97-
98
JAMES SUCKLING: "This is really classy with length and polish that shine brightly. Also, you see blackberry, bark, currant and mushroom character. Full-bodied with wonderfully polished tannins and a seamless finish."
95-
97
JEB DUNNUCK: "The 2023 Château Pape Clément is based on 50% Merlot, 45% Cabernet Sauvignon, 3% Cabernet Franc, and 2% Petit Verdot. Its deep purple hue is followed by a beautiful array of red and black fruits, smoked tobacco, subtle leather, and savory herbs. It's not massive, but it’s medium to full-bodied, with a supple, elegant mouthfeel, seamless tannins, and just about flawless balance. Pure class with its overall balance and finesse, it should shine right out of the gate yet still have 25+ years of overall longevity. Tasted three times."
95
THE WINE CELLAR INSIDER: "Quite floral in nature, with lemon rind, tangerine, vanilla, honeysuckle, pineapple, and white peach with a dab of honey are a pleasure in your glass. Fresh, vibrant, racy, clean, and pure, with a salty-honeyed note accompanying all of the sweet, ripe, orange, and yellow tropical fruits really works here in the mid-palate, and in the finish. The wine blends 60% Sauvignon Blanc, 35% Semillon, 4% Sauvignon Gris, and 1% Muscadelle. Picking took place August 23 - September 7. Drink from 2025-2035."
18
WEINWISSER: "50 % Merlot, 45 % Cabernet Sauvignon, 3 % Cabernet Franc, 2 % Petit Verdot, 35 hl/ha. Betörendes Bouquet, reife Schattenmorellen, Holundergelee und dunkles Edelholz, dahinter Lakritze und Brasil-Tabak. Am satten saftigen Gaumen mit cremiger Textur, engmaschigem fleischigem Tanningerüst, stützender Rasse und muskulösem Körper. Im konzentrierten langanhaltenden Finale rote und blaue Beeren, dunkle Mineralik und feinkörnige Extraktfülle."
93-
95
LISA PERROTTI-BROWN: "The 2023 Pape Clement has a deep garnet-purple color. The nose is very shut down to begin, needing a lot of shaking to wake up notes of stewed plums, crème de cassis, and blueberry preserves, plus suggestions of tar, licorice, dried herbs and crushed rocks. The medium to full-bodied palate is bright and juicy, textured by fine-grained tannins, finishing with impressive tension and length."
92-
94
THE WINE ADVOCATE: "The 2023 Pape Clément evokes aromas of dark wild berries, spices, licorice and mulberries, followed by a medium to full-bodied, round and ample palate with structuring tannins and a firm, concentrated mid-palate that segues into a long, fruity finish. Less oaky than the previous years, this is a more contemporary expression of this great terroir. It's a blend of 50% Merlot, 45% Cabernet Sauvignon, 3% Cabernet Franc and 2% Petit Verdot."
93
DECANTER: "With aromas of blackberry, plum and crushed tobacco offering promise, I feel that the palate comes across a touch over extracted, with tannins coming to the fore. The good news is less new oak, so that the estate aims for balance, but perhaps the 2023 vintage here is not ideal? In any case, while I appreciate the intensity of the palate, I feel that one should be more conservative until after the bottling, to see the extent to which the barrel ageing will soften the palate."
92
VINUM: "Dichte Farbe, komplexe Nase, dunkle Beeren, rauchige Noten, Tabak, Harz; weicher Auftakt, packt dann zu, der Gerbstoff ist fein mit der Frucht verwoben, das Holz ist nicht überbordend; zeigt Eleganz und Würze. Sehr sauber vinifiziert, für eine mittlere Reife gebaut."
92
FALSTAFF: "Dunkles Rubingranat, tiefer Kern, violette Reflexe, zarte Randaufhellung. Kräuterwürze, dunkle Waldbeeren, dezente Edelholzanklänge, eher verhaltenes Bukett. Stoffig, würzig am Gaumen, präsente Tannine, etwas Nugat, noch sehr unterentwickelt, mineralisch und mit Länge ausgestattet, momentan schwer zu beurteilen."
