CHATEAU PAPE-CLEMENT Rouge Grand Cru Classe de Graves, Pessac-Leognan 2022 Bottle

Description

Château Pape Clément, a distinguished Cru Classé in Graves with a rich history dating back to 1300, has become a beacon of quality under Léo Montagne’s stewardship. The 2022 vintage showcases this legacy, earning an impressive 97-98 points from James Suckling for its structure and powerful tannins, highlighted by aromas of flowers and crushed stones. Decanter awarded it 95 points, praising its focused charm, with plump, fleshy black fruit and cool blue fruit nuances, complemented by well-integrated oak and spice. Vinous also rated it 95 points, noting its floral bouquet and balanced palate with saturated tannins. The Wine Advocate recognized it with 92-94 points, celebrating its rich, layered core and lavish oak finish. This exceptional wine promises an impressive drinking experience from 2025 to 2045.

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Château Pape Clément is a Cru Classé Graves property that has one of the oldest documented histories of any Bordeaux vineyard, having been planted in 1300 by Bernard de Groth, the future Pope Clément V. In 1939 the estate was bought by the Montagne family and is now owned and run by Léo Montagne.

Pape Clément is located in the Bordeaux suburb of Pessac and consists of a chai and 32 hectares of vineyards, planted with Cabernet Sauvignon (60%), Merlot (40%) and small amounts of Sauvignon Blanc, Sémillon and Muscadelle.

The quality of the wines at Pape Clément slipped in the 1960s and 70s, largely because of under-investment. Bernard Magrez was appointed as general manager in 1985 and he turned Pape Clément's fortunes around. He introduced more rigorous selection in the vineyards, as well as installing stainless steel vats and raising the percentage of new oak casks used in the maturation process.

JAMES SUCKLING 97-98 Points
14 Apr, 2023 – This is a very structured 2022 with powerful tannins that run the length of the wine. Yet it’s perfumed and fresh with flowers and subtle undertones of stone. Pure. It’s full but not heavy with backbone and structure. Lots of crushed stone and currants. One of the most transparent you Pape’s I have tasted. 60% merlot and 40% cabernet sauvignon.

DECANTER 95 points
Drinking Window: 2025 - 2045 - Focussed and charming, good weight and depth, the tannins come into play almost straight away coating the mouth in fine but plump, fleshy black fruit with cool blue fruit touches and high acidity giving a different, lighter nuance. Well made, with good definition. Not as lively as some, but has supreme complexity and shine, everything feels well worked with touches of oak, liquorice spice and clove that dot the palate. Strong and serious but confident and controlled. A thoroughbred. Tightly knitted but still showing glamour. Harvest 7-27 September. Bee friendly, HVE3 certified. Celebrating 770 vintages in 2022. Michel Rolland and Julien Viaud consultants.

VINOUS 95 points
The 2022 Pape Clément was impressive from barrel. Now that the wine is in bottle, it has evolved a very floral bouquet (strangely, there is a scent that reminds me of walking into the hotel reception of the Mandarin Oriental in Hong Kong, and I don't mean that necessarily in a negative way). Hints of musk, potpourri and bergamot filter through with aeration. The palate is very well balanced with saturated tannins. Mainly black-fruited, it is judiciously spiced and a little chewy toward the finish, where it just needs a little more precision and nervosité. Still, this is a very fine Pape Clément, one that deserves several years in bottle. - Neal Martin

JANCIS ROBINSON 17.5 points
Deep crimson. Fragrant black fruit. Lead pencil rather than leafy and rich in cassis. Nicely dry texture, firm tannins harmoniously woven with the fruit. Chewy, long, rather majestic. (JH)

THE WINE ADVOCATE (92 - 94) points
Revealing aromas of blueberries, cassis, spring flowers and toasty new oak, the 2022 Pape Clément is full-bodied, broad and textural, with a rich, layered core of super-ripe fruit framed by liberally extracted tannins that assert themselves on the firm, lavishly oaky finish. This is a flamboyant, unabashedly modern-styled Pape Clément that will need several years in the cellar to blossom. It's a blend of 60% Merlot and 40% Cabernet Sauvignon.