Château Climens 1996

Characteristics and tasting tips for Château Climens 1996

Tasting

Colour
This wine reveals a magnificent burnished orange-gold hue, delicately verging on amber, a true visual signature of its long and noble evolution.

Nose
The bouquet shows remarkable purity and delicacy. It exudes intense aromas of candied citrus, burnt orange and dried lemon, intertwined with fruity notes of apricot, greengage and pineapple. With aeration, complex hints of beeswax polish, melted wax, saffron, barley sugar and liquorice elevate this aromatic palette.

Palate
On the palate, this sweet wine strikes a masterful balance between richness and tension. The texture is at once silky, viscous and powdery, carried by a vibrant acidity that lends it great verticality. The mid-palate unfolds indulgent flavours of honey, mandarin and ginger. The finish, all lightness and elegance, lingers long on a noble bitterness reminiscent of marmalade.

Food and wine pairings
This great sweet wine pairs beautifully with mi-cuit foie gras served with a citrus compote. It also enhances white meats, such as orange-roasted poultry or veal in a cream sauce. As for cheese, it is an ideal match for blue cheeses such as Roquefort or Fourme d'Ambert, as well as aged pressed cheeses. Finally, it works wonders with lightly spiced Asian dishes or lightly sweetened desserts featuring dried fruit and citrus.

Serving and cellaring
Château Climens 1996 has demonstrated an impressive capacity for ageing over the decades.

The elegance and verticality of a great Barsac cru

The estate
Located in the Bordeaux region, Château Climens is mentioned in the archives as early as 1547. This 32-hectare vineyard, classified as a Premier Cru Classé in 1855, is renowned for its uncompromising pursuit of purity. Nicknamed the "Lord of Barsac", the estate has belonged since 2022 to the Moitry family, who carry on the excellence of this legendary cru with the support of Bérénice Lurton. Château Climens stands out for its great single-variety sweet wines and its pioneering commitment to biodynamics.

The vineyard
The exceptional Barsac terroir on which the estate stands lies on a plateau some twenty metres above sea level. The vines, averaging 38 years old, thrive on a thin layer of sand and iron-rich clay overlying a bedrock of fissured starfish limestone. This unique geology ensures perfect natural drainage and optimal water regulation. The entire vineyard is farmed biodynamically, fostering natural balance and great soil vitality, with a planting density of around 6,500 vines per hectare.

The vintage
The 1996 vintage produced a very classic expression of the estate, marked by lovely freshness and an ethereal texture. Less opulent than some other vintages, 1996 drew on the limestone terroir to yield grapes with high acidity, resulting in a profile focused on tension. The grapes were harvested by hand from 24 September to 24 October 1996, requiring two successive passes through the vineyard so as to pick, with uncompromising rigour, only the berries affected by exceptionally pure botrytis.

Vinification and ageing
Château Climens 1996 was crafted with immense precision. Fermentation was carried out by indigenous yeasts in French oak barrels. The wine was then meticulously aged for 18 months on its fine lees, which gave it its aromatic complexity and silky texture.

Grape variety
100% Sémillon