Château Pape Clément is a Cru Classé Graves property that has one of the oldest documented histories of any Bordeaux vineyard, having been planted in 1300 by Bernard de Groth, the future Pope Clément V. In 1939 the estate was bought by the Montagne family and is now owned and run by Léo Montagne.

Pape Clément is located in the Bordeaux suburb of Pessac and consists of a chai and 32 hectares of vineyards.

The quality of the wines at Pape Clément slipped in the 1960s and 70s, largely because of under-investment. Bernard Magrez was appointed as general manager in 1985 and he turned Pape Clément’s fortunes around. He introduced more rigorous selection in the vineyards, as well as installing stainless steel vats and raising the percentage of new oak casks used in the maturation process.

Pape Clément now produces again one of the finest wines in Pessac-Léognan.

Soil – Clay gravels dating back to the end of the Pliocene epoch and the Quaternary period.

Vineyard management – Parcel based management- Grass grown between the grass, ploughing between vine rows-Integrated pest management, vigor control-Debudding, removal of side shoots,green harvesting-Manual harvest in small crates-Tillage with animal traction – Terra Vitis Label and HVE3 Label (high environmental value 3th level)

Blend – 56% Cabernet Sauvignon, 40% Merlot, 4% Cabernet Franc

Vinification – First sorting in the vineyard, manual harvest in crates. Manual destemming berry by berry and use of a sorting table. Transfer into 30-70 hl wooden vats by gravity flow. Low temperature pre-fermentation maceration. Manual punching down. 30-40 day maceration. The wine is run off into French oak barrels by gravity flow. Malolactic fermentation in oak barrels.

Ageing – for 18 months in oak barrels.

Sight – A wine of good density ruby red, with brown, mahogany, biscuit hints. It has maintained its luster and clarity. The rim is fairly thick. The tears are fine, clear, abundant and regular.

Smell – At once expressive, forthright and complex. There are notes of all families of fragrance: fruit, flowers, and spices.

Taste – The attack is forthright, round and suave, soothing even. The intense aromas initially recall the complexity of the nose. There is leather and lightly charred wood, and roasted notes. The beauty of the vintage is revealed by its elegance rather than its full-flavor. The wine has an attractive aromatic range with a finish of remarkable elegance.

James Suckling- 99 points

The clarity to this wine is impressive. Wealth of dark-plum and black-fruit essence not to mention orange citrus. Everything is dialed up to the limit here but then dialed in on the palate. Such impressive depth and suave, ripe, fluid tannins that deliver impressive length. Great wine. Such polish. Superb. Try from 2022. (2/2018)

Jeb Dunnuck – 97 points

As with the white, the 2015 Château Pape Clément is up at the top of the hierarchy and is a tour de force in Red Bordeaux that should be snatched up by readers. Coming from a 50-hectare parcel of the gravelly soils and harvest between September 25th and October 15th, it’s a blend of 56% Cabernet Sauvignon, 40% Merlot and 4% Cabernet Franc that saw a long maceration (30-40 days) and 18 months in 80% new French oak. With a deep ruby/plum color and awesome notes of currants, black cherries, truffles, chocolate and graphite, this beauty hits the palate with a massive, full-bodied, opulent, sexy, yet never heavy style. With terrific concentration, perfect balance, and ripe tannin, as well as plenty of oak, give bottles 4-5 years of cellaring and enjoy over the following 2-3 decades. Tasted three times. (11/2017)

Robert Parker’s Wine Advocate- 96 points

The 2015 Pape Clement is blended of 56% Cabernet Sauvignon, 40% Merlot and 4% Cabernet Franc, matured in 80% new and 20% one-year-old French oak barrels for 18 months. Medium to deep garnet-purple, it opens with profound notes of crushed red and black currants, black cherries and cassis with touches of mocha, baking spices, menthol and lavender plus a hint of new leather. Medium-bodied, firm and concentrated with tons of tightly wound black fruit and earth layers, it has a grainy frame and refreshing lift on the long finish. (LPB) (2/2018)

Vinous- 96 points

One of the stars of the vintage, the 2015 Pape Clément is fabulous. Dark and beautifully resonant, it captures all the natural radiance of the year in the Pape Clément style. Super-ripe black cherry, plum, mocha, chocolate, new leather and spice effortlessly fill out the wine’s ample frame. Soft contours and an open-knit, inviting personality are just two of the reasons the Pape Clément is going to be virtually impossible to resist, even in the early going. The blend is 60% Cabernet Sauvignon and 40% Merlot. Tasted two times. (AG) (2/2018)

Wine Enthusiast- 95 points

Dense and concentrated, this wine is fully structured and also has great fruit. It is dense, showing the ripeness of both tannins and fruit in this vintage. It will power through its development to be a very fine wine from 2025. Bernard Magrez. *Cellar Selection* (RV) (4/2018)

Wine Spectator- 95 points

Ripe and lush, with flashy anise, apple wood and mocha notes forming the frame and ample cassis, cherry paste and plum sauce flavors at the core for balance. Shows lots of sweet spice details through the finish, with the apple wood edge holding sway for now. A bold, glossy version that will please fans of the style after some time. Best from 2022 through 2035. (JM) (3/2018)

Decanter- 94 points

A vintage where the temptation for Magrez to push hard on the pedal must have been hard to resist, but they have got the balance well executed here – yes it’s big and won’t alienate Pape Clément followers, but there is some lovely fresh juice that seeps in between the tight, bristling brambly fruit. It’s very good quality and will clearly age well. Still with the heavy glass bottle though, surely time to change that! (JA) (3/2018)