Pape Clement Rouge 2016 (750ML)

98 JS / 97 JD / 97 JA / 96 WA / 96 VM / 96 WS / 96 DE / 95 WCI / 95 WE / 17.5 JR

#85 James Suckling's Top 100 Wines of 2019

Stunning concentration of perfectly ripe blackcurrants here with a delicate whiff of vanilla oak and extremely fine tannins that are almost perfectly integrated on the seductive and delicate palate, right through the almost literally breathtaking, super-long and very polished finish. Try from 2022. - James Suckling 

Tasted on two separate occasions, the 2016 Château Pape Clément never failed to impress, offering a huge, powerful, full-bodied personality as well as beautiful notes of cassis, graphite, high-class cigar tobacco, asphalt, and graphite. About as sexy as it gets in the vintage, with silky tannins and loads of fruit, it’s perfectly balanced and has a great finish. The 2016 is a blend of 60% Merlot, 36% Cabernet Sauvignon, and the balance Petit Verdot and Cabernet Franc, all raised in 60% new barrels. - Jeb Dunnuck

Deep plum colour, beautifully rich with violet nuances. Just love this, combining silky texture, great balance, tension and poise, with cocoa bean, slate, liqourice, cassis and bilberry fruits. Has an effortless mix of concentration and lightness of touch. Harvest September 30 to October 19, Michel Rolland consultant. Feels the most signature Pessac Léognan of the lineup to date, with so much life ahead.-Jane Anson, Inside Bordeaux

Blended of 60% Merlot, 36% Cabernet Sauvignon, 3% Petit Verdot and 1% Cabernet Franc, the 2016 Pape Clement has a deep garnet-purple color and quite a serious, earthy nose with truffles, tilled soil, underbrush and smoked meats over a cassis, baked plums and redcurrants core plus a touch of lavender. Medium to full-bodied, firm and grainy, the palate is built like a brick house, supporting muscular black fruit and earthy notions and finishing very long and mineral laced. - Lisa Perrotti-Brown, Wine Advocate

The 2016 Pape Clément bursts out of the glass, offering ripe blackberry, raspberry coulis, fresh mint and hints of licorice on the well-defined nose. It is perhaps a little more opulent than its peers, but unlike in the past, I don’t find it excessive. The palate is well balanced with supple tannin. There is a killer line of acidity and real panache toward a velvety, almost Pauillac-like finish armed with shimmering black fruit laced with graphite. Superb. - Neal Martin, Vinous Media

This takes a slightly different tack than many of its Pessac colleagues, relying less on bramble and tar and more on alluring toast, with mocha, anise, wood spice and black tea notes draped liberally over the core of sappy kirsch and cherry preserve flavors. Plush and suave through the finish, though this needs a bit of time for the wood elements to be fully integrated with the fruit. For fans of the flashier, cashmere-textured style. Best from 2023 through 2037. 12,500 cases made. - James Molesworth, Wine Spectator