Pape Clément Pessac-Léognan 2016

98 points James Suckling: "Stunning concentration of perfectly ripe blackcurrants here with a delicate whiff of vanilla oak and extremely fine tannins that are almost perfectly integrated on the seductive and delicate palate, right through the almost literally breathtaking, super-long and very polished finish. Try from 2022. (Jan 2019)"

97 points Jeb Dunnuck: "Tasted on two separate occasions, the 2016 Château Pape Clément never failed to impress, offering a huge, powerful, full-bodied personality as well as beautiful notes of cassis, graphite, high-class cigar tobacco, asphalt, and graphite. About as sexy as it gets in the vintage, with silky tannins and loads of fruit, it’s perfectly balanced and has a great finish. The 2016 is a blend of 60% Merlot, 36% Cabernet Sauvignon, and the balance Petit Verdot and Cabernet Franc, all raised in 60% new barrels. Drink: 2022-2047. (Feb 2019)"

97 points Jane Anson (Inside Bordeaux): "(60% Merlot, 35% Cabernet Sauvignon, 3% Petit Verdot, 2% Cabernet Franc) Deep plum colour, beautifully rich with violet nuances. Just love this, combining silky texture, great balance, tension and poise, with cocoa bean, slate, liqourice, cassis and bilberry fruits. Has an effortless mix of concentration and lightness of touch. Harvest September 30 to October 19, Michel Rolland consultant. Feels the most signature Pessac Léognan of the lineup to date, with so much life ahead. Alcohol 14%. Drink: 2025-2046. (11/4/21)"

97 points Chris Kissack (Winedoctor): "The blend of the grand vin has changed since the primeurs, and is apparently 60% Cabernet Sauvignon, 36% Merlot, 3% Petit Verdot and 1% Cabernet Franc. The élevage involved mostly oak barrels, 50% new, the rest second-fill barrels, although a small percentage was aged in terracotta jarres, a practice which extends across all the Magrez domaines. The wines rested here for 18 months. After rejecting a lightly corked sample, a fresh bottle revealed a sweetly perfumed nose, with very concentrated dark fruits, showing a grilled intensity, laced with a chalk-dust perfume. This bottle may be at a disadvantage, the cork having been pulled immediately before my tasting (the other Magrez wines were opened an hour before I arrived) but it seems to be singing well. The palate is undeniable in its intent, with dark and brooding confit fruits, currant, black bean, charcoal, black olive and a touch of balsamic intensity, swirled with tightly grained tannins, toasted but relatively reserved oak, and fresh acid seams. This is really good, very promising, yes it is imposing, with a long finish, tightly grained and charged with tannin, but I like the little touch of mineral energy that courses within. An impressive showing. (Dec 2018)"

97 points (18.5/20) La Revue du Vin de France: "In 2016, the harvest was later than at Haut-Brion, but the wine retains real freshness and sapid fruit. Lots of creaminess with a fine sweetness and a soft touch of oak (60% new wood). Great balance on the palate, with a saline finish in a blend of almost equal parts Merlot and Cabernet Sauvignon. (2018)"

96 points Antonio Galloni (Vinous): "The 2016 Pape Clément is fabulous. Racy and sumptuous in the glass, the 2016 captures the style that now characterizes Bernard Magrez's wines from his estate in Pessac. Specifically, the 2016 is wonderfully deep in the glass, and yet retains terrific freshness as well. A rush of dark cherry, plum, smoke, scorched earth, grilled herb, leather and menthol builds as the 2016 shows off its compelling, inviting personality. I would prefer to give the 2016 at least a few years in bottle to allow its full breadth of aromatics to develop. Even so, there is so much to like. Pliant, supple and super-expressive, Pape Clément is gorgeous in 2016. Tasted two times. Drink: 2022-2036. (Jan 2019)"

96 points Lisa Perrotti-Brown (Wine Advocate): "Blended of 60% Merlot, 36% Cabernet Sauvignon, 3% Petit Verdot and 1% Cabernet Franc, the 2016 Pape Clement has a deep garnet-purple color and quite a serious, earthy nose with truffles, tilled soil, underbrush and smoked meats over a cassis, baked plums and redcurrants core plus a touch of lavender. Medium to full-bodied, firm and grainy, the palate is built like a brick house, supporting muscular black fruit and earthy notions and finishing very long and mineral laced. Drink: 2022-2042. (Nov 2018)"

96 points Neal Martin (Vinous): "The 2016 Pape Clément bursts out of the glass, offering ripe blackberry, raspberry coulis, fresh mint and hints of licorice on the well-defined nose. It is perhaps a little more opulent than its peers, but unlike in the past, I don’t find it excessive. The palate is well balanced with supple tannin. There is a killer line of acidity and real panache toward a velvety, almost Pauillac-like finish armed with shimmering black fruit laced with graphite. Superb. Drink: 2024-2050. (Jan 2019)"

96 points Lisa Perrotti-Brown (The Wine Independent): "The 2016 Pape Clement has a deep garnet color. It features scents of vibrant baked plums and crème de cassis, with suggestions of garrigue, charcoal, forest floor, and violets. Medium to full-bodied, the palate is laden with juicy black fruits, supported by velvety tannins and seamless freshness, finishing long and spicy. Drink: 2024-2044. (Dec 2022)"

96 points Wine Spectator: "This takes a slightly different tack than many of its Pessac colleagues, relying less on bramble and tar and more on alluring toast, with mocha, anise, wood spice and black tea notes draped liberally over the core of sappy kirsch and cherry preserve flavors. Plush and suave through the finish, though this needs a bit of time for the wood elements to be fully integrated with the fruit. For fans of the flashier, cashmere-textured style. Best from 2023 through 2037. (3/31/19)"

96 points Decanter: "The 60ha of vineyards are situated on an ancient alluvial terrace topped by a thin layer of more recent Garonne gravel. The winery’s 28 wooden fermentation vats correspond to individual parcels, and the grand vin red (in 2016, equal parts Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot) is aged for 18 months in 70% new oak barrels. Andy Howard MW: Intriguing wine with an extra layer of aromatics. Floral, leafy, a touch herbal. Great purity allied with fresh acidity and integrated oak. A very fine Pessac. Robert Mathias: A brooding nose, coffee, cedar and dried tobacco. Broad structure with black cherry fruit. Tannins very fine, some warmth on the finish. Tim Triptree MW: Hedonistic aromatics of ripe black cherry, plum and blackberry, complex notes of smoke and cedar, leather, dried meats, tobacco and cinnamon spice. Opulent, ripe, great balance and length. Harmonious, ageworthy Pessac. Drinking Window: 2022-2040. (Mar 2022)"

96 points International Wwine Report: "The 2016 Château Pape Clément is an absolutely brilliant wine in this vintage, with the final blend consisting of 49% Merlot, 46% Cabernet Sauvignon, 3% Petit Verdot and 2% Cabernet Franc. This utterly captivating red being with inviting aromas of blackberries and dark cherries woven together with fresh cut florals, tobacco, fresh savory herbs, licorice and a subtle hint of beautifully integrated new oak. On the palate this is medium-plus bodied with outstanding overall structure and a gorgeous textured mouthfeel. It continues to impress as it shows remarkable elegance and precision from start to finish. This certainly has the potential to become a classic vintage for Pape Clément. However, typical of the vintage, this will require at least a few years of additional bottle age before it begins to show its best. Drink: 2024-2047. (Jan 2019)"