CHATEAU PAPE-CLEMENT Rouge Grand Cru Classe de Graves, Pessac-Leognan 2017 Bottle

Description

IN BRIEF
Chateau Pape Clément 2017 is a powerful, refined Graves that marries ripe dark fruit with savoury complexity and mineral precision. Deep ruby with a bright core and slight garnet rim, it opens with blackcurrant, blackberry and ripe plum lifted by violet and redcurrant, then cedar, graphite and pencil lead with olive tapenade and smoked meat on aeration. Medium plus with a broad satiny mid palate, fine grained tannins give backbone while bright acidity keeps the wine energetic; layers of soy reduction, clove and dark chocolate add depth, finishing long, saline and iron edged. Approachable now with decanting yet built for cellaring. Drink 2026 to 2040. Pair with roast lamb, beef Wellington or mushroom and truffle dishes. Critics: James Suckling 96 "Seamless"; Vinous 96 "Outrageously beautiful"; Wine Advocate 94 plus "Broody and earthy."

ABOUT THIS WINE
Chateau Pape Clement Rouge Grand Cru Classe de Graves 2017 is a powerful and refined Graves that marries ripe fruit intensity with the estate's signature savoury complexity and mineral precision. The colour is a deep ruby with a bright core and a slight garnet rim, indicating early development while retaining youthful vibrancy. The nose opens with concentrated blackcurrant, blackberry and ripe plum, lifted by floral violet and a subtle redcurrant thread; with aeration the bouquet deepens to reveal cedar, graphite and pencil lead, alongside savoury notes of olive tapenade, smoked meat and underbrush.

On the palate the wine displays a generous yet refined mid palate, with a broad, satiny texture supported by well structured, fine grained tannins that give backbone without harshness. Primary dark fruit of cassis and damson is complemented by layers of dried herb, soy reduction and cured meat, while discreet oak seasoning contributes clove, toasted spice and a faint dark chocolate note that adds depth. Bright acidity runs through the core, providing lift and keeping the wine energetic rather than heavy. A saline mineral seam and a cool iron note lengthen the finish and underscore the Graves terroir.

The 2017 vintage in Graves combined generally warm ripening conditions with cooler spells at key moments, producing wines with ripe, concentrated fruit and polished tannins while retaining clarity and tension. At Pape Clement this has yielded a wine that is expressive now yet built for medium term ageing. Meticulous viticulture and careful élevage have preserved varietal purity while integrating oak influence.

Approachable now with gentle decanting, the 2017 will reward medium term cellaring as tertiary notes of leather, truffle and forest floor emerge. Drink 2026 to 2040, peaking 2029 to 2036. Serve with roast lamb, beef Wellington, grilled ribeye, duck with rich pan sauce, braised short rib, mushroom and truffle dishes or a selection of mature hard cheeses to complement the wine’s structure, savoury depth and concentrated dark fruit.

JAMES SUCKLING 96 points
Beautiful spice, tobacco, wet earth and blackcurrants with some raspberries. Aromatic and complex. Full-bodied, refined and layered with wonderful length and power. Yet, there’s always class and pretty length here. Seamless. Drink after 2022.

VINOUS 96 points
Drinking window: 2025 - 2037
The 2017 Pape Clément is outrageously beautiful. Rich, deep and luscious on the palate, the 2017 possesses tremendous energy and richness from start to finish. Sweet red cherry, red plum, blood orange, spice and herb notes abound in an unctuous, racy wine of the highest level. The 2017 is deep, explosive and wonderfully persistent. It has been terrific on the three occasions I have tasted it so far.
Antonio Galloni. Tasting date: December 2019

THE WINE ADVOCATE 94+ points
Reviewed by: Lisa Perrotti-Brown
Drink Date: 2022 - 2048
Deep garnet-purple in color, the 2017 Pape Clement is composed of 55% Cabernet Sauvignon and 45% Merlot, with a nose that is slightly closed at this youthful stage—broody and earthy with baked plums, boysenberries and mulberries aromas plus touches of iron ore, tobacco, tapenade and charcuterie. The palate is medium-bodied and elegant with exquisitely ripe tannins, lovely energy and freshness and a long, mineral-laced finish.

WINE ENTHUSIAST 94 points
This solid, densely textured wine has fine tannins that match richness in the blackberry fruits. It is classically structured, suggesting an elegant, ripe and impressive future. Drink from 2023. — Roger Voss

DECANTER 93 points
Tasted by: Jane Anson (at UGC London, 21 Sep 2019) Part of Pessac-Léognan 2017: Top wines re-tasted in the bottle
Drinking Window: 2023 - 2038
Among the deepest in colour, as is often the case with Pape Clement. The fruit feels well defined with blasts of blueberry and raspberry. It feels carefully worked, with toasted oak notes giving sweetness and finesse. An impressive wine and one of the successes of the appellation in this vintage, that has settled in to itself over ageing.

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ABOUT CHATEAU PAPE-CLEMENT
Château Pape Clément is one of Graves most celebrated estates, with a history dating to the fourteenth century when Bertrand de Goth, later Pope Clement V, established vineyards on the site. The property occupies gravelly and clay rich soils near Pessac, a terroir prized for combining ripe fruit concentration with mineral clarity and aromatic finesse. Pape Clément has long been regarded for producing wines that marry power with elegance and for its role in defining the style of Pessac Léognan.

The estate has been owned since 1988 by Bernard Magrez, whose long term commitment has brought substantial investment in vineyard renewal, research and cellar technology. Under Magrez ownership the château has pursued rigorous vineyard mapping, replanting and clonal selection to express site diversity and to improve consistency across vintages. Management emphasises a balance between respect for historic identity and the application of modern viticultural science.

Vineyards extend across varied plots with a mix of gravel, sand and clay soils that influence ripening and structure. Plantings combine Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Cabernet Franc and Petit Verdot together with white varieties for the estate white wines. Vine age differs by parcel, and careful canopy work, yield control and selective hand harvesting are central to the viticultural approach. Measures to protect soil health and biodiversity have been progressively implemented to support long term vigour.

Winemaking is directed by an experienced estate team appointed within the Magrez group, led at technical level by the estate director and technical director who oversee parcel by parcel vinification. The cellar philosophy favours meticulous sorting, controlled fermentations and calibrated extraction to build structure while preserving aromatic precision. Ageing in French oak is managed with sensitivity to integrate tannin and to develop complexity without obscuring fruit purity.

In style Château Pape Clément wines typically show blackcurrant, plum, tobacco leaf, cedar and mineral notes with polished tannins and sustained length. Both red and white bottlings are noted for their clarity of expression and capacity to age gracefully, confirming Pape Clément as a benchmark estate of Graves.