Château Climens 2000

The proprietors are extremely happy with what they were able to produce in 2000. Even though this vintage has a poor reputation, producers who only included the early-picked grapes in their final blends have often turned out nearly exceptional wines. Yields for the 2000 Climens were microscopic (four hectoliters per hectare) and the wine, although somewhat monolithic (I tasted it right after bottling), exhibits honeyed citrus, pineapple, and hints of pears, butter, and honeysuckle. Medium-bodied and elegant, with superb purity (a hallmark of this great estate), it should be at its finest between 2007-2020.

TA 3.6 g/l (sulphuric), RS 103.4 g/l. Harvest cut short by rain so yields were tiny (4 hl/ha). Mid gold. Rich, lightly spicy candied pineapple and melon. Intensely fruited on the nose and on the palate. Currently less complex than the 2001. Very sweet-tasting without the refreshing bitterness and zest to complement it but there's still the fruit acidity to finish fresh. (JH)

01: Relatively pale; transparent with clearly greenish reflections. Open, slightly flat bouquet; mint, cold verbena tea – the sweetness doesn’t really come through and there’s no botrytis either – gummy contours and, despite a good Châteaune name, not very appealing. On the palate, slender; Alka-Seltzer, sharp acidity, grassy notes and a medicinal finish. A bitter disappointment like so many 2000s. Hands off! 15/20 drink – 2025

A fairly golden color for this cru at this stage, mandarin notes on the nose, full-bodied, not yet completely integrated (still a touch of bitterness), not as tight as the other vintages of the new millennium, but very flavorful.

Thanks to a rigorous selection, Bérénice Lurton has crafted a sculpted Climens with a superb sugar/acid balance. On the palate, the balance is refined, delicate and easy to drink, with the purity of great vintages. A superb bottle.

A fruity wine with a caressing, pleasant palate, clean flavors, and medium body and length.