The 2010 Pape Clément has a gorgeous bouquet with vibrant red berry fruit, camphor, raspberry preserve and just a hint of marmalade - very seductive and classy. The palate is medium-bodied with lithe tannins and good density, as you would expect. Whilst a little grainy in texture it feels structured with tarry black fruit, although I would have liked to see a touch more persistence on the aftertaste. As such, leave it for another three or four years because it has a lot of potential. Tasted from an ex-château bottle at the BI Wines & Spirits 10-Year On tasting. April 2020

Bright ruby-red. Complex but restrained aromas of spiced plum, strawberry, mocha, iron, tobacco and sexy oak. Wonderfully rich, layered and concentrated, with a chewy, high-extract quality to its powerful cassis, blueberry, camphor and licorice flavors. Compellingly chewy but without any easy sweetness. Wonderfully intense but not at all overextracted, conveying an impression of medicinal reserve that suggests this wine will be very long-lived. The extremely long, elegant finish boasts noble tannins and lovely energy and lift. A great vintage for this wine, but hands off for at least six or seven years. Juli 2013

I certainly underrated the 2010 Pape Clement from barrel, rating it only 93-95. (Thank God I put a “plus” there!) Having tasted it four times in Bordeaux, and rating it perfect three times and 99 the fourth time, this final blend of 51% Merlot, 47.5% Cabernet Sauvignon, and 1.5% Petit Verdot is perfection in a bottle. Tipping the scales at 14.5% natural alcohol, there are 8,000 cases of it. Its sublime elegance, the power, the medium to full-bodied texture, the silky tannins, the subtle notes of smoke, lead pencil shavings, black currants, charcoal, camphor, blueberry and cassis fruit are all remarkable. It is a rich, full-throttle wine, but the elegance and the great terroir of Pape Clement come through in abundance. It is slightly more developed and evolved than the 2005 was at a similar point in its evolution, but it certainly needs another 5-7 years to develop further nuances, which it surely will. This wine will last 30-40 years. Kudos to proprietor Bernard Magrez, who has built an empire based on high quality more than any other characteristic.

Intense blueberry nose with great precision and expression. Full and vibrant on the palate with a minty note. Vanilla. Wonderful structure. Firm but ripe tannins and very long. Needs time to soften. Great potential. Try in 2016. Februar 2013