2022 Château Pape Clement Rouge Grand Cru Classé de Graves Magnum

The Château Pape Clement Rouge Grand Cru Classé de Graves has truly put a fine wine on the map with its 2019 vintage, now rivaling the Premier Crus in terms of quality (fortunately not yet in terms of price, but that will certainly happen). This flagship wine from Mr. Bernard Magrez's empire is destemming entirely by hand, berry by berry, and only berries with intact skins are used in the wine. This requires a huge amount of manpower (more than 20 people for the destemming), but the result is exceptional. The Pape Clement Rouge is a blend of 50% Cabernet Sauvignon and 50% Merlot, aged for 18 months in oak barriques, 60% of which are new and the rest are second-year oak. In the glass, the Pape Clement has a deep garnet red color with a purple hue. The Pape Clement needs some oxygen but then slowly unfolds with notes of fragrant earth, crushed rocks, iron ore, and tobacco, which then evolve into red and black currants, cherry, rose, and black tea. Full and delightfully lively, it is medium to full-bodied with firm, fine-grained tannins and a surprisingly fresh, very long (mineral) finish. With its smoky and spicy bouquet, the red Pape Clément is of admirable quality and a very characteristic softness. The wine is both concentrated, refined, and harmonious, with an aromatic palette that is as broad as it is precise. The depth and length on the palate are exceptional. The quality of the terroir, sustained effort, and dynamism have paid off, bringing Pape Clément to a level very close to that of the premiers crus. Recent reviews from the international wine press also confirm this. This is a 1.5 litre magnum – even tastier, more festive and with a longer drinking window. 94/100 Parker 98/100 James Suckling