2017 Pape Clement
Buying options
Tasting notes
This is very dense for the vintage on the center palate and then rolls out on the palate. Full-bodied, tight and tannic. Very polished and refined at the end. Precise. A little more cabernet sauvignon in the blend gives this the tension.
Critic scores
Average Score
James Suckling
Jeb Dunnuck
More reviews and scores
The Grand Vin 2017 Château Pape Clément is 55% Cabernet Sauvignon and 45% Merlot still aging in 60% new French oak. Harvest ran from the 15th of September to the 3rd of October, and I was able to taste this beauty on three separate occasions. Its deep purple color is followed by a blockbuster bouquet of ripe black cherries, blackberries, blueberries, graphite, and licorice. One of the more powerful, concentrated wines in the vintage, this medium to full-bodied effort has terrific purity of fruit, a mouthfilling texture, and present, ripe tannin. Too many 2017s lack excitement, but that’s not the case here. Give bottles 2-3 years and enjoy over the following 15+ years.
Black with purple core. Dark and savoury on the nose. Pretty oaky but there's more freshness here and less dense extraction than I remember. (JH)
The current blend of the 2017 Pape Clement is 55% Cabernet Sauvignon and 45% Merlot. Deep garnet-purple colored, it sings of crushed black cherries, black raspberries and mulberries with hints of lilacs and dusty soil. Medium to full-bodied with a firm, grainy frame and wonderful freshness, it possesses great elegance and effortless intensity with a mineral-tinged finish.
About the producer
Among the oldest estates in Bordeaux, Ch. Pape Clément has been guided into the modern era by Bernard Magrez, who has managed the estate since 1985. It makes some of the best reds in the region.