Chateau Pape Clement (1.5 Liter Magnum) 2014

Professional Ratings

• 96 James Suckling
  Intense blackberry and blueberry aromas as well as mushroom undertones. Violets, too. Sweet tobacco. Full-bodied and layered with polished tannins. Very long and beautiful. Give it two or three years to show what it has but already a beauty.
• 95 Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
  The 2014 Pape Clement is dark, sensual and alluring, with wonderful contrasts from riper and more savory elements that take shape in the glass. Super-ripe dark cherries, smoke, graphite, incense, tobacco and crushed rocks are pushed forward in a decidedly ripe, voluptuous Pessac endowed with notable personality. A second sample, tasted a day later, was much more mineral-driven and focused, with the fruit pushed to the background. Either way, the 2014 Pape Clement is one of the most overly modern, lush wines being made today in Pessac-Leognan. As such, it will appeal most to readers who like exuberance and opulence. While not exactly my cup of tea, there is no denying the 2014 Pape Clément is fabulous.
  Barrel Sample: 92-95+
• 95 Jeb Dunnuck
  In a vintage that can lack a little pizzazz, the 2014 Pape Clement stands out for its exuberant, sexy, full-bodied style. Checking in as a blend of 58% Merlot, 38% Cabernet Sauvignon and the balance Petit Verdot, aged in 60% new French oak, its deep purple color is followed by a layered, ripe, sexy wine that has loads of currants, blackberries, smoke tobacco, and forest floor aromas and flavors, with just a touch of chocolaty oak. Silky and incredibly pure on the palate, with impeccable balance and sweet, yet present tannin, it’s already impossible to resist, yet is going to deliver the goods for another 20-25 years. It’s a beauty!
• 94 Wine Enthusiast
  Ripe and richly fruity, the wine is full bodied with great acidity as well as firm tannins. It will keep for many years. Bold tannins and a fine tension between the fruit and acidity are all promising for the future. Drink this impressive wine from 2025.
  Cellar Selection
• 94 Wine Spectator
  Broad and hefty, with a wall of ganache out front, followed by steeped fig and blackberry paste flavors. The dense, loamy finish lets the toast hold sway. Shows more power than purity, but there's density and length here, too. For fans of the style.
  Barrel Sample: 91-94
• 94 Decanter
  This is a restrained version of Pape Clément compared to some vintages, and for me all the more successful because of it. Fine but firm tannins, there is a grip and lovely hold to the fruits, which in turn are dark, brambly, bilberry and cassis. Great potential for medium to long term. Without the swagger that the château displays in 2009 or 2010, but I love the stylistic expression here, from 52% Cabernet Sauvignon, 44% Merlot, 2% Petit Verdot and 2% Cabernet Franc. Good yields also, 45 hl/h, so it is concentrated but not overly so.
• 94 Wilfred Wong of Wine.com
  There is never a question of how much fruit the Château Pape Clément will show. This wine, always exhibiting great density, garners admiration from lovers of international styles of wine. The 2014 is simply masterful and well-mannered. Not over-the-top, but perfect in its juxtaposition of power and elegance. Its black fruit and fragrant flowers, with an excellent addition of sweet oak, make it sophisticated and refined.