1995 Pape Clement
By Chateau Pape Clement
The 1995 Pape Clement from Chateau Pape Clement, Pessac-Leognan, Bordeaux
As a beacon within the Pessac-Leognan appellation, the 1995 Pape Clement from Chateau Pape Clement recounts an exquisite tale of Bordeaux’s labour and nature’s gift in that year. With the intricacies of its vintage, it emulates the art of fine wine production cherished by astute fine wine investors.
Vintage Virtuosity: The Essence of 1995
Memory serves well the enthusiasts who understand that the vintage conditions often waltz with destiny to create something ineffable. The 1995 Pape Clement is precisely such an embodiment. Nestled in a year that savoured a relatively dry and warm climate, it allowed for congenial ripening of grapes - a prelude to wines layered with complexity and brilliance.
This particular year for Bordeaux waved a flag of triumph, deftly handled by the revered vintners of Chateau Pape Clement. They coaxed from their terroir a wine redolent with ripe fruits, a firm tannic structure and an overarching grace bestowed by time's gentle maturation.
A Nexus of Nuance and History
Decades hence, the 1995 Pape Clement pirouettes on the palate with an assemblage of dark cherry, truffle, and smoke. There is an opulent yet refined tapestry woven from the Cabernet Sauvignon-led blend, underpinned by Merlot's plushness - typical of the left bank's nobility yet individualistic in its 1995 rendition.
Aged gracefully, it courts collectors with both its pedigree and its peak drinking window - an enticing amalgamation for those vested in wine investment's long-term enchantments.
In short, the 1995 Pape Clement represents an example par excellence of what makes Bordeaux's offerings so investable: a harmonious mélange of natural bounty shaped by human touch - gloriously manifest within this laudable vintage.
Conclusion
The poetic equilibrium found in the 1995 Pape Clement from Chateau Pape Clement captures not only the allure of aged Bordeaux but also the profundity of a vintage where every climatic intricacy was honoured in bottle. As an eminent bottle in one's investment portfolio, its narrative resonates well with both connoisseurship and financial finesse.
Market price (GBP)
£980.00
12x75cl
Highest score
89
POP score
108.89
Scores and tasting notes
Deep ruby/purple, with a tight but promising nose of herb-tinged black currants, graphite, vanilla, and smoke, this medium-bodied wine is elegant, with very pure, concentrated fruit, moderate extract, and a long finish. The wine is reaching its adolescence and is certainly accessible, although far from full maturity. Anticipated maturity: 2006-2016. Last tasted, 4/02.
Robert Parker Jr - Bordeaux Book, 4th Edition
The '95 Pape-Clement has a more generous nose than the '96, but there is something a little ersatz about it. Rustic red-berried fruit, tinned tomato, a touch of iron rust and brown sugar. The palate is medium-bodied with drying tannins, not a complex 1995 and there is a touch of hardness that does not dissipate with aeration. Masculine, broody, slightly leafy towards the finish that demonstrates more cohesion than the 1996, but not much depth. Drink now-2018. Tasted July 2010.
Neal Martin - Wine Journal Jul 2011