The 2025 Pape Clément was picked between September 3 and 25, fermented using their own yeast strains and matured in 85% barrel (one-third new) and the remainder in foudres. A large amount of the Cabernet Sauvignon was picked after the rain on September 20, using optical sorting, and underwent a gentle extraction with a shorter maceration up to 26°C. It has quite an opulent bouquet, with luxuriant black cherries, blueberry and blood orange scents, a touch of peppermint emerging with time. The palate is medium-bodied and delivers quite a grip on the entry, with layered black fruit, quite compact on the mid-palate, a little hard-edged on the finish, though that should soften during the barrel maturation. Quite dense on the finish, this is an impressive Pape Clément but it needs to foment more charm by the time of bottling.

By Neal Martin May 2026