2020 Pape Clement Blanc
Buying options
Tasting notes
The 2020 Pape-Clément Blanc is rather bland on the nose compared to its peers, missing some mineralité and tension. The palate is better with a lightly spiced entry, moderate depth and some attractive pithy notes toward the finish. It's just the aromatics that are at fault here. I’m not certain how representative this bottle is given its showing in 2022, so I will not score this. Tasted blind at the annual Southwold tasting.
Critic scores
Average Score
James Suckling
Jancis Robinson MW
More reviews and scores
Offering up notes of crisp nectarine, lemongrass and white flowers, the 2020 Pape Clément Blanc is medium to full-bodied, satiny and seamless, with bright acids, attractive purity of fruit and a long, aromatic finish. This is the most elegant white wine produced by this estate over the last decade, and it has turned out well in bottle.
One of the whites of the vintage, the 2020 Château Pape Clément Blanc is based on 62% Sauvignon Blanc, 33% Semillon, 4% Sauvignon Gris, and the remaining 1% Muscadelle, all of which was raised in a mix of new and used oak. This beauty stopped me in my tracks and offers a massive nose of honeyed limes, white flowers, tropical fruit, crushed stone, and orange marmalade. With the vintage’s vibrant sense of freshness, full-bodied richness, a stacked mid-palate, and a fabulous mouthfeel, this truly sensational white is an incredible achievement, and hats off to the team at Pape Clement! Give bottles 2-3 years and enjoy over the following two decades or so.
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.