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Château Pape Clement

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Château Pape Clement

Bertrand de Goth (Pope Clement V) owned these lands, but the wine has never been as cared for as it is today. Barely less full-bodied than Haut-Brion, the Pape-Clément wine is distinguished by the very type of smoky and spicy bouquet linked to the gravelly sands of Pessac. Since 2000 and especially 2001, its owner Bernard Magrez has made every effort to raise this vintage to an even higher level.

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Château Pape Clément, a Pessac-Léognan Grand Cru Classé de Graves since 1959, is one of Bordeaux's oldest wine estates, with its first recorded harvest in 1252. Owned by Bernard Magrez since 1985, this 60-hectare property — 53 hectares for reds and 7 for whites — produces wines of great elegance from Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Sauvignon Blanc and Sémillon, on a terroir of Pyrenean gravels. Michel Rolland has served as consulting oenologist since 1993.

L'histoire du domaine

The history of Château Pape Clément dates back to 1252, the year of its first recorded harvest, when the estate was still known as Domaine de la Mothe. In 1299, Bertrand de Goth, newly appointed Archbishop of Bordeaux, received the property from his brother Gaillard — canonical law prohibiting him from owning it directly. Everything changed in 1305: Bertrand was elected Pope under the name Clement V and, the following year, inherited the estate, which he immediately renamed Château Pape Clément. For five centuries, the property remained archiepiscopal land before being seized and sold as national property during the French Revolution. In the 19th century, under the management of Jean-Baptiste Clerc, the estate achieved a reputation equivalent to the second growths of the Médoc. The 20th century proved more challenging: a neglectful English owner, the devastating hailstorm of 1937, then war. It was the vigneron Paul Montagne, arriving in 1939, who turned the tide, patiently reconstituting the vineyard with the support of oenologist Émile Peynaud. In 1959, the estate obtained the Grand Cru de Graves classification. In 1985, Bernard Magrez became its sole owner — it was then his very first vineyard — and embarked on an ambitious policy that elevated Pape Clément to the rank of Bordeaux's great names.

Le terroir

The Château Pape Clément vineyard extends over 60 hectares in Pessac-Léognan, just a few kilometres from the centre of Bordeaux, on one of the oldest and most renowned terroirs of the Left Bank. Situated on the oldest alluvial terrace in the region — the famous Pyrenean gravel layer —, the estate benefits from a complex soil composed of gravel, clay, small stones and sand, resting on a bedrock of clay, sandstone and limestone. This unique terroir, with exceptional drainage properties, is particularly suited to Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot for reds, and to Sauvignon Blanc, Sauvignon Gris, Sémillon and Muscadelle for whites. The red vineyard covers 53 hectares planted at high density — between 7,700 and 9,000 vines per hectare — with grape varieties divided almost equally between Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot, complemented by Cabernet Franc and Petit Verdot. The whites occupy 7 hectares. The estate's philosophy combines tradition and innovation: animal-drawn ploughing, manual destemming, natural fermentations with indigenous yeasts, use of solar-powered drones to monitor ripeness parcel by parcel, and environmental certifications (Terra Vitis, Haute Valeur Environnementale level 3, ISO 14001, Bee Friendly). A flock of Landais sheep ensures winter eco-grazing.

Les vins

The Château Pape Clément range revolves around two grand vins, red and white, complemented by two second wines. The red grand vin, classified Grand Cru de Graves, is a blend dominated by Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot, with touches of Cabernet Franc and Petit Verdot. Aged 16 to 18 months in French oak barrels — 70% new wood —, it stands out for its powerful structure allied to remarkable finesse, with aromas of dark fruits, spices, smoky tobacco and graphite. The white grand vin, considered one of the finest dry whites in Pessac-Léognan, blends Sauvignon Blanc, Sémillon, Sauvignon Gris and Muscadelle. Aged in barrels, foudres and various containers — including concrete eggs —, it reveals a brilliant aromatic palette of citrus, white and exotic fruits, underpinned by chalky minerality and great freshness. The red second wine, Le Clémentin du Pape Clément, offers a more accessible profile, while the white of the same name combines expressive fruit with dense matter. Since 2023, the estate has been vinifying with indigenous yeasts, marking a stylistic evolution towards greater precision and tension.

Le vigneron

Bernard Magrez has been the owner of Château Pape Clément since 1985 — it was then his very first vineyard, the starting point of a wine empire now extending to 42 properties in 10 countries. A self-taught enthusiast who came from nothing after a difficult school career, Magrez built his career in spirits before devoting himself to grands crus classés with unwavering ambition: to bring each estate to its highest level of excellence. At Château Pape Clément, from his arrival he embarked on a policy of radical improvement — restoring the château, restructuring the vineyard, rigorous parcel selection, technological innovation — while relying on the advice of oenologist Michel Rolland, recruited in 1993. A visionary, Bernard Magrez has made innovation his signature: drones for monitoring ripeness, CO₂ capture from fermentations, development of biodynamics, opening to luxury tourism. His commitment to the environment is reflected in multiple certifications, while his philanthropic and cultural action extends to artistic patronage and support for wine start-ups. At 88 years old, he remains firmly at the head of the estate, embodying that permanent quest for perfection that characterises his journey.

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Wines Château Pape Clement

Sorry for the inconvenience.Contact us by email at: contact@vitis-epicuria.com

Wines
Château Pape Clement

Sorry for the inconvenience.
Contact us by email at:
contact@vitis-epicuria.com