Stunning concentration of perfectly ripe blackcurrants here with a delicate whiff of vanilla oak and extremely fine tannins that are almost perfectly integrated on the seductive and delicate palate, right through the almost literally breathtaking, super-long and very polished finish. Try from 2022.

January 2019

Tasted on two separate occasions, the 2016 Château Pape Clément never failed to impress, offering a huge, powerful, full-bodied personality as well as beautiful notes of cassis, graphite, high-class cigar tobacco, asphalt, and graphite. About as sexy as it gets in the vintage, with silky tannins and loads of fruit, it’s perfectly balanced and has a great finish. The 2016 is a blend of 60% Merlot, 36% Cabernet Sauvignon, and the balance Petit Verdot and Cabernet Franc, all raised in 60% new barrels. Maturity 2022-2047.

February 2019

Deep plum colour, beautifully rich with violet nuances. Just love this, combining silky texture, great balance, tension and poise, with cocoa bean, slate, liqourice, cassis and bilberry fruits. Has an effortless mix of concentration and lightness of touch. Harvest September 30 to October 19, Michel Rolland consultant. Feels the most signature Pessac Léognan of the lineup to date, with so much life ahead. Drink from 2025-2046.

November 2021

This takes a slightly different tack than many of its Pessac colleagues, relying less on bramble and tar and more on alluring toast, with mocha, anise, wood spice and black tea notes draped liberally over the core of sappy kirsch and cherry preserve flavors. Plush and suave through the finish, though this needs a bit of time for the wood elements to be fully integrated with the fruit. For fans of the flashier, cashmere-textured style. Best from 2023 through 2037. 12,500 cases made.

James Molesworth, March 2019

The 2016 Pape Clément is fabulous. Racy and sumptuous in the glass, the 2016 captures the style that now characterizes Bernard Magrez's wines from his estate in Pessac. Specifically, the 2016 is wonderfully deep in the glass, and yet retains terrific freshness as well. A rush of dark cherry, plum, smoke, scorched earth, grilled herb, leather and menthol builds as the 2016 shows off its compelling, inviting personality. I would prefer to give the 2016 at least a few years in bottle to allow its full breadth of aromatics to develop. Even so, there is so much to like. Pliant, supple and super-expressive, Pape Clément is gorgeous in 2016. Tasted two times. Drinking Window: 2022-2036.

December 2018

The 2016 Pape-Clément has a more understated but quite compelling bouquet of blackberry, wild strawberry, crushed stone and orange pith aromas. With aeration, it reveals impressive delineation. The medium-bodied palate offers supple tannins. There is a core of licorice-tinged black fruit, but I detect just a soupçon of greenness on the finish, as if one lot did not quite achieve phenolic maturity. Hopefully that will be assimilated with bottle age. Tasted blind at the annual Southwold tasting. Drinking Window: 2024-2050.

January 2020

Explosive, impressive and intense wine from the stable of renowned winemaker Bernard Magrez. Fabulous harmony between Merlot and Cabernet - red and black fruit, perfume and high toned mineral qualities. Fabulous quality of tannin, carrying sweet fruit and freshness, held together by mineral power and violet characters. - April 2017