Le Clementin de Pape Clement Rouge, Pessac-Leognan

13+ years since the last reviews, which were calling this past prime. Au contraire. This is a perfect example of what Bordeaux is capable of. In fairness, we only kept it this long as it was put away to celebrate a 40th anniversary. Classic, mature wine.

Smoky red fruits, espresso beans, flowers, and spice blend perfectly on the nose and palate. The wine is medium-bodied, soft, forward, and easy to drink, with all of its soft-textured, red fruits, smoke, spice, and touch of cocoa that you find on the backend. You can drink this on release while waiting for the Grand Vin to develop. The wine blends 75% Merlot, 20% Cabernet Sauvignon, 3% Petit Verdot and 2% Cabernet Franc. Drink from 2025-2032. 91-93 Pts.

En Primeur campaign for the 2022 vintage Day Two (Bordeaux) : Red fruit cordial, plummy notes, plentiful oaky spice. Juicy with lashings of oaky tannins dominating proceedings. It's a bit much for the poor fruit. Nah

Getting old ... Fruit largely gone, but a nice taste of embers and smoke.

A super second! My last bottle from the case. Wow!

Drink up -- seems to be getting long in the tooth.

Holding up well.

This wine has improved with age and is at its best now. The tobacco aroma is still my favorite part. Drink through 2010.

Lovely wine, great value and drinking well now.

Nose of pencil shavings, earth, and tobacco. On the palate, lush without being limp, soft but structured tannins with blackcurrant jam and dark fruit predominating. Medium finish. Paired beautifully with lamb chops, parmesan risotto, and carrots dusted with fines herbes. An exceptional second wine & a lucky find.

Drinking very well right now. Tobacco aromas and good backbone made this a good food wine. Still several years of life remaining.

The Blind Drunks monthly tasting (Niche Restaurant, Geneva, Illinois) : Tasted double blind. Notes of tobacco, spicy cherries and plum. Dark fruit flavors, wet earth and currant. Sweet, firm tannins. Guess: 2001 Bordeaux. 92+.

Smoother than the 97 Grand Vin tasted alongside it. More purple in colour. Violets again. ? a Margaux. Fuller, gripier. Less flavour at the moment. Some sweet vanilla custard from the oak. Showed well for a second wine. Worth considering. RJ's, London. Grand Vin in weak year v Second Wine in good year offline.