Chateau Pape Clement 2020

JAMES SUCKLING: "Lots of blackberry, iodine and crushed stone here. Some black pepper and graphite, too. Full body and medium, fine tannins that have a powdery texture and open in the mouth. So much going on. Iodine and iron undertones with some raw mushroom bring you back for more. Muscular. This is for the cellar. Drink after 2027."

JEB DUNNUCK: "I loved the 2020 Château Pape Clément, and this beauty is up there with the top wines in Pessac. Checking in as equal parts Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot, aged 18 months in 90% barrels and 10% in foudre, it offers a deep purple hue to go with a powerful, concentrated profile displaying both red and black fruits, lots of spicy, chocolate, flowery incense nuances, full-bodied richness, and an almost salty, bloody character on the finish. This beauty shows the concentrated yet utterly classic, focused, elegant style of the vintage and has so much to love. It's going to be even better with 4-6 years of bottle age and will see its 30th birthday in fine form."

WEINWISSER: "Intensives schwarzbeeriges Bouquet, Nougatpralinen, exotische Hölzer, Cassis-Likör und dominikanischer Tabak. Am satten Gaumen mit seidiger Textur, feinkörniger Extraktfülle, stützender Rasse, engmaschigem Tanninkorsett und mit dichten Muskeln überzogenem Körper. Im konzentrierten Finale Wildkirsche, tiefschürfende Terroirwürze und langes Rückaroma. Ein «eleganter» Pape, der mir nicht nur während der Primeurs außerordentlich gut gefallen hat. Trinkreife nach hinten angepasst!"

THE WINE CELLAR INSIDER: "With a deep hue that is close to opaque, the wine exudes smoke, roasted espresso, cigar wrappers, blackberries, black cherries, licorice and chocolate. There is fabulous depth, purity, length and complexity here. The richly-textured finish is fleshy, powerful, intense and polished, with an endnote that keeps on going long after the wine has left the glass. This is the finest vintage of Pape Clement in years. Drink from 2026-2055."

FALSTAFF: "Dunkles Rubingranat, opaker Kern, violette Reflexe, zarter Ockerrand. Attraktive frische Herzkirschfrucht, dunkle Waldbeeren, Cassis, zart nach Edelholz, feine tabakige Nuancen, ein facettenreiches Bukett. Saftig, komplex, sehr elegant, verfügt über Frische und reife Tannine, mineralisch und sehr gut anhaftend, tolle Balance und Länge, bereits in der Jugend sehr verführerisch, sicheres Entwicklungspotenzial."

WINE SPECTATOR: "This is snazzed up with flashy toast, but there's ample mulberry, cassis and plum compote fruit to soak it up, while notes of licorice and sweet spice fill in the background. A late tug of warm earth keeps this grounded. Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot. Best from 2028 through 2038."

THE WINE ADVOCATE: "Aromas of rich cherries, cassis, burning embers, violets and dark chocolate introduce the 2020 Pape Clément, a medium to full-bodied, rich and fleshy wine that's ripe, layered and generously extracted but also a touch deeper and more reserved than the flashy 2019. While it would be an exaggeration to say that this estate's red wines are making much of a shift in the direction of restraint, the style is certainly less aspirational than it was a decade ago."

DECANTER: "Powerful in colour, this has the glass staining red and purple colours that Pape Clément does so well. Touches of liquorice and cocoa beans, well handled, this gives power with one hand but takes it away with the other as the austerity and fresh mint leaf comes to the fore. Impressive, a really enjoyable, classically wrought but still full of concentration Pape Clément. Savoury, there is nothing too exuberant in the fruits but it exudes deft confidence."

LISA PERROTTI-BROWN: "Deep garnet-purple in color, the 2020 Pape Clement is composed of 50% Cabernet Sauvignon, 47% Merlot, 2% Petit Verdot, and 1% Cabernet Franc. It is wearing quite a lot of oak on the nose at this stage, giving way to a powerful core of baked plums and blackcurrant cordial notes, plus wafts of Indian spices and crushed rocks. The medium to full-bodied palate is laden with lively black fruits and a firm, grainy texture, finishing long and earthy."

JANCIS ROBINSON: "Very heady, ripe nose. But much more restrained on the palate than some earlier vintages. There is even a hint of minerality! Complete and well balanced. A success."