The 2019 is a Pessac-Léognan Cru Classé de Graves from 54% Merlot, 44% Cabernet Sauvignon, 1.5% Petit Verdot and 0.5% Cabernet Franc — drawn from the best part of the harvest and carrying the darker, more polished side of the appellation. WINEMAKING: the wine was aged for 18 months, with 90% in French oak barrels and 10% in wooden foudres. That combination gives the vintage structure and breadth while avoiding a purely barrel-driven reading of the fruit. FOOD PAIRING: decant for two hours when young and serve in a large Bordeaux glass. Rib of beef, lamb shoulder, venison, truffled poultry and aged hard cheeses match its density and Graves frame.
Tasting notes
Dense purple, almost opaque, of deep chromatic intensity.
Blackcurrant, plum, tobacco, smoke, cedar, graphite and roasted coffee.
Broad fruit, firm tannins, savoury depth and a Graves smoky edge.
Dense and controlled, with cocoa, spice and mineral firmness.
Château Pape-Clément is one of the oldest estates in Bordeaux, with a first documented harvest in 1252. Its name comes from Bertrand de Goth, Archbishop of Bordeaux and later Pope Clement V, who owned the property at the turn of the 14th century. Bernard Magrez acquired the château in 1980 and invested heavily in the vineyard and cellar. The red vineyards sit in Pessac on gravel, clay and sand over limestone, giving the wine its mix of depth, smoke and firm Graves structure.
Jeb Dunnuck: 98 points James Suckling: 97 points Vinous (Antonio Galloni): 97 points Jeff Leve (The Wine Cellar Insider): 97 points Wine Advocate (Lisa Perrotti-Brown): 96–98+ points Falstaff: 96 points Wine Enthusiast: 95 points Decanter: 95 points Wine Spectator: 94 points
