Château Pape Clément 2021

A rich and balanced Pessac-Léognan red wine

The estate

Located at the gates of Bordeaux, Château Pape Clément is one of the oldest wine-growing properties in the region, with a first harvest that took place in 1252. Château Pape Clément owes its name to Pope Clement V, who managed the vineyard before giving it to the Archbishop of Bordeaux. The vineyard is therefore sometimes nicknamed "Pope Clement's Vines". In 1983, Bernard Magrez, a tireless builder and composer of rare wines, purchased the property. Bernard Magrez, who now owns 4 Grands Crus Classés in Bordeaux, invested all of his energy and passion, elevating Château Pape Clément to the highest level of Bordeaux Grands Crus. In 2009, Château Pape Clément was rewarded for its quality by a 100/100 score from American critic Robert Parker.

The vineyard

Château Pape Clément produces Pessac-Léognan wines from a 61-hectare vineyard. The vines are 28 years old on average and are planted in soils of Pyrenean gravelly clay. The vineyard is managed on a micro-plot basis. The Château Pape Clément estate is certified for High Environmental Value 3, SME and even holds a Bee-Friendly certification.

The vintage

A warm, wet winter gave way to a cool, rainy spring marked by frost. The summer is cool and humid.

Vinification and ageing

First sorting in the vineyard before a second manual sorting of the bunches and then optical sorting of the grapes. The berries were placed into wooden and stainless steel vats of 25 to 70 hl by gravity. Pre-fermentation maceration at low temperature. Manual punching of the cap along with a 28-day maceration to refine the extraction. Direct run-off into French oak barrels and tuns. Malolactic fermentation is carried out in barrels (2/3 new and 1/3 second-fill barrels). The wine is aged for 18 months in French oak barrels (90%) and tuns (10%).

The blend

Château Pape Clément 2021 red wine comprises a blend of Merlot (60%) and Cabernet Sauvignon (40%).