Château Pape Clément Pessac-Léognan rouge 2020 - Grand Cru Classé

Bettane & Desseauve

About the estate:

Its name alone is enough to describe the status this estate has enjoyed for thirty years. Everything here borders on perfection: the whites and reds are elegant and sophisticated.

Robert Parker - Wine Advocate

About the estate:

RVF - La Revue du Vin de France / Guide des Meilleurs Vins de France

About the estate:

Bernard Magrez, who also owns the La Tour Carnet (Haut-Médoc) and Fombrauge (Saint-Émilion) châteaux, has made this property his flagship. Nothing is left to chance in the quest to produce the finest wine possible. The search for optimal ripeness, hand-picking, luxurious aging... This is the archetype of the great modern luxury Bordeaux, which seduces immediately and evolves with great charm. On the flip side, some vintages have sometimes been excessive. Time then puts things back in place and calms the wine's ardor, as the terroir eventually takes over. However, since the 2012 vintage, there has been a noticeable change in style, moving towards wines that are less marked by the sometimes excessive pursuit of maturity and towards less assertive aging, which is clearly evident in our latest tastings, particularly with the 2015 vintage. The estate produces a small quantity of a delicately musky white wine (partly aged in ovoid concrete vats), whose elegance places it at the top of the Sauvignon-dominated Graves wines.

Vinous

About wine:

Pape Clément 2020 is outrageously beautiful. Dark, virile, and imposing, the 2020 is a rare vintage of Pape Clément that is vertical and sculptural. Black fruits, chocolate, new leather, licorice, and cloves infuse the palate with exceptional depth. In a word: magnificent. 2030-2050

James Suckling

About wine:

Lots of blackberry, iodine, and crushed stone. A little black pepper and graphite as well. Full-bodied with medium, fine tannins that have a powdery texture and open up in the mouth. There's so much going on. Hints of iodine and iron with a touch of raw mushroom bring you back to reality. Muscular. This wine is meant to be cellared. Drink after 2027.

Jeb Dunnuck

About wine:

I loved the Château Pape Clément 2020, and this beauty ranks among the best wines of Pessac. With equal proportions of Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot, aged for 18 months in 90% barrels and 10% casks, it has a deep purple color accompanied by a powerful and concentrated profile of red and black fruits, numerous nuances of spices, chocolate, and floral incense, a full-bodied richness, and an almost salty and bloody character on the finish. This beauty showcases the concentrated, yet thoroughly classic, concentrated, and elegant style of the vintage, and there is so much to love. It will be even better with 4 to 6 years of bottle aging and will celebrate its 30th birthday in top form. 2027-2057

Terre de Vins

About wine:

The monument is still there, impressive. Expressive nose of raspberry and already licorice, which we find on the palate with its characteristic chewiness. But the juiciness and freshness are also very present and do not fail to seduce. The tannins are well defined and, clearly, the extraction is just right, demonstrating great skill. A wine with amplitude and volume, ending with a well-balanced liquorice finish that runs through it like a thread. True to the house style, and that's a good thing. Once again, Pape Clément is a force to be reckoned with.

Yves Beck

About wine:

We are becoming accustomed to the refined and subtle character of Pape Clément, which is more relevant than the exuberance we have seen in the past. Like the bouquet, the attack shines with finesse and silkiness. The tannins are perfectly integrated, creamy, powerful, and ready to carry the wine through the decades to come. A brilliant wine, impressive in its precision, serenity, and persistence. 2027-2050

The Wine Cellar Insider - Jeff Leve

About wine:

Deep and almost opaque in color, the wine exudes aromas of smoke, roasted espresso, cigar wrapper, blackberry, black cherry, licorice, and chocolate. It displays fabulous depth, purity, length, and complexity. The richly textured finish is fleshy, powerful, intense, and polished, with a final note that lingers long after the wine has left the glass. This is Pape Clément's best vintage in years. Drink between 2026 and 2055.