Chateau Pape Clement Pessac-Leognan Cru Classe Rouge 2022 i trækasse

Bettane et Desseauve

The Wine Cellar Insider - Jeff Leve

Dark, almost opaque in color, the wine grabs your attention with its showy display of flowers, cinnamon, chocolate, spice, tobacco, blackberries, and black cherries in the perfume. On the palate, the wine is rich, lush, sweet, deep, and intense. There is a wealth of flavor in the black cherries, white pepper, dark chocolate, and espresso on the palate. The endnote sticks for almost 50 seconds, delivering a peppery, orange rind, refreshing note in the finish. The wine blends 60% Merlot and 40% Cabernet Sauvignon. 14% ABV, 3.6 pH. The harvest took place September 7 - September 28. Yields were 35 hectoliters per hectare. Drink from 2026-2055.

Terre de Vins

Decanter

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. Bee friendly, HVE3 certified. Celebrating 770 vintages in 2022. Michel Rolland and Julien Viaud consultants.

Jane Anson

If you had to pick one wine that would not be afraid of the excess of the vintage, it would be Pape Clement, and certainly here they have leaned into it without being overpowered. Plenty of citrus, lemon curd, white peach and sage. Structured also, with great balance within the estate signature, helped by an attractive bitter edge on the finish. Tasted twice.

Alexandre Ma

In recent years, Château Pape Clément has consistently demonstrated remarkable stability, captivating one's senses with its innate richness and maturity, as if embracing warm sunlight. While maintaining its classic style, the 2022 vintage of Château Pape Clément seamlessly incorporates a succulent mouthfeel and striking freshness. As the aromas of dried plum, licorice apricot, and aged tangerine peel become more pronounced, the abundant oak barrel toasting notes seem to be softer, promising to develop a truffle note just after a short period of aging. I believe the vintage of 2022 has the potential to rival the heights of Château Pape Clément 2016.

Antonio Galloni

The 2022 Pape Clement is shaping up to be a gem. Deep, pliant and layered in the glass, the 2022 possesses notable energy and vibrancy to play off its core of rich, sumptuous fruit. Soft, plush contours wrap it all together. Time in the glass brings out notable energy, especially as the mid-palate opens into the gorgeous, palate-staining finish. The 2022 is unusual in that it is 60% Merlot, rather than the more typical blend of equal parts Merlot and Cabernet Sauvignon. Tasted three times.

James Suckling

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.

Jeb Dunnuck

A full-bodied, concentrated, awesome Pessac, the 2022 Château Pape Clément offers up loads of spiced red and black fruits, some leafy tobacco, gravelly earth, and graphite aromatics, building, ripe, polished tannins, and a stacked mid-palate. Beautifully done, with remarkable purity and a great finish, it's going to rank with the crème de la crème of the vintage and is well worth seeking out.

Andrew Caillard MW

Deep crimson. Attractive dark chocolate/ mocha, blackcurrant aromas and flavours, fine chocolaty dense tannins, lovely mid palate richness/ volume and underlying marzipan/ hint vanilla notes. Finishes chocolaty and long. A very impressive core of fruit with suppleness and mineral length. Should develop very well. (Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Cabernet Franc, Petit Verdot. Aroudn 70% new oak)

Wine Maniacs

The Wine Independent

The 2022 Pape Clement is composed of 60% Merlot and 40% Cabernet Sauvignon. Deep garnet-purple in color, it is a little subdued to begin, soon unfurling to offer evocative notes of baked blackberries, boysenberry preserves, and plum pudding, followed by wafts of cassis, violets, cedar chest, and cumin seed. The full-bodied palate is rich and impactful, delivering layers of bright black cherries and baking spices with a lively backbone and fine-grained tannins, finishing long and energetic.

Bettane & Desseauve