Château Pape Clément 2020

Very promising, particularly fruity aromatics; rich in extract, yet built entirely on berry fruit, with first-class tannins and distinctive freshness, depth, and breed. Superb.

This is snazzed up with flashy toast, but there's ample mulberry, cassis and plum compote fruit to soak it up, while notes of licorice and sweet spice fill in the background. A late tug of warm earth keeps this grounded. Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot. Best from 2028 through 2038.

Tannic heft from the get-go, though this does have a lovely fresh, clean and precise core with a narrow, focused frame, so the elements come across as quite tight and severe right now but well worked. It has class, no doubt, on the high-toned scale, potent and upfront, but there’s gorgeous detail and precision to the fruit, acidity and tannins. Slick and classy with lots of glamour that plays to the strengths of the vintage.

Lots of blackberry, iodine and crushed stone here. Some black pepper and graphite, too. Full body and medium, fine tannins that have a powdery texture and open in the mouth. So much going on. Iodine and iron undertones with some raw mushroom bring you back for more. Muscular. This is for the cellar. Drink after 2027.

With a deep hue that is close to opaque, the wine exudes smoke, roasted espresso, cigar wrappers, blackberries, black cherries, licorice and chocolate. There is fabulous depth, purity, length and complexity here. The richly textured finish is fleshy, powerful, intense and polished, with an endnote that keeps on going long after the wine has left the glass. This is the finest vintage of Pape Clement in years. Drink from 2026-2055.

Deep dark ruby with purple reflections, a dark core, and subtly lighter at the rim. Subtle touches of oak, dark berries, ripe cherry, a touch of plum, and nougat in the background. Complex, ripe cherry, dark chocolate, high tannins and a certain minerality. The wine is a bit brittle and closed at the moment, but shows length and definite ageing potential; still a bit underdeveloped.

Pure and aromatic nose with bay leaf and sage blending red and dark fruit. The palate shows its usual concentration and depth with fine layers, refined tannin, a good dose of freshness underneath and a brilliantly long finish.

Intensely black-berried bouquet, nougat pralines, exotic woods, cassis liqueur and Dominican tobacco. On the ample palate, a silky texture, fine-grained extract depth, supporting nerve, a tight-knit tannic framework and a body sheathed in dense muscle. In the concentrated finish, wild cherry, profound terroir spice and a long aftertaste. An “elegant” Pape that I liked immensely not only during the en primeur tastings. Drinking window pushed back!

Kunz barrel sample 2021: (50% Cabernet Sauvignon, 50% Merlot) A silky, dense, complex, deep, mineral bouquet: prunes, fine woods, tobacco, currants, flint, slate, dark chocolate. Dense, multi-layered, elegant, powerful palate with concentrated dark fruit, plenty of fine tannins, a dense, finely muscled, velvety structure, powerful, varied, dark aromatics, and a very long, dense, dark finish with plenty of lingering retro-olfactory notes.

(50% Cabernet Sauvignon, 50% Merlot) Velvety, dense, complex, deep, mineral bouquet with notes of prunes, fine woods, tobacco, currants, flint, slate and dark chocolate. Dense, multilayered, elegant, powerful palate with concentrated, dark, intense fruit, plenty of fine tannins, a dense, finely muscular, velvety structure, powerful, varied, dark aromatics, and a very long, dense, dark finish with lots of lingering flavors. 19/20 2028 - 2050

Muscular tannins that have grip and staying power, exuberant while staying on the right side of the line, giving punch and definition without drowning the fruit. Cassis, liquorice, slate, pencil, crushed rocks, very much on style for Pape Clement and an excellent wine with staying power. Harvest started September 10. Heavy bottle. 60% new oak.

Deep garnet-purple in color, the 2020 Pape Clement is composed of 50% Cabernet Sauvignon, 47% Merlot, 2% Petit Verdot, and 1% Cabernet Franc. It is wearing quite a lot of oak on the nose at this stage, giving way to a powerful core of baked plums and blackcurrant cordial notes, plus wafts of Indian spices and crushed rocks. The medium to full-bodied palate is laden with lively black fruits and a firm, grainy texture, finishing long and earthy.

The nose combines the freshness of red fruits with the intensity of ripe black fruits, all enhanced by lovely spices and delicate flower petals, and seems to dance in the glass. The palate is structured, finely oaked, silky and indulgent, with all the opulence one would expect from a Pape Clément, monumental, with perfect harmony.

We’re getting used to the fine, subtle character of Pape Clément, and it’s decidedly more relevant than the exuberance we’ve seen in the past. Mirroring the bouquet, the attack shines with finesse and a silky touch. The tannins are perfectly integrated, creamy, powerful, and ready to carry the wine through the decades to come. A brilliant wine, remarkable for its precision, serenity, and persistence.

The monument is still there, impressive. Expressive nose of raspberry and already licorice, which reappears on the palate with that characteristic chew. But the juicy side and the freshness are very much present and equally seductive. The tannins are well defined and, clearly, the extraction is spot on, showcasing great mastery. A wine with breadth and volume, finishing on a well-judged licorice note that runs like a common thread. True to the house style, and all the better for it. Once again, you have to reckon with Pape Clément.

94–96. Barrel Sample. This ancient estate, an oasis in the suburbs of Bordeaux city, offers a wine that is packed with promising tannins. The important and rich black fruits reveal concentration, density and the potential of the development of a fine balance and structure as it matures.