2022 Chateau Pape Clement, Pessac-Leognan, France (750ml)

WINEMAKER'S NOTES: 

#35 Jeb Dunnuck Top 100 of 2025

Blend: 60% Merlot, 40% Cabernet Sauvignon

TASTING NOTES:

Black raspberries, cassis, graphite, scorched earth, and violet notes are just some of the nuances in the 2022 Château Pape Clément, a gorgeously textured, layered, seamless 2022. It's flawlessly balanced, has a class of tannins that's second to none, is full-bodied, has terrific concentration, and has a gorgeous finish. This classic, seamless, elegant, sensational layered, multi-dimensional. Rating: 98+

- Jeb Dunnuck, 98 pts. 

A very well-balanced Pape Clement showing a solid structure, concentration and length. Fresh and complex, with a fine streak of minerals and aromas of cassis, berries, white pepper and tapenade. Some wood spices, but they’re quite restrained. Full-bodied, tight and long. A transparent and complete wine for the cellar.

- James Suckling, 97 pts. 

The 2022 Pape Clément is a classy, elegant wine. Soaring aromatics open first. On the palate, the 2022 is vibrant and explosive, with terrific depth and exceptional balance. Today's wines here are simply striking because of their energy and verve. Those qualities help make Pape Clément one of the most changed wines in Bordeaux over the last decade or so. Red/purplish fruit, blood orange, cinnamon, new leather and sage are some of the many notes that linger on the sustained finish. The 2022 is a superb Pape Clément.

- Vinous, 97 pts. 

Cool blue fruit, salty stones and liquorice - smells fresh and scented. Ripe and concentrated, the chewy tannins are at the fore, straight away giving the depth and frame while the blueberries and cherries linger in the background with a slight chalky sensation on the tongue. Feels a little less lively than some, more so because the frame is quite imposing, but I do like the muscular style as there's so much definition. Precision and poise but not so immediately accessible. The ending is a bit restricted and it doesn't flow as well as others yet there's no faulting the construction in terms of focus and classicism.

- Decanter, 94 pts. 

Revealing aromas of blueberries, cassis, spring flowers and toasty new oak, the 2022 Pape Clément is full-bodied, broad and textural, with a rich, layered core of super-ripe fruit framed by liberally extracted tannins that assert themselves on the firm, lavishly oaky finish. This is a flamboyant, unabashedly modern-styled Pape Clément that will need several years in the cellar to blossom. It's a blend of 60% Merlot and 40% Cabernet Sauvignon.
Barrel Sample: 92-94

- Robert Parker's Wine Advocate, 94 pts. 

Well packed with dark currant, raspberry, plum and red cherry compote notes, all carried by gently singed applewood and cedar notes. Sweet tobacco and a flash of incense fill in on the finish, which has woodsy hints but stays polished and fine-grained overall. Merlot and Cabernet Sauvignon.

- Wine Spectator, 94 pts.