Ch.Pape Clement Blanc 2006 750ml

Wine Advocate #181 Feb 2009
Arguably the dry white wine of the vintage along with Laville, this is an extraordinary wine with the texture of a grand cru white Burgundy, the so-called gout de petrol that one finds in Coche-Dury Meursault-Perrieres, or one of the top Montrachets from the likes of Domaine Leflaive or Romanee-Conti. Honeyed orange, sweet melons, subtle smoke, stunning concentration, and a full-bodied mouthfeel make for an extraordinary expression of white Graves that should age beautifully for 15-20 years. The final blend from the tiny 7.5-acre parcel of this historic vineyard was 50% Sauvignon Blanc, 40% Semillon, 5% each of Sauvignon Gris and Muscadelle.

Château Pape Clément is a Cru Classé Graves property that has one of the oldest documented histories of any Bordeaux vineyard, having been planted in 1300 by Bernard de Groth, the future Pope Clément V. In 1939 the estate was bought by the Montagne family and is now owned and run by Léo Montagne.
Pape Clément is located in the Bordeaux suburb of Pessac and consists of a chai and 32 hectares of vineyards, planted with Cabernet Sauvignon (60%), Merlot (40%) and small amounts of Sauvignon Blanc, Sémillon and Muscadelle.
The quality of the wines at Pape Clément slipped in the 1960s and 70s, largely because of under-investment. Bernard Magrez was appointed as general manager in 1985 and he turned Pape Clément's fortunes around. He introduced more rigorous selection in the vineyards, as well as installing stainless steel vats and raising the percentage of new oak casks used in the maturation process.
Pape Clément now produces one of the finest clarets in Pessac-Léognan.