Chateau Pape Clément Cru Classé de Graves Pessac-Léognan 2020 i trækasse

James Suckling

Lots of blackberry, iodine and crushed stone here. Some black pepper and graphite, too. Full body and medium, fine tannins that have a powdery texture and open in the mouth. So much going on. Iodine and iron undertones with some raw mushroom bring you back for more. Muscular. This is for the cellar.

The Wine Cellar Insider - Jeff Leve

With a deep hue that is close to opaque, the wine exudes smoke, roasted espresso, cigar wrappers, blackberries, black cherries, licorice and chocolate. There is fabulous depth, purity, length and complexity here. The richly-textured finish is fleshy, powerful, intense and polished, with an endnote that keeps on going long after the wine has left the glass. This is the finest vintage of Pape Clement in years.

Raffaele Vecchione WinesCritic.com

Shining on the nose giving immediate pleasure with its primary 'core' which is rich with wild strawberries, grape must, lemon rind, cut cedar, mandarin blossom and guaranà. Full bodied, soft tannins and an honest, genuine finish of remarkable beauty. Spicy and dark, it is a concentrated wine which has been made with modern vision.

Antonio Galloni

The 2020 Pape Clément is outrageously beautiful. Dark, virile and imposing, the 2020 is a rare vintage of Pape Clément that is vertical and statuesque in feel. Dark fruit, chocolate, new leather, licorice and cloves infuse the palate with tremendous depth. In a word: magnificent.

Robert Parker

Deep garnet-purple colored, the 2020 Pape Clement comes barreling out of the glass with bold notes of cassis, plum preserves and licorice, giving way to scents of cedar chest, crushed rocks, charcoal and pencil lead. The medium to full-bodied palate is tightly coiled with beautiful tension and a firm, finely grained texture locking in the layers of black fruits and minerals, finishing with great length and energy. The blend this year is 50% Cabernet Sauvignon and 50% Merlot, aging mainly in French oak barriques, 66% new, with about 10% aging in large oak foudres. The wine will spend approximately 18 months in barrels.

Jeb Dunnuck

I loved the 2020 Château Pape Clément, and this beauty is up there with the top wines in Pessac. Checking in as equal parts Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot, aged 18 months in 90% barrels and 10% in foudre, it offers a deep purple hue to go with a powerful, concentrated profile displaying both red and black fruits, lots of spicy, chocolate, flowery incense nuances, full-bodied richness, and an almost salty, bloody character on the finish. This beauty shows the concentrated yet utterly classic, focused, elegant style of the vintage and has so much to love. It's going to be even better with 4-6 years of bottle age and will see its 30th birthday in fine form.

Jeff Leve, The Wine Cellar Insider

“With a deep hue that is close to opaque, the wine exudes smoke, roasted espresso, cigar wrappers, blackberries, black cherries, licorice and chocolate. There is fabulous depth, purity, length and complexity here. The richly-textured finish is fleshy, powerful, intense and polished, with an endnote that keeps on going long after the wine has left the glass. This is the finest vintage of Pape Clement in years.”

Tastingbook.com

Markus del Monego MW

Le Figaro Vin

Falstaff

Dark ruby garnet, opaque core, violet reflections, delicate ocher edge. Attractive fresh heart cherry fruit, dark wild berries, cassis, delicately of precious wood, fine tobacco nuances, a multi-faceted bouquet. Juicy, complex, very elegant, has fresh and ripe tannins, mineral and very persistent, great balance and length, very seductive even when young, sure potential for development.

Andreas Larsson, Tasted

Pure and aromatic nose with bay leaf, sage blending red and dark fruit. The palate shows its usual concentration and depth with fine layers, refined tannin, a good dose of freshness underneath and a brilliantly long finish.

WinesCritic.com

“Shining on the nose giving immediate pleasure with its primary 'core' which is rich with wild strawberries, grape must, lemon rind, cut cedar, mandarin blossom and guaranà. Full bodied, soft tannins and an honest, genuine finish of remarkable beauty. Spicy and dark, it is a concentrated wine which has been made with modern vision.”

Alexandre Ma

Owen Bargreen

I adore the 2020 Chateau Pape Clement Rouge which is extremely powerful yet dazzles with its underlying tension. A blend of equal parts Merlot and Cabernet Sauvignon, on the palate this classy wine reveals heady pencil lead ,kirsch cordial and espresso grounds that combine with the seamless texture. Very deep and concentrated, enjoys this beauty in a year or so.

Wine Spectator

This is snazzed up with flashy toast, but there's ample mulberry, cassis and plum compote fruit to soak it up, while notes of licorice and sweet spice fill in the background. A late tug of warm earth keeps this grounded. Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot. Best from 2028 through 2038.

Decanter

Tannic heft from the get-go, though this does have a lovely fresh, clean and precise core with a narrow, focused frame so the elements come across as quite tight and severe right now but well worked. It has class, no doubt, on the high-toned scale, potent and upfront but there's gorgeous detail and precision to the fruit, acidity and tannins. Slick and classy with lots of glamour that plays to the strengths of the vintage.

Tim Atkin

Chris Kissack, The Wine Doctor

VV Wine