Château Pape Clément 2016

Still maturing, but clearly classy; superb, seamlessly dense tannins; great fruity length; excellently made; a must.

This takes a slightly different tack than many of its Pessac colleagues, relying less on bramble and tar and more on alluring toast, with mocha, anise, wood spice and black tea notes draped liberally over the core of sappy kirsch and cherry preserve flavors. Plush and suave through the finish, though this needs a bit of time for the wood elements to be fully integrated with the fruit. For fans of the flashier, cashmere-textured style. Best from 2023 through 2037. 12,500 cases made.

The 60ha of vineyards are situated on an ancient alluvial terrace topped by a thin layer of more recent Garonne gravel. The winery’s 28 wooden fermentation vats correspond to individual parcels, and the grand vin red (in 2016, equal parts Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot) is aged for 18 months in 70% new oak barrels. Andy Howard MW: Intriguing wine with an extra layer of aromatics. Floral, leafy, a touch herbal. Great purity allied with fresh acidity and integrated oak. A very fine Pessac. Robert Mathias: A brooding nose, coffee, cedar and dried tobacco. Broad structure with black cherry fruit. Tannins very fine, some warmth on the finish. Tim Triptree MW: Hedonistic aromatics of ripe black cherry, plum and blackberry, complex notes of smoke and cedar, leather, dried meats, tobacco and cinnamon spice. Opulent, ripe, great balance and length. Harmonious, ageworthy Pessac.

Stunning concentration of perfectly ripe blackcurrants here with a delicate whiff of vanilla oak and extremely fine tannins that are almost perfectly integrated on the seductive and delicate palate, right through the almost literally breathtaking, super-long and very polished finish. Try from 2022.

The 2016 Pape Clément is fabulous. Racy and sumptuous in the glass, the 2016 captures the style that now characterizes Bernard Magrez's wines from his estate in Pessac. Specifically, the 2016 is wonderfully deep in the glass, and yet retains terrific freshness as well. A rush of dark cherry, plum, smoke, scorched earth, grilled herb, leather and menthol builds as the 2016 shows off its compelling, inviting personality. I would prefer to give the 2016 at least a few years in bottle to allow its full breadth of aromatics to develop. Even so, there is so much to like. Pliant, supple and super-expressive, Pape Clément is gorgeous in 2016. Tasted two times.

Deep in color, the wine is full-bodied, concentrated and packed with layers of dark red fruits. The texture is lush, the fruit is sweet, powerfully ripe and juicy. On the palate you find dense, ripe, sweet, smoky blackberries, cigar box, espresso and licorice. Even with all this heft, you still find energy in the finish. I really like the elegance and restraint found here due to lower ABV and a more restrained use of new oak. Still, this needs at least 12 years or so of aging before it really starts maturing.

Intense and nuanced nose, smoky with fine new oak, roasted coffee, inky dark fruit, tobacco and fine spices. Very high concentration with fine proportions, grainy cocoa powder-like tannins, wet tobacco, a fresh integrated acidity, gentle oak notes with butterscotch, crushed blackcurrant and plum, with a very long and dense aftertaste. Ample, powerful and balanced.

Tasted on two separate occasions, the 2016 Château Pape Clément never failed to impress, offering a huge, powerful, full-bodied personality as well as beautiful notes of cassis, graphite, high-class cigar tobacco, asphalt, and graphite. About as sexy as it gets in the vintage, with silky tannins and loads of fruit, it’s perfectly balanced and has a great finish. The 2016 is a blend of 60% Merlot, 36% Cabernet Sauvignon, and the balance Petit Verdot and Cabernet Franc, all raised in 60% new barrels.

50% Merlot and 50% Cabernet Sauvignon. Deep garnet with a violet rim. Dense, concentrated bouquet with plenty of black mountain pepper and dark fine woods, followed by clove, malt candy, and chocolate pastilles. On the powerful palate, a true powerhouse with abundant blackcurrant on the back-palate, then lots of minerality and plum in an endlessly long finish – it doesn’t quite reach the regal stature of the 2015, but it’s not far off.

Kunz barrel sample 17: a concerted, powerful, dark, spicy bouquet—prunes, cedar, dark tobacco, licorice, Black Currant, black tea, roasted notes, vanilla bean. A tightly woven, powerful, velvety palate with deep dark fruit, plenty of fine tannin, concentrated structure, dark, complex aromatics, and a long, imposing finish with abundant lingering flavors. (19/20). 22: Extremely dense purple with a violet sheen. Dark berry bouquet, lots of elderberry and blackcurrant, licorice and very dark malt (Guinness), plus summer truffle in the background. Even on the nose it already goes to remarkable depths. On the palate, baroque, mighty, full-bodied, with a remarkable capital reserve of concentration and tannins for the future. The finish tastes beautifully of blackberry and Black Currant. This will be a true, great, long-lived Pape classic for the day after tomorrow. For me, it belongs among the truly great vintages of this (still) underrated estate. (19/20).

Concentrated, powerful, closed, fresh bouquet; plums, damsons, mocha cream, cherries, grains. Dense, velvety, fruity palate with creamy, sweet fruit, tight structure, plenty of fine tannins, complex dark aromatics, long, fresh finish. 19/20 2025 - 2050

Deep plum colour, beautifully rich with violet nuances. Just love this, combining silky texture, great balance, tension and poise, with cocoa bean, slate, liquorice, cassis and bilberry fruits. Has an effortless mix of concentration and lightness of touch. Harvest September 30 to October 19, Michel Rolland consultant. Feels the most signature Pessac Léognan of the lineup to date, with so much life ahead.

The 2016 Pape Clement has a deep garnet color. It features scents of vibrant baked plums and crème de cassis, with suggestions of garrigue, charcoal, forest floor, and violets. Medium to full-bodied, the palate is laden with juicy black fruits, supported by velvety tannins and seamless freshness, finishing long and spicy.

Harvest took place later than at Haut-Brion, but the wine retains real freshness and savory fruit. Plenty of creaminess with a subtle sweetness and gentle oak (60% new oak). A beautifully balanced palate with a saline finish, in a blend of almost equal parts Merlot and Cabernet Sauvignon.

Intense red fruit, small black fruits, blueberry, redcurrant. Lively palate, hint of blond tobacco, great intensity, silky tannins, great wine.

Like some 2016s, Pape Clément is currently in a dormant phase. That doesn’t prevent it from expressing its complexity, albeit in a more filigreed way. It has an elegant, powdery, fine-grained tannic structure. A beautiful sense of serenity and quiet strength, with an exceptional symbiosis between the tannins and the wine’s temperament. A great success with controlled power.

Dark, intense, beautiful purple color. Superb, highly aromatic and very intense nose with pure, ripe, subtle fruit. Complex nuances that are both fresh and warm. Broad from the attack, then very silky at mid-palate, the wine unfolds with both power and lift through the center, particularly rich in aroma. The texture caresses the palate. Flavorful, precise and very chic, it finishes complex, very fruity, deep, beautiful, grand, with plenty of flavor. Bravo.

This rich, warm wine offers tannins cushioned within layers of black fruits. It is dense with structure and fruit while also having the freshness and acidity typical of this vintage. The wine will age for several years, becoming richer and more opulent. Drink from 2025.