Appellations

Pape Clement 2023

Pessac-Leognan, Grand Cru Classé

GBP Price: Size Quantities Units status Actions
Awaiting Release 6x75cl 0 - [Add to wish list] [Add to pre-order list]
Tasting Notes

Inky depths to the plum colour; as is often the case with Pape Clement even under the new regime of the past few vintages where new oak has been lowered. Delivers an exuberant, confident estate signature, supple texture, roasted black cherry and cherry pit, cocoa bean, espresso, a cushion of air helps give a lift on the finish to what is a fairly highly charged architecture. 35hl/ha yield.

Score: 93 Jane Anson, Inside Bordeaux Maturity: 2029-2042 Date: 02 May 2024

The 2023 Pape Clément is one of the most exciting wines I have tasted here in a long time, maybe ever. Intensely aromatic and layered, the 2023 is simply stunning. Dried flowers, mint, licorice, mocha, cedar and tobacco soar out of the glass. The purity of the flavors is simply mind-blowing. Plum, pomegranate, blood orange and spice build in the glass, adding notable textural richness and resonance. This is the first vintage vinified with indigenous yeasts. Aging takes place in a combination of concrete tanks, ceramic eggs, Clayvers, 400-liter barrels and 225-liter barriques. For readers who want to taste the “new” Bordeaux, this is it. What a wine! Tasted four times.

Score: 95 - 97 Antonio Galloni, Vinous.com Maturity: 2030-2053 Date: 30 April 2024

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.

Score: 93 - 95 Neal Martin, Vinous.com Maturity: 2029-2042 Date: 29 April 2024

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. - Tasted by Yohan Castaing

Score: 92 - 94 William Kelley, Wine Advocate, RobertParker.com Date: 26 April 2024

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.

Score: 97 - 98 James Suckling, JamesSuckling.com Date: 24 April 2024