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Title. Double click me.

Updated: Jul 26, 2023



Deep ruby, with dense mahogany hints. A spontaneous first nose of fragrance, fruit(blueberries, cassis, bilberry), flowers(violets), and spices(chocolate and other sweet spices). A ripe and powerful second nose of fruit pastilles, leather, lightly charred wood, and roasted notes. The intense, international palate recalls those's complexity and fruit explosion, revealed by its elegance rather than its full-flavour—long fruit length. 2011 strucutred. For the age, some complexities(lovely creamy secondary tones, savoury and sweet spicy tertiary notes).

Hence Wilfred Wong of Wine.com is right when he wrote about this vintage, saying it is never a question of how much fruit the Château Pape Clément will show. Also, Decanter describes its attractive aromatic range with a finish of remarkable restraint, which reflects the most characteristical beauty of this vintage.

Indeed, in recent vintages such as this 2011, all Pape Cléments are rated by international commentators from 99 to 96. If the cost is correct and the style is okay, buy any vintage!

We have been admiring all vintages of Pape Clement since our first tasting in 1992, and we hope you share the same feeling. Some 58% Merlot, 38% Cabernet Sauvignon and the balance Petit Verdot, aged in 60% new French oak from the 2014 Pape Clement. It is very modern and complex.

Awarded RP96, Parker writes that the"2011 Pape Clement, a blend of 57% Cabernet Sauvignon, 38% Merlot and the rest Petit Verdot and Cabernet Franc, was aged 18 months in new French oak before being bottled unfiltered. Profound, with a complex bouquet of mulberries, black cherries, black currants, graphite and subtle smoke and burning ember-like aromas, this is a true vintage superstar. It represents a remarkable achievement by the winemaking team of Bernard Magrez. Full-bodied, rich and multidimensional, this wine transcends the entire vintage. It should age effortlessly for 25 years." GG also scored a high 95, and WS awarded 93 points.



Updated: Jun 9, 2023

Opulent; deep ruby with purple reflections; tight rim. Ripe, black fruit with smoky and tobacco overtones. Official tastings write, 'an elegant bouquet with delicate hints of oak.' The structure is balanced with ABV13.5, ample tannins and intense; bodied.


Scores pretty; for example, Wine Enthusiast awarded 94 points writes,' From one of the major estates in Pessac-Léognan, this is a fine, stylish and tightly structured wine. It has spice and intense acidity to balance the dark tannins and black-currant fruit. It is going to need several years to mature. The estate is owned by André Lurton, who was influential in creating the Pessac-Léognan appellation. Drink from 2024'. Edited.




Quite a bunch of vintages.


2018, 96 points. Warm and extreme. High Alcohol, Low acidity, ample tannins, relative lack of structure. Fruit is intense and immense. Keep. Her Langoa Barton 2018 is relatively free from the weakness described above because it tastes elegantly with excellent acidities.


2017, 92 points. Dry and irregular year. Blockage to total growth, however, they are always easy to drink and fresh, elegant and clean. To drink.


2016, 92 points. Dry, extreme, ripe fruit and tannins. Tight and lean fruit. Powerwwines.


2013, 86 points. Difficult vintage. But those who can make it get us fresh, easy wines with significant intensities. Excellent value.


2010, 99 points. Excellent vintage to keep and drink now. Ripe and abundant fruit.


2009 98 points. An excellent vintage with elegant fruit, balance and structure.

This is a consolidation of the tasting and papers

written from 2006 to 2013. These write-ups had been with the orginal site Wine and Beyond, Yahoo, until the service stopped by Yahoo in September 2013.

 

For years I have been working with wines, either buying it, selling it to wine companies, lecturing and writing about it, and, not unimportantly, enjoying it with friends. If any of the articles on this site are worth reading it is due to my teachers, my mentors, my peers and friends, my students, and in particularly my editors who ignite in me a desire to communicate in wines.

 

Clinging to the trellis of wine, I started to get more and more involved with estates and winemakers, by supporting them with consultancy in communication and marketing. The more I spend my time outside Hong Kong, the more I sense a desire to be part of the international wine family.

 

Writing about wine represents a moment of reflection, curiosity, atitudes and a desire to analyse often hidden structures and history, in an effort to make the wealth of wine accessible to a targetted, and hopefully larger audience.

 

I am not sure if I can wine proivde more accessible to all through this blog. But I am sure to write in wine means being involved in wine and  to remain as impartial and objective as possible.

 

Kevin Tang.

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