Chateau Pape Clement Pessac-Léognan Grand Cru Classé 2018

Jeb Dunnuck

Coming from 66% Cabernet Sauvignon, 30% Merlot, and the rest Cabernet Franc brought up in 60% new French oak, the 2018 Château Pape Clement from Bernard Magrez is a gorgeous wine that's performing even better from bottle than barrel, which is always a good sign. Deep ruby/purple, with stunning crème de cassis and blackberry fruits as well as kaleidoscope-like notes of graphite, scorched earth, smoke, violets, and spring flowers, it offers full-bodied richness yet stays light on its feet, graceful, and almost ethereal on the palate, with integrated acidity and building yet seamless tannins. The Cabernet Sauvignon really sings at this point, and there's almost a Médoc-like regalness here. Reminding me of a slightly more elegant 2005 (it also has similarities to the 2016), it will benefit from 4-6 years in the cellar and keep for 30+ years.

James Suckling

Aromas of wild blackberries, blueberries, dried lavender, cloves and eucalyptus with gravel and cocoa butter. It’s full-bodied with firm, powdery tannins. Polished and creamy with a core of ripe fruit that evolves to herbs, spices and chocolate. Fantastic concentration and seamless integration.

Jeff Leve, The Wine Cellar Insider

Deep in color, the wine is filled with smoke, licorice, tobacco, dark red fruits and cedar. Rich, full and with depth of flavor, the lush, round, ripe, sweet fruits hit the right notes you're looking for. Give it a decade before popping a cork and enjoy it over the next 20-25 years with ease. The wine was made from blending 66% Cabernet Sauvignon, 30% Merlot and 4% Cabernet Franc.

Tastingbook.com

Robert Parker

The 2018 Pape Clement is a blend of 66% Cabernet Sauvignon, 30% Merlot and 4% Cabernet Franc, aged for approximately 18 months in oak barriques, 60% new. Medium to deep garnet-purple colored, it rolls out of the glass with vibrant notes of crushed black cherries, stewed black plums and black raspberries, followed by suggestions of violets, star anise, cardamom and camphor with a waft of iron ore. The medium to full-bodied palate delivers exhilarating energy, offering crunchy black berry and exotic spice layers with a solid frame of ripe, grainy tannins and loads of freshness, finishing long and mineral tinged.

Wine Enthusiast

An oasis of green, this grand estate within the Bordeaux suburbs has produced a powerful, massively textured wine. It also has the fruit richness to partner the structure along with a fresher streak of acidity.

Vinous

“The 2018 Pape Clément is such a beautiful and inviting wine. Silky, perfumed and layered, the 2018 shows the more restrained, vibrant style that has become the norm here in recent years. Red/purplish fruit, lavender, rose petal and spice are front and center, while the oak - in the past so strong here - is really dialed back. The 2018 is going to be a fascinating wine to follow in the cellar over the next several decades. The purity of the flavors is just striking.”

Wine Spectator

A warm mocha note drapes elegantly over a prodigious core of steeped red and black currant and blackberry fruit while waves of black tea, anise, fruitcake and applewood fill in on the finish. Structure is serious and well-imbedded. Really well put together. Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot and Cabernet Franc.

Vert de Vin Magazine

The nose is fruity, racy and offers power, a very fine grain as well as complexity. It reveals notes of fleshy boysenberry, fleshy strawberry and small notes of fleshy cassis associated with fine touches of violet, iris, purple plum, blackberry, very discreet hints of liquorice stick / licorice menthol, vanilla as well as an imperceptible hint of blond tobacco and toast. The palate is fruity, well-balanced, silky, melodious and offers a beautiful definition, a very beautiful finesse of the grain, power, a beautiful mineral frame as well as a good a finesse of the suavity. On the palate this wine expresses notes of blackberry of Boysen, fleshy cassis and small notes of strawberry associated with small touches of flowers, licorice, chocolate, toasted as well as very slight hints of hazelnut, chocolate and a hint of vanilla (in the background). Tannins are fine and elegant. A very fine chew on the finish (pleasant and brings gourmandise). Beautiful length and very beautiful persistence. There is an imperceptible hint of toasted bread / toasted almond on the persistence.

Jean-Marc Quarin

VV Wine

Very complex nose, incredibly deep, the roasted notes are subtle, lots of dark cherry fruit, tea, leather. The palate is very well structured, shows strength and pressure, while remaining elegant, juicy, with lots of tannins and a fine acid structure. Long and red fruity finish. Confirms the good impression from En Primeur and should be fun sooner than expected.

Antonio Galloni

The 2018 Pape Clément is such a beautiful and inviting wine. Silky, perfumed and layered, the 2018 shows the more restrained, vibrant style that has become the norm here in recent years. Red/purplish fruit, lavender, rose petal and spice are front and center, while the oak - in the past so strong here - is really dialed back. The 2018 is going to be a fascinating wine to follow in the cellar over the next several decades. The purity of the flavors is just striking.

Bettane & Desseauve