2004 Château Pape Clément Blanc
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Tasting notes
While there is nothing bad about the 2004 Pape Clement Blanc per se, in the company of other dry white Bordeaux this does come across as excessively oaky on the nose, so much so that it occludes the terroir and seems quite simple. The palate is honeyed and creamy in texture, quite New World in style with touches of white chocolate. There is good length here but it feels one-dimensional and reflects the winemaking more than the terroir. Tasted June 2017.
Critic scores
Neal Martin
Stephen Tanzer, Vinous
More reviews and scores
(bottled in February) Pale color. Sexy aromas of lemon drop and smoky oak, with a resiny note. Fat and rich in the mouth, with flavors of apple, minerals and spicy, vanillin oak. This is showing a sweetness and pliancy of texture in bottle that I did not find a year ago in barrel, but there's also a sensation of firm spine.
(a 60/40 blend of sauvignon and semillon) Pale color. Slightly leesy aromas of grapefruit, lemon, minerals and smoky oak. Fat, rich and quite dry, currently showing citrus flavors and a youthful phenolic edge. In an awkward stage today, and not yet revealing its personality.
While there is nothing bad about the 2004 Pape Clement Blanc per se, in the company of other dry white Bordeaux this does come across as excessively oaky on the nose, so much so that it occludes the terroir and seems quite simple. The palate is honeyed and creamy in texture, quite New World in style with touches of white chocolate. There is good length here but it feels one-dimensional and reflects the winemaking more than the terroir. Tasted June 2017. Aug 2017, www.robertparker.com
About the producer
Among the oldest estates in Bordeaux, Ch. Pape Clément has been guided into the modern era by Bernard Magrez, who has managed the estate since 1985. It makes some of the best reds in the region.