Château Pape Clément 2019

Restrained, magnificent maturation spice; full attack, powerful development, great density, high yet well-managed extract, polish and precision; first-class Pape for long winter evenings. Let it age.

Quite rich, with an exotic hint to the boysenberry, plum and mulberry fruit flavors, which are carried by a velvety structure. Features a very stylish backdrop of apple wood, anise and fruitcake notes that adds more bling. This doesn't have the drive for serious cellaring, but it's still pretty gorgeous. Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot. Best from 2023 through 2035. 16,650 cases made.

Density in all aspects here, quite a rich, broad and bold style but with precision, clarity and definition. It’s big-shouldered with plenty of heft and ripe fruit but well presented with great acidity that keeps the freshness from start to finish, and there’s a nice cooling, minty aspect towards the finish. Tannins are firm and still very present, needing to soften a little over time, but this definitely has the weight, structure and fruit purity to age for a long time.

Crushed-stone and berry aromas with some blackberry and black-tea character. Just a touch of smokiness. Sweet fruit, too. This is so refined, subtle, and beautiful for Pape with full body, ultra-fine tannins and a succulent finish. The center-palate is dense and complete. Goes on for minutes. So subtle and refined, focused and classy. Try after 2026.

50% Cabernet Sauvignon, 50% Merlot. Barrel sample. Deep, dark and brooding. Plush and full on the palate with generous fruit. As broad as it is long. Impressive tannic backbone. Firm, dry finish. Tight and embryonic but sure to stay the pace. (JL)

The 2019 Pape Clément is just as impressive as it was en primeur. It shows all of the textural richness that is so typical of Bernard Magrez's wines, but with an extra kick of freshness that provides energy as well as a sense of proportion. A wine of stature, the 2019 is so classy. Succulent black cherry, plum, mocha, new leather and licorice are all beautifully delineated. But more than anything else, I find the wine's energy really impressive. This is a fabulous vintage for Pape Clément. Tasted two times.

Almost opaque in color, the wine opens with an intense array of smoke, tobacco, cigar box, flowers, spice, dark plum, and blackberry aromas. On the palate, the wine is rich, lush, polished, full-bodied, deep, long, and fresh. The finish easily crosses the 50-second mark, leaving you with opulently textured layers of perfectly ripe, sensuous, dark fruits. Because the amount of oak was decreased during aging, the fruit takes center stage, bringing more vibrancy and purity. This is a top vintage of Pape Clement that clearly merits your attention. Drink from 2030–2060.

Dark ruby, purple reflections, subtle brightening on the rim. On the nose, nougat and dried plums underlaid with candied orange zest and sea buckthorn. Complex and full-bodied with fine fruit expression, ripe, supporting tannins, savoury notes, elegant and mineral with a long lasting finish. Definite further ageing potential, will benefit from more time in the bottle.

Intense and layered nose offering damp tobacco, cedar wood, black cherry, cassis, fine oak and spice box. Very dense palate with plenty of layers and stuffing, warm and ripe with fine proportions, grainy tannins, unctuous and spicy dark fruit, very long finish. It will still need time to show its full potential, but a big wine in the making.

As for the Grand Vin 2019 Château Pape Clément, it shows a dense purple hue with stunning aromatics of crème de cassis, graphite, pencil shavings, scorched earth, and tobacco. Beautifully balanced, with flawless tannins, this full-bodied Pessac has that rare mix of elegance and power, a great mid-palate, and again, perfect balance. It’s one of the gems of the vintage and already offers some accessibility thanks to its purity and balance, yet it deserves 4–5 years of bottle age and will cruise for 20–25 years or more in cold cellars. The blend is equal parts Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot, aged two-thirds in new French oak.

Kunz barrel sample 2020: (50% Merlot, 50% Cabernet Sauvignon, 14% vol. alcohol) Concentrated, velvety, complex, dark bouquet, plums, mocha cream, licorice, dark chocolate, mahogany, fine dried fruit notes, a delicate touch of eucalyptus. Dense, multi-layered, powerful palate with concentrated dark fruit, plenty of fine tannins, a creamy, delicately opulent texture, diverse and intense aromatics, and a very long, velvety finish with plenty of lingering flavors.

(50% Merlot, 50% Cabernet Sauvignon, 14% vol. alcohol) Concentrated, velvety, complex dark bouquet: plums, mocha cream, licorice, dark chocolate, mahogany, fine dried fruit, delicate eucalyptus. Dense, multilayered, powerful palate with concentrated dark fruit, plenty of fine tannins, a creamy, subtly opulent structure, diverse, intense aromatics, and a very long, velvety finish with extensive echoing flavors. 19/20 2026 - 2050

This lays down a challenge to the other wines in Pessac-Léognan, with a little more power and definition, with slate tannins and a rasp of minerality all while delivering pure and concentrated raspberry, loganberry and black cherry fruits. The tannins are confident and are not about to let the fruit go anywhere soon. Great quality and potential, a little more severe and austere than the 2018 at this point, needs a good five years in bottle. Harvest September 17 to October 10, an upscore from En Primeur. Tasted twice, two months apart.

The 2019 Pape Clement is deep garnet-purple in color. It starts off closed and broody before offering fragrant scents of rose oil, cardamom, and fertile loam, over a core of plum preserves, blackberry pie, and cedar. The medium-bodied palate is taut, muscular, and intense, delivering firm, grainy tannins and fantastic tension, finishing long and mineral-laced.

While the tasted samples were not completely consistent, the best one showed smoky notes and the accompanying nobility of tannin, in the generous style expected from this cru. A serious, long and dense Pape, with great presence.

A roasted nose with caramel and mocha aromas, showing some evolution. On the palate, lovely freshness and refined bitterness accompany notes of fern and spices. A mouthwatering, silky wine with a delicately chalky touch.

Subtle and finely etched, the 2019 bouquet nonetheless signals a change of course: it seems the focus has shifted to a less opulent, less demonstrative style. The wine stands out for its finesse, its creamy yet precise tannins, and an airy structure that lends energy to the finish. The latter is lively, even slightly saline, and persistent.

Dark, intense color. Very aromatic nose with ripe, complex fruit. Supple on entry, a touch soft as well, the wine takes time to wake up mid-palate. It develops with savory depth toward a finish with present, well-wrapped tannins. Very good length.

Created by the 14th-century Pope, Clement V, this estate is now owned by Bernard Magrez. This latest release shows the quality of the property, a wine that is set for long aging. Ripe black fruits are matched by the wine's structure and density. Drink from 2026.