Blackberry and mineral aromas, with hints of dried flowers, truffle and tobacco. Full-bodied, with a wonderful balance of cool fruit and fine tannins. Classy for the vintage.
Reviews:
- Wine Advocate: Tasted at BI Wine & Spirits’ 10-Years-On tasting, the 2007 Pape Clement has a pure and refined bouquet, perhaps not with the same charm and personality of say Domaine de Chevalier or Haut-Bailly, yet with panache and class, kirsch and touches of blue fruit laced with cedar and graphite. The palate is medium-bodied with a touch of menthol on the entry. It is a slightly more exotic take on the vintage compared to its peers, yet there is commendable substance and spiciness on the finish that keeps you coming back. Tasted February 2017.
- Wine Enthusiast: A wine that is dominated by wood at this stage in its development. But the structure and the fruit are all there, waiting to slot into place in the next 2–3 years. Spice and bright black berry flavors layer with final acidity.
Producer Information
Château Pape Clément is a grand cru wine estate in the Pessac-Léognan appellation in Graves. It is one of the oldest estates in Bordeaux, dating back to the 13th Century, and is now just 15 minutes from the center of Bordeaux city, and surrounded by urban development. The Pape Clément vineyard is situated on a mix of gravel-sand and clay-limestone soils, with a chalky subsoil rich in iron. This is a good terroir for both Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot. Of the 30 hectares (74 acres) of red grapes, Cabernet Sauvignon accounts for about 60 percent, and Merlot around 40 percent. There are also tiny amounts of Petit Verdot and, Cabernet Franc. There are 2.5 hectares (6.2 acres) planted to white grapes. This comprises around 45 percent each of Semillon, and Sauvignon Blanc, and 10 percent Muscadelle. Château Pape Clément produces three pairs of red and white wines, including the grands vins. Le Clémentin du Pape Clément is the second label. Le Prélat de Pape Clément is not the third wine, but instead comes from a distinct 8.5 hectare (21-acre) plot. The grand vin red features about 50 percent Cabernet Sauvignon, nearly as much Merlot, and a dash of Petit Verdot and Cabernet Franc. Its white counterpart is based on Sémillon and Sauvignon Blanc. This also contains about five percent Sauvignon Gris, plus a dash of Muscadelle. Grapes undergo an initial sorting in the vineyard and are manually picked into small crates. Red grapes are removed from the stems by hand to keep grapes intact as long as possible. They are fermented in large, temperature controlled vats and then are aged in barrel. The grand vin sees 18 months in new French oak. The white grand vin is fermented in, then aged for 18 months, in oak barrels. The château takes its name from its founder, Betrand de Got, who was the Archbishop of Bordeaux and became Pope Clément V in 1305. It is currently part of the Bernard Magrez group of estates.
