| Region | |
|---|---|
| Subregion | France > Bordeaux > Left Bank > Pessac-Léognan |
| Colour | Red |
| Type | Still |
Owner Bernard Magrez has made serious investments here since the late 1990s and recent vintages have been outstanding thanks to extremely low yields, labour-intensive sorting of grapes and modern wine-making techniques. Quality bears no relation to the weedy wines of the early 1980s and before. The 42 hectares are planted with 45% Cabernet Sauvignon and 55% Merlot.
The 2025 Pape Clément was picked between September 3 and 25, fermented using their own yeast strains and matured in 85% barrel (one-third new) and the remainder in foudres. A large amount of the Cabernet Sauvignon was picked after the rain on September 20, using optical sorting, and underwent a gentle extraction with a shorter maceration up to 26°C. It has quite an opulent bouquet, with luxuriant black cherries, blueberry and blood orange scents, a touch of peppermint emerging with time. The palate is medium-bodied and delivers quite a grip on the entry, with layered black fruit, quite compact on the mid-palate, a little hard-edged on the finish, though that should soften during the barrel maturation. Quite dense on the finish, this is an impressive Pape Clément but it needs to foment more charm by the time of bottling. Drink 2032-2055.
Deep ruby in colour with roasted coffee and cured meats leading a nose of dark and ripe but still vibrant cassis on the nose. The palate is all spice box and smoke, but the fruit underneath has excellent energy despite the ripeness. This is quite flashy, but the bones underneath are impressive - if the embellishments to this wine can knit into the fruit this should be a seductive and enjoyable drink with a long life.
A linear and very tight red with black currant, blackberry and hazelnut undertones. It's medium- to full-bodied with firm and racy tannins and a savory finish. Lots of tannins, but they are very fine textured and show outstanding length. 60% merlot, 36% cabernet sauvignon, 3% cabernet franc and 1% petit verdot.
Wide ranging and expansive, love the bright cherry pit and damson, a ton of expansion and character, luscious with dark berry fruits, espresso and cocoa bean. Julien Viaud consultant. A new group technical director has come over from Penfolds, Pablo Laborde, joined in early 2026 so for the blending and ageing of this vintage. Harvest September 3 to 25. Yield 23 hl/ha. 50% of the wine in barrels of which 25% is new. 55ha, with a recentering to the historical vineyard around the estate in Pessac. Indigenous yeast fermentation. 2035-2055.
The 2025 Pape Clément is magnificent. The aromatics alone are captivating. Strong floral and savory notes soar from the glass. Lavender, rose petal, sage, mint and mocha lead into a core of wonderfully vibrant red/purplish fruit. Medium in body and deep, Pape Clément is positively stellar in 2025. The Cabernets and Petit Verdot add tons of aromatic presence. Élevage is 85% in barrique and 15% in foudre, with a relatively modest 33% new oak. 2035 - 2065
