Château Pape Clément - Pessac-Léognan (Grand Cru Classé de Graves) 1996 (750ml)

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Producer	Château Pape Clément
Country	France
Region	Bordeaux
Subregion	Pessac-Léognan
Varietal	Cabernet Sauvignon
Vintage	1996
Sku	118927
Size	750ml
ABV	13.00%

 

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Origins
Chateau Pape Clément owes its name to its most illustrious owner. A man of the cloth born in 1264, Bertrand de Goth became Bishop of Comminges, in the Pyrenees Mountains, at the age of 31; he later became Archbishop of Bordeaux in 1299.

He then received as a gift the property in Pessac, the Vineyard de La Mothe. Taken by a passion for the vine, he continually took part personally in equipping, organizing and managing the domain in accordance with the most modern and rational practices. Nevertheless, on 5 June 1305 the cardinals met in a conclave in Pérouse and appointed him to succeed Pope Benedict XI, who had passed away prematurely after only eleven months of reign. Bertrand de Goth took the name of Clement V.

Supported by Philip IV, it was he who decided in 1309 to move the papal court to Avignon, thus breaking with Rome and its battles of influence. During this same period, the weight of his responsibilities led him to relinquish his property, giving it to the Archbishop of Bordeaux. Henceforward, the vineyard was to be known to posterity under the name of this enlightened pope.

The early period
Management under the clergy brings modernity The grateful Church perpetuated Pope Clement's work. Each archbishop in turn turned to modernity and technical progress, to the point of the wine estate becoming a model vineyard. In addition to especially early harvests, which remain one of its special characteristics, Chateau Pape Clément is without a doubt the first vineyard in France to align vine stock to facilitate labour.

After the Revolution
At the end of the 18th century, the Archbishop of Bordeaux was dispossessed of his property. The papal vineyard became part of the public domain.

The 20th century
8 June 1937 was a dark day in the vineyard's history, when a violent hailstorm destroyed virtually the entirety of the estate. Two years later, Paul Montagne bought it and gradually brought it back to life. Thanks to his efforts, the vineyard returned to its former rank and stood up to the surge in urbanization. His descendents, Léo Montagne and Bernard Magrez, perpetuate this secular tradition so that Chateau Pape Clément wines continue to delight the wine-lovers of today and tomorrow.

Winemaker Notes

Like many ancient châteaux, Château Pape-Clément has undergone significant upgrading and modernization since the 1980s, and is now in quality the equivalent of a Médoc second growth. An excellent choice for its classic rich, earthy Graves bouquet of black fruits, minerals, and "cigar box" tobacco, Château Pape-Clément is drinkable at an earlier age than many red Bordeaux. With its relatively high proportion of 30% Merlot, it is usually ready to drink by five years after the vintage, but in better years easily improves for over twenty years -- a smooth, supple, even opulent wine at all ages.

91 points John Gilman

In 1996, Pape Clément was still very much a classically styled claret and the wine shows very good potential to eventually blossom from behind the substantial tannins of the vintage and turn into a lovely wine. The nose is a youthfully complex blend of black cherries, dark berries, tobacco leaf, earth, smoke, dark chocolate and just a touch of spicy new wood. On the palate the wine is deep, fullish and still quite primary, with lovely focus, very good mid-palate depth, firm, but well-integrated tannins and lovely length and grip on the chocolaty finish. This should prove to be a lovely example of the vintage and it will be interesting to see if it always retains a bit of a firm edge from ‘96s massive tannins, or if this eventually blossoms into a classic example of Pape Clément. (JG) 91+ (9/2012)

91 points Int'l Wine Cellar

Full ruby-red. Superripe aromas of roasted plum, black raspberry, woodsmoke and humus. Dense and rather unevolved, but with sound acidity giving it excellent vinosity. Full, quite dry and serious; the substantial dusty tannins coat the entire palate. (ST) (6/1999)

Jancis Robinson

Very light nose. Very dusty tannins becoming even more evident as the fruit fades. But there is a convincing middle to this wine. Quite a kick. Mellifluous texture. (10/2006)

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