Chateau Pape Clement - Winemaking, Best Wines (2024)

Want to find out more about Chateau Pape Clement before you add it to your collection?

Set in the Pessac Leognan appellation, Chateau Pape Clement is one of the oldest Grands Crus of Bordeaux. It is ranked among the Grand Cru Classe de Graves for red wine in the 1959 Classification of Graves wine. 

It’s had quite an eventful journey of ownership over the centuries - from the hands of the Archbishop of Bordeaux in the 1300s to the wine magnate Bernard Magrez today.

What makes these wines so sought-after, and how can you add this wine to your portfolio?

In this article, we will uncover everything you need to know - the history of this marvelous wine estate, the vineyard, and the winemaking techniques at this estate. We also have a list of eight exceptional wines from Pape Clement for you to experience.

We’ll also show you a hassle-free way to invest in wine.

A Quick Intro To Pape Clement

This gorgeous Grand Cru wine estate in the Pessac Leognan appellation in Graves takes its name from its founder, Bertrand de Goth, who became Pope Clement V in 1305. 

Today Bernard Magrez, owner of numerous wineries in France, such as Clos Haut-Peyraguey and Chateau La Tour Carnet, is in charge of the estate.

Chateau Pape Clement produces red and white wines (including the Grand Vin Chateau Pape Clement Grand Cru Classe de Graves), and a second wine called Le Clementin du Pape Clement. And while not classified as a third wine of the estate - Le Prelat de Pape Clement is produced from an 8.5-hectare plot.

A Brief History Of Pape Clement

The Pape Clement estate is one of the oldest Grands Crus in the Bordeaux region (the first harvest was in 1252.) Bertrand de Goth managed the vineyard before he was appointed as the archbishop of Bordeaux. 

After his appointment in 1306, Bertrand relocated to the papal court in Avignon. After moving to Avignon, Pope Clement V passed on the estate to Cardinal Arnaud de Canteloup. 

The original vineyard was planted with red wine grape varieties, and the white wine grape varieties were planted across the river near Lormont. The archbishop maintained the Chateau until the French Revolution when it was nationalized and sold as a Bien National (properties confiscated during the Revolution.)

After being sold, the Chateau saw several owners who developed the estate as a commercial enterprise. By the 19th century, Chateau Pape Clement was regarded to be second best after Haut-Brion. 

Under the ownership of Jean-Baptiste Clerc (1858-1880), Pape Clement wines started to sell at prices on par with Medoc second growths. 

After Jean-Baptiste’s death, the estate experienced many years of hardship. 

Vigneron Paul Montagne took over the estate in 1939 and started to rebuild it. The vineyard needed to be reconstituted from scratch, and with help from oenologist Emile Paynaud, Pape Clement wines started to regain their success. 

After Paul’s death, his son Leo Montagne partnered with his son-in-law Bernard Magrez. Today, the estate employs Michel Rolland as the consultant winemaker. 

Let’s take a look at some of the viticultural techniques used at the vineyard.

The Terroir Of Pape Clement

The vineyard of Chateau Pape Clement Pessac Leognan is situated in the Graves viticultural area and covers 32.5 hectares.

30 hectares of vines are planted with Cabernet Sauvignon (60%) and Merlot (40%). The remaining 2.5 hectares are planted with Sauvignon Blanc (45%), Semillon (45%), and Muscadelle (10%.) There are also tiny amounts of Cabernet Franc and Petit Verdot vine plantings in this vineyard. 

Chateau Pape Clement’s terroir is on the oldest alluvial terraces known as the “Pyrenean gravel layer.” The site’s uniqueness comes from the thin film of Garonne gravel, which is over a million and a half years old. 

The soil is a good mix of gravel-sand and limestone-clay soils, with a chalky subsoil rich in iron - the perfect terroir for Merlot and Cabernet Sauvignon. 

Chateau Pape Clement also has the High Environmental Value (HVE) level 3 certification. This certification is the highest environmental distinction according to the French state. 

Over the years, the Chateau has developed a balance between traditional (natural fermentation) and modern techniques (self-steering tractors) to get the best out of its vineyard. 

Let’s take a look at how they make the exquisite wines.

Chateau Pape Clement Winemaking Techniques 

Chateau Pape Clement, on average, produces around 7,000 cases of red wine and 350 cases of dry white wine annually. They use a blend of traditional and modern winemaking techniques:

• Only the best bunches of fruit from each vine are harvested by hand. Fruit is then sorted according to ripeness, and only 5% of the very best are de-stemmed by hand. The individual berries are carefully detached. The fruit is then put into crates and taken to the vat room. 
• The Pape Clement vat room has 28 large French oak vats, which correspond to the grape varietals’ plots and ages. This process is known as “parcellisation.”Parcellisation allows Pape Clement to blend their wines according to the complexity of their micro-terroir. 
• For the red wines, there is a manual punching down of the cap, and via gravity flow, the juice goes directly into 100% new oak barrels. 
• Malolactic fermentation occurs, and then the red wine is aged in French oak barrels for 18 to 20 months before bottling. Pape Clement works with various barrel makers (coopers) to add even more complexity to their wines. 
• For the white Bordeaux wine, the grape varietals are cluster-fermented before being destemmed in French oak barrels. There’s no malolactic fermentation, and the wines are aged for 12 months on their lees before bottling.

Wondering which Chateau Pape Clement wine would suit your style?

Pape Clement Wine Styles

The Chateau produces a range of exceptional wines - here are the four main styles:

1. Chateau Pape Clement Rouge: Grand Cru Classe de Graves

The Red Grand Cru Classe is a blend of Cabernet Sauvignon (56%), Merlot (40%), and Cabernet Franc (4%). Aged for 18 months in oak barrels, it has notes of ample cassis, apple wood, mocha, and flashy anise.

2. Chateau Pape Clement Blanc: Grand Vin de Graves

This white Grand Vin is a blend of Sauvignon Blanc (50%), Semillon (40%), Sauvignon Gris (10%). The Blanc Grand Vin is among the best dry white wines of Bordeaux and of Pessac Leognan.

3. Clementin Rouge: Grand Vin de Graves

This great wine is a blend of Merlot (70%) and Cabernet Sauvignon (30%). This wine is macerated for 30-35 days and aged for 16 months in oak barrels.

4. Clementin Blanc: Grand Vin de Graves

The Clementin Blanc is a blend of Sauvignon Blanc (75%), Semillon (20%), and Muscadelle (5%.) This second wine is aged in French oak barrels and has spectacular tasting notes. 

In 2018, the Chateau released a new addition to their collection - the PC4. This is a multi-vintage blend that is made from the best vintages. Its debut bottle was created using the 2000, 2005, 2010, and 2015 Pape Clement vintages.

How To Serve Pape Clement Wines

Serve Chateau Pape Clement wines at 60 degrees Fahrenheit (15.5 degrees Celsius) to give the wine more freshness.

Chateau Pape Clement is best served with classic grilled and roasted dishes, while the Chateau Pape Clement Blanc pairs well with seafood dishes, sushi, pork, chicken, and Asian cuisine.

The 8 Best Pape Clement Wines For You To Buy (Including tasting notes)

Ready to try out some of the best vintages from this stunning Pessac Leognan estate? 

1. 1959 Chateau Pape Clement

This medium-bodied wine opens up with profound notes of cassis, sappy kirsch, smoke, truffle, spice, and cedar. It is an elegant wine with notes of baking spices and red berries. 

Price of 1959 Chateau Pape Clement, Pessac-Leognan, France: $785

2. 1955 Chateau Pape Clement

This wine has a gorgeous deep garnet purple color and intense aromas of toast and herbal notes. A blend of Merlot and Cabernet Sauvignon, this vintage has an extraordinary texture on the palate, silky tannins, and a lingering finish. 

Price of 1955 Chateau Pape Clement, Pessac-Leognan, France: $657

3. 1961 Chateau Pape Clement

The 1961 Pape Clement has a bouquet of smoke, truffle, spicy black cherry, forest floor, and tar scents. This fully matured, medium-bodied wine has profound notes of aged silky cassis on the palate that leads you to a lingering finish. 

Price of 1961 Chateau Pape Clement, Pessac-Leognan, France: $574

4. 2009 Chateau Pape Clement Blanc

This great wine has a nose that pops with notes of honeydew, honey, flowers, candied lemon, and sweet tropical fruit on the palate. It is a beautiful and complex wine with the harmonious expression of a classic white Bordeaux wine from the Pessac leognan appellation. 

Price of 2009 Chateau Pape Clement Blanc, Pessac-Leognan, France: $439

5. 1964 Chateau Pape Clement Blanc

The 1964 vintage has all the mature aromas of a classic Pape Clement, with notes of truffle, smoke, tobacco, cedar, tar, ample cassis, and earthy notions. It is a delicate wine with a short finish with flavors of earth, sappy kirsch, and baking spices on the palate.

Price of 1964 Chateau Pape Clement Blanc, Pessac-Leognan, France: $229

6. 2010 Chateau Pape Clement

This gorgeous vintage has a deep garnet purple color and has smoke, mocha, black cherries, flashy anise, blue fruits, fennel, plum, and earthy notions. It is a rich, full-bodied wine with a lush texture and grainy tannins on the palate and flavors of dark berries, oak, and chocolate. 

Price of 2010 Chateau Pape Clement, Pessac-Leognan, France: $243

7. 2006 Chateau Pape Clement Blanc

The 2006 vintage shows some secondary aromatics of truffle, earth, smoke, forest floor, and dark red fruits. Still youthful, this full-bodied wine has round tannins that lead you to a jammy black cherry and tannic structure. 

Price of 2006 Chateau Pape Clement Blanc, Pessac-Leognan, France: $233

8. 2007 Chateau Pape Clement Blanc

This Chateau Pape Clement 2007 vintage has a powerful nose of lemon, white nectarine, citrus oil, floral, vanilla bean, and lime scents. This white Bordeaux has a medium-bodied palate with loads of charm, and soft fruit flavors with a fresh and flavorful finish. 

Price of 2007 Chateau Pape Clement Blanc, Pessac-Leognan, France: $210

Should You Invest In Pape Clement Wine?

The red wines from the Domaine require 10-15 years of cellar time for all their flavors to develop fully. The red wines from the oldest Grands Crus reach their peak maturity between 15-50 years after the vintage.

Chateau Pape Clement wines experienced a turning point with the 1998 vintage and have consistently received high scores from critics since then. The 2005 and 2010 vintages were terrific, with the latter scoring 100 points from wine critics Robert Parker and Lisa Perrotti-Brown. James Suckling awarded the 2019 vintage 97 points.

The Grand Cru Classe is known to have been placed fifth in a blind tasting at the Grand Jury Europeen (GJE) in 2008.

Chateau Pape Clement wines have also proven their investment-worthiness through steady price increases: 

• The 1959 vintage rose from $566 to $762 (35%) between Sep 2020 and Feb 2021.
• During the same period, the 1969 Chateau Pape Clement saw a 45% increase from $170 to $246. 
• The 1985 vintage had an impressive increase of 161% in one year, going from $114 to $297 per bottle (Feb 2020 - Feb 2021.)

If you want to add a Pape Clement wine to your collection, the vintages to look out for include 2019, 2018, 2017, 2016, 2015, 2014, 2012, 2010, 2009, 2008, 2005, 2001, 2000, 1998, 1996, 1990 and 1961.

That aside, how will you know which Bordeaux vintage or any other wine is worth investing in for the long term? 

Well, there is the arduous journey of surfing the internet and deciphering opinions of 100s of wine enthusiasts and critics! 

Or, you can get all the answers from a team of professionals.

How? 

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Invest In A Magnificent Pape Clement Today!

Chateau Pape Clement produces a range of wines, perfect for a hot sunny day with friends or a family dinner. They also have a range of age-worthy wines which deserve a spot in your wine investment portfolio. 

But don’t get distracted when searching for the perfect vintage, instead invest through Vinovest for a hassle-free experience. 

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