of acidity. An attractive touch of pitted black olive toward the saline finish leaves you wanting more. This deserves a decade in bottle, but it is a classy Pape-Clément that should age well over the next 30–40 years. Very promising.
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