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Pape Clément 2006

RegionBordeaux
Subregion France > Bordeaux > Left Bank > Pessac-Léognan
ColourRed
TypeStill
Grape VarietyMerlot/Cabernet Sauvignon

View all vintages of this wine | View all wines by Château Pape Clément

Label

Tasting Notes

The dense purple-colored 2006 boasts an extraordinary perfume of lead pencil shavings, creme de cassis, burning embers, and a sensation that can only be described as like walking through a damp forest on a hot, humid day. Full-bodied, extraordinarily textured, and multidimensional with an amazingly long finish of nearly 60 seconds, this blend of 60% Cabernet Sauvignon and 40% Merlot from a 75-acre vineyard is a compelling wine that is one of the stars of the vintage. Anticipated maturity: 2012-2030.

I can't say enough about the extraordinary work proprietor Bernard Magrez, assisted by the internationally renowned Michel Rolland, is doing at Pape-Clement. From this outstanding terroir, he comes close to rivaling what both Haut-Brion and La Mission-Haut-Brion are accomplishing a few miles away. Following the prodigious 2005 Pape-Clement, it would be hard to believe the next vintage could nearly match its predecessor. However, that is what has happened at this estate with both white and red, by the way.

95
Robert Parker, Wine Advocate (181), February 2009

The 2006 Château Pape Clément has an intense bouquet that is very well defined, adorned with cassis, blueberry and subtle iodine scents that all gain momentum in the glass. The palate is medium-bodied with supple tannin, very well-judged acidity, the new oak neatly enmeshed and blessed with a precise, harmonious finish that lingers. This is a wonderful Pape Clément that will give much pleasure over the next 20 or 30 years.

94
Neal Martin, RobertParker.com, May 2016

A chewy wine, with a full body. There's a slightly hollow center palate, but also good rich fruit and spice character.

89/91
James Suckling, WineSpectator.com, March 2007

Dark purple with a pink rim. Some fresh, good quality oak on the nose. I feel as though I have tasted many wines like this before (not today)! Neat, well judged fruit, pretty tight inky tannins. I wonder if this is Pape Clément? [it did indeed turn out to be The Flashy One] It tastes eerily like previous vintages of it. It lacks the mellowness of some other examples of 2006 Graves. A well put together package even if this tastes a bit constructed rather than grown.

16.5
Jancis Robinson MW, JancisRobinson.com, April 2007

Deep ruby colour. The nose is densely packed with ripe cassis and black cherry. There are notes of vanilla, toast, liquorice and sweet spice adding great complexity to the enticing aroma. The palate is rich, round and ripe, with blackcurrants, plums, opulent damsons and blackberry filling out a black fruit profile. There is a spicy complexity of cinnamon and nutmeg and a wood smoke note from the oak that is well balanced with the intense fruit. The tannins give great structure but are starting to resolve and melt into the wine. The palate is intense and rich but really well balanced - no hint of being overdone, with notes of cigar box and milk chocolate on the long finish. This is an excellent example of Graves, which is rich and sophisticated yet balanced and harmonious. Very impressive.

96
Farr Vintners, Farr Tasting, November 2014

Full ruby-red. Superripe, highly complex aromas of plum, cocoa powder, tobacco and warm stones. Big, plush and chewy, with compelling sweetness and generosity of texture to the flavors of plum, minerals, tobacco and woodsmoke. Has the sheer stuffing to support the serious, building but noble tannins. Finishes with superb palate-staining persistence. This may well shut down in bottle, and should age well for the next two decades, but it's a knockout right now.

93
Stephen Tanzer, International Wine Cellar, May 2009
Read more tasting notes...

A clear garnet core with deep ruby rim. The nose is very well delineated with blackberry, black plum, crushed stones, a touch of Hoi Sin complemented by touches of liquorice and violet. The palate is medium-bodied with firm tannins and picking at straws, a little too sweet for my liking vis-a-vis the structure. Drying tannins, a lot of extract here, quite rigid but very linear and focused on the finish. Still backward and very youthful, I would recommend cellaring this for five or six years. Drink 2017-2035. Tasted July 2010.

92
Neal Martin, RobertParker.com, July 2011
Please note that these tasting notes/scores are not intended to be exhaustive and in some cases they may not be the most recently published figures. However, we always do our best to add latest scores and reviews when these come to our attention. We advise customers who wish to purchase wines based simply on critical reviews to carry out further research into the latest reports.