Château Pape Clément White 2018

AOC Pessac-Léognan

"Yellow-green color. Intense nose of pure, ripe, subtle fruit. Juicy, dense palate,
perfumed, tasty, with a fat, long-lasting finish. Tasty!
Blend: 70% Semillon, 20% Sauvignon Blanc, 9% Sauvignon Gris and 1% Muscadelle".

Jean-Marc Quarin

Features

Location: Pessac
2018 blend : 50% Sauvignon blanc, 41% Sémillon, 2% Muscadelle, 7% Sauvignon gris
Age of vines: 22 years
Planting density: 7,500 plants per hectare

Tasting

"The nose is fruity, elegant and racy, with a hint of freshness, minerality, fine grain and complexity. Notes of peach, yellow fruit, apple and a hint of citrus are combined with fine floral touches and discreet hints of crushed pear and racy minerality. The palate is fruity and well-balanced, with juiciness, smoothness, fine grain, fine acidity, freshness and minerality. On the palate, this wine expresses notes of ripe lemon, lychee/quince, fleshy/juicy peach and, more lightly, pear, combined with touches of citrus, a hint of kumquat and very discreet hints of flowers".

Jacques Perrin

Food & wine pairing

Seafood
Grilled fish
Cheeses
Exotic dishes
Roast poultry

Conservation

2021 - 2026

Product from a High Environmental Value farm

Ratings & Awards

99/100
James Suckling
94/100
Wine Spectator
94/100
Bettane et Desseauve

99/100

James Suckling

"This is a cylinder of dense fruit and phenolic intensity, yet it remains nimble and lively with baked apple, honey and cream characteristics, reinforcing the fantastic texture and structure. A great white wine with the same gravity as a red wine."

94/100

Wine Spectator

"This is on the demonstrative side, with a brioche frame surrounding notes of creamy white peach, yellow apple, honeysuckle and lemon cream. Long finish."

94/100

Bettane et Desseauve

"Deliciously fruity and smoky nose, enhanced by chalky, mentholated and mineral touches, dense palate, with depth, lots of fat and incredible vigor on the finish. A very assertive character."

Winegrowing singularities

Wine Singularities

Climate

Grape varieties: 58% Sauvignon Blanc, 36% Sémillon, 4% Sauvignon Gris, 2% Muscadelle
Age of vines: 22 years
Planting density: 7,500 plants per hectare
Soil type: Pyrenean clay gravel layer dating from the late Pliocene and early Quaternary periods
Vineyard management :
- Micro plot management
- Controlled weeding, cultivation of cavaillons by ploughing with animal traction
- Sustainable integrated pest management
- Pruning, leaf removal
- Hand-harvested in 2 selections
- Terra Vitis, HVE3 (High Environmental Value Level 3), EMS and Bee-Friendly certifications

Winemaking :
- Fully manual filling of the pneumatic press
- Whole-berry pressing with very slow pressure build-up under inert atmosphere to protect aromas
- Gravity-flowing juice from the press into barrels
- Settling and vinification in French oak barrels and foudres
- 15% of wine vinified in new-generation ovoid cement vats
- Aged on fine lees with regular stirring of the lees
- Aged 14 months

The 2018 vintage in the prestigious Vineyard of Pessac-Léognan offered ideal weather conditions for the production of white wines of remarkable quality. In spring, mild temperatures and balanced rainfall favored early, even flowering of the white vines, ensuring promising fruit set.

The summer that followed was characterized by sunny days and moderate temperatures, creating an ideal setting for gradual and complete ripening of the white grapes. The cool nights maintained a balanced natural acidity in the berries, bringing freshness and vivacity to the white wines. Despite a few heatwaves, precise irrigation management and appropriate cultural practices kept the vines healthy throughout the growing season.

Overall, these exceptional weather conditions enabled Pessac-Léognan's white wines to reveal all their finesse and elegance. The 2018 vintage stands out for its subtle fruity expression and refined structure, offering wine lovers an unforgettable oenological experience. This remarkable vintage testifies to the excellence of the Pessac-Léognan terroir in producing world-class white wines, consolidating its reputation as a prestigious wine-growing region.