Chateau Pape Clement Blanc 2019

Professional Ratings

• 97 James Suckling

  Aromas of green apple, lime, kumquat, fresh thyme, flint, stone and oyster shell. It’s medium-bodied with tangy acidity and a saline, mineral and zesty palate. Vibrant and intense. So much energy and freshness. Lots of vivid acidity. Tight at the end. Give this another three to four years of bottle.

• 96 Jeb Dunnuck

  The flagship white of the château is the 2019 Château Pape Clement Blanc, which is a mix of 46% Sauvignon, 40% Semillon, and the balance Sauvignon Gris. Its light gold hue is followed by a gorgeous perfume of mandarin orange, honeyed grapefruit, white flowers, and chalky minerality. I love its freshness and vibrancy on the nose, and it hits the palate with medium to full-bodied richness, a supple, sexy, opulent mouthfeel, good acidity, and a great finish. It's a beautiful, seamless, complete Bordeaux Blanc that will keep for 15 years or more in cold cellars, although it's stunning even today. The style of the white here today is one of more finesse and elegance compared to the richer, more sexy style of the past.

• 94 Decanter
  Finely balanced between richly textured and restrained savoury white pear and citrus fruits. Walks the line between the two, far more successful to my taste than it did perhaps a decade ago, when this was a bigger style of white. You can clearly tell that this has impact and confidence, but it is beautifully complex and well-put together. Fermented in barrel, large sized oak casks and (15%) in cement egg-shaped vats. Harvest August 30 to September 12. Consultant Michel Rolland. Tasted twice two weeks apart.
  Barrel Sample: 94
• 94 Wine Enthusiast

  This vintage shows swathes of ripe fruits that have a youthful, textured character. Wood aging has added spice and rounded out the white-fruit-flavored texture. This complex wine will age. Cellar Selection

• 93 Wine Spectator

  Enticing, featuring a flash of brioche amid the white peach, verbena and lemon peel notes, with a subtle echo of salted butter through the finish. Stylish and sneaky long, too. Sauvignon Blanc, Sémillon and Sauvignon Gris.. Drink now.

• 91 Robert Parker's Wine Advocate

  Bursting with aromas of grapefruit, gooseberry, tropical fruits and fresh bread, Pape Clément's 2019 Blanc is medium to full-bodied, bright and vibrant, its elegantly fleshy core of fruit animated by lively acids and chalky dry extract that lends pleasing grip to the finish. This is a seamless, refreshing Sauvignon-dominated (in percentage as well as personality) blend that is drinking well out of the gates. Though this derives from a warm terroir in a warm vintage, that's not especially evident, and this is far less unctuous and overtly oaky than was the case a decade ago. Equally, though it can't be faulted in terms of haut couture wine making, the lack of yesteryear's pronounced signature reveals a wine that's just a little simple.