Chateau Pape Clement
Château Pape Clément is the oldest winery in Bordeaux. The very first harvest took place in the year 1252!
The then still Domaine de la Mothe was taken over by Gaillard de Goth in 1299. This was at the request of his brother Bertrand de Goth, as Bertrand had just been appointed archbishop and therefore he himself could not join the estate. A few years later, Bertrand was even appointed Pope Clément V. Just before Gaillard's death, the château was transferred to Bertrand, who renamed the winery Château Pape Clément. In 1980, the estate came into the hands of Bernard Magrez.
Three different plots are cultivated around the château in Pessac-Léognan, Graves. Planted here are cabernet sauvignon, merlot, cabernet franc, sauvignon blanc, semillon, muscadelle and sauvignon gris. Together, these three plots have a total area of 60 hectares. The terroir consists of alluvial soils with gravel deposits from the Garonne River. Because expressing the terroir is central at Pape Clément, old traditions are combined with modern techniques. These include the use of drones and electric tractors, and the use of the Green-Seeker, a device that provides information on vine growth. That way, plots can be worked as needed.
Prior to fermentation, some of the bunches are manually destemmed. A strict selection then takes place, so that only the best quality grapes are used. Fermentation is then initiated by indigenous yeast cultures in terracotta barrels. Once fermentation has stopped, both red and white wines are transferred to wooden barrels by gravity. Wood ageing lasts an average of 16 to 18 months. The century-old history, innovations, traditions and terroir give this winery an impeccable reputation.
Pape Clément's two legendary vintages are 2009 and 2010. In both years, the winery was awarded 100 Parker Points. Those were the 2010 Pape Clément and the 2009 Pape Clément Blanc.
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