Chateau Pape Clement - Chateau Pape Clement blanc 2020

JEB DUNNUCK: "One of the whites of the vintage, the 2020 Château Pape Clément Blanc is based on 62% Sauvignon Blanc, 33% Semillon, 4% Sauvignon Gris, and the remaining 1% Muscadelle, all of which was raised in a mix of new and used oak. This beauty stopped me in my tracks and offers a massive nose of honeyed limes, white flowers, tropical fruit, crushed stone, and orange marmalade. With the vintage’s vibrant sense of freshness, full-bodied richness, a stacked mid-palate, and a fabulous mouthfeel, this truly sensational white is an incredible achievement, and hats off to the team at Pape Clement! Give bottles 2-3 years and enjoy over the following two decades or so."

JAMES SUCKLING: "I like the richness and focus to this with sliced cooked apple, lemon and light toffee character. Candied pineapple. Hints of meringue. Full-bodied and layered. Really delicious and flavorful now with a solid balance of phenolic structure. Classy. Agile. Drink after 2025 but hard to stay away."

FALSTAFF: "Mittleres Gelbgrün, silberfarbene Reflexe. Feine Nuancen von gelbem Pfirsich und Ringlotten, zarter Blütenhonig, kandierte Orangenzesten, mineralischer Touch. Kraftvoll, saftig und elegant, reife Tropenfrucht, zarte Kräuterwürze, integrierter Säurebogen, feine Süße im Nachhall, sehr gute Länge, mineralisch unterlegt, ein sicheres Versprechen für die Zukunft."

THE WINE CELLAR INSIDER: "Rich, lush, ripe, concentrated, and fresh, here, you find a plethora of yellow, and orange citrus fruits with nuances of honeysuckle, green apple, mango, and a smidgeon of vanilla. On the palate, the wine is full, rich, creamy, oily, lively, and ready to go. Drink from 2023-2035."

DECANTER: "Bright and high acidity gives this a shot of life and energy as soon as it reaches the palate. Focused and full with lively citrus fruit but not massive acidity, the oak is covering up a little of the overt joy at the moment, just restricting the expression slightly and causing some tension and tightness on the mid-palate. Lovely persistence with caramel, toast, vanilla and clove aside orange zest, lemon and lime."

LISA PERROTTI-BROWN: "The 2020 Pape Clement Blanc rolls effortlessly out of the glass with impactful scents of honey drizzled peaches, fresh Bosc pears, and green guava, leading to touches of cedar and chalk dust. The medium-bodied palate is decadently satiny with bags of stone and tropical fruit layers, finishing with a refreshing lift."

THE WINE ADVOCATE: "Offering up notes of crisp nectarine, lemongrass and white flowers, the 2020 Pape Clément Blanc is medium to full-bodied, satiny and seamless, with bright acids, attractive purity of fruit and a long, aromatic finish. This is the most elegant white wine produced by this estate over the last decade, and it has turned out well in bottle."