Château Pape Clément rouge - Pessac-Léognan 2017

Jeb DUNNUCK

94-96 / 100

par Jeb Dunnuck le 12/06/2018

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.

WeinWisser

17,5 / 20

par René Gabriel le 31/05/2018

55% Cabernet Sauvignon, 45% Merlot. Dunkles Purpur mit violett-schwarzen Reflexen. Das Bou­quet zeigt viel Cassis, Brombeernoten sowie orientalische Gewürze, Tahiti-Vanil-te und getrocknete Pfefferkôrner. Am Gaumen stoffig mit dichtem, austrock-nendem Extrakt, der mit massiven Tanni-nen besetzt ist. Die wunderbaren Rie-der- und Cassis-Noten im gebündelten Rückaroma bieten einen schônen Kont-rast dazu, Ein Kraftakt, der einen war-men, konzentrierten Jahrgang vermuten liesse. Wirkt im Moment knapp über dem Limit vinifiziert. Kann aber noch sicherzulegen.                         
17.5/20 2024 - 2044

Vinifera

93 / 100

par Jacques Perrin le 28/05/2018

Éclatant dans le fruit, avec une prise de bois discrète, la bouche est vineuse, juteuse et pleine, longue, enrobée. Beaucoup de goût et de vin, sans surmaturité. Excellent.

Vinous

94-97 / 100

par Antonio Galloni le 15/05/2018

The 2017 Pape Clément is fabulous. One of the rare 2017s with a real sense of structure, Pape Clément possesses dazzling intensity from start to finish. A rush of dark cherry, plum, chocolate and grilled herb notes hits the palate as this majestic, towering wine shows off its personality. Time in the glass brings out a brighter and more floral set of flavors. The 2017 is the first vintage made with a portion of whole clusters, an inspiration Bernard Magrez takes from Châteauneuf-du-Pape, where he recently bought a small property. Quite simply, the 2017 Pape Clément is a magnificent wine by any measure. Don't miss it. The only problem with the 2017 is that yields are down 40% because of frost.

The Wine Cellar Insider

95-97 / 100

par Jeff Leve le 11/05/2018

Deep in color, the wine is floral with blackberry, boysenberry, licorice and espresso notes. Sweet with bright, crisp fruits, stylistically this is a bright vintage – tannin tensions paired with a fresh fruit edge. The wine was produced by blending 55% Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon and 45% Merlot, the wine reached 14.04% alcohol with a pH of 3.6.

Vinous

92-94 / 100

par Neal Martin le 01/05/2018

The 2017 Pape Clément was not touched by the frost and was picked from 15 September to 3 October, manually de-stemmed berry by berry with some of the ripe stems added back into the blend (like Les Carmes Haut-Brion down the road). Malolactic is done in barrel where it aged for 18 months. It offers intense black cherry, raspberry, fig and sous-bois scents on the nose, tightly coiled at the moment with just a hint of cedar and tobacco. The palate is medium-bodied with ripe tannin, a mixture of red and black fruit, touches of cedar and white pepper, leading to a structured and fresh finish that leaves a spicy aftertaste. Classic in style, this Pape Clément will benefit from several years in bottle.

Wine Advocate

92-94 / 100

par Lisa Perrotti-Brown le 27/04/2018

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.

Decanter.com

92 / 100

par Jane Anson le 25/04/2018

I have found that Magrez estates have done exceptionally well in 2017, pretty much across the board, but here I feel a reach towards the barrel that is just the slightest bit out of step with the ripeness of the fruit. The tannins are flexible and in control, but it just lacks a touch of the opulence in the black fruits that was so abundant in 2015 and 2016. There is no doubt that it has been very well constructed, and it will age confidently in the medium to long term.
Drinking Window 2025 - 2038

Jean-Marc QUARIN

17 / 20

par Jean-Marc Quarin le 17/04/2018

Wine Enthusiast

90-92 / 100

par Roger Voss le 17/04/2018

This is a hugely dense, extracted wine, possibly too much so, displaying a hard edge that smothers the ripe fruit. Giving it the benefit of the doubt, it certainly will not be drinkable before 2024.

Jamessuckling.com

95-96 / 100

par James Suckling le 06/04/2018

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.

Wine Spectator

91-94 / 100

par James Molesworth le 04/04/2018

This has solid ripeness, with plum and cassis notes flowing through, along with an ambitious oak regimen that results in ample toasted vanilla hints. This clamps down a touch on the finish, but there’s good purity and freshness, with fresh acidity buried within, leaving me optimistic.—J.M.