Château Pape-Clement rouge Pessac-Léognan AOP, Cru Classé des Graves

Der Name des Château Pape Clément geht auf Papst Clemens V. zurück, der das Weingut 1300, sechs Jahre vor seiner Wahl zum Papst, erwarb. Ein historisches Weingut, das seit 1252 ununterbrochen bewirtschaftet wird. Heute wird es von Bernard Magrez geleitet, der weltweit mehr als 40 Weingüter besitzt. Mit dieser geballten Kompetenz ist Château Pape Clément inzwischen in die erste Liga des Médoc aufgestiegen. PRESSE 97-98 Punkte James Suckling This is really classy with length and polish that shine brightly. Also, you see blackberry, bark, currant and mushroom character. Full-bodied with wonderfully polished tannins and a seamless finish. 92-94 Punkte Robert Parker's Wine Advocate (William Kelley) The 2023 Pape Clément evokes aromas of dark wild berries, spices, licorice and mulberries, followed by a medium to full-bodied, round and ample palate with structuring tannins and a firm, concentrated mid-palate that segues into a long, fruity finish. Less oaky than the previous years, this is a more contemporary expression of this great terroir. It's a blend of 50% Merlot, 45% Cabernet Sauvignon, 3% Cabernet Franc and 2% Petit Verdot. 92 Punkte Falstaff (Peter Moser) Dunkles Rubingranat, tiefer Kern, violette Reflexe, zarte Randaufhellung. Kräuterwürze, dunkle Waldbeeren, dezente Edelholzanklänge, eher verhaltenes Bukett. Stoffig, würzig am Gaumen, präsente Tannine, etwas Nugat, noch sehr unterentwickelt, mineralisch und mit Länge ausgestattet, momentan schwer zu beurteilen. 93-95 Punkte Vinous (Neal Martin) The 2023 Pape Clément is the first vintage fully employing crème de levures, using native yeasts in the vineyard to start the fermentation and improve balance, together with two native yeasts regularly employed since 2012 (to maintain some consistency). It was picked from September 5 to October 3 and matured in 60% new oak, including foudres. The 2023 is cut from a very different cloth compared to recent vintages. It’s much more classic in style, almost reserved, with tightly wound black fruit mixed with briar and light gravelly scents. The palate is medium-bodied with a light entry, just a pinch of spice and moderate depth. The silky, peppery, finish is more tertiary than you would expect to find on what was once quite a bombastic Pessac-Léognan. One sample had a soupçon of herbaceousness, whilst another at the château had none at all. Very fine. I like this new direction. though I would not regard this as a benchmark for future vintages. This will be interesting to revisit after bottling.