2010 Château Pape Clément, Pessac-Léognan, Bordeaux

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.Robert M. Parker, Jr. - 28/02/2013

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. robert_parker - Wine Advocate - Feb 2013 Bernard Magrez’s flagship estate continues to produce consistently beautiful wines and that includes his sensational 2010. The fruit was harvested between September 24 and October 20, and the result is an opaque purple-colored blend of equal parts Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot that achieved 13.5% alcohol naturally. Subtle notions of smoke, graphite, oak, black cherries and blackberries jump from the glass of this impressively perfumed claret. Medium to full-bodied, strikingly elegant and less thick and intense than a structured vintage such as 2005, the 2010 possesses remarkably sweet tannin (sweeter than the 2005) as well as a full-bodied, long finish. It should be drinkable at an early age and keep for 20-25 years. robert_parker - Wine Advocate # 194 May 2011