2025 Pape Clement Blanc (Pessac-Leognan)

Fruit driven, so juicy, laden with white peach and pear orchard fruits, lightly grilled without being heavy, an excellent white that has the structure to last but the generosity to give pleasure immediately. 33% new oak. Yield 18 hl/ha. Harvest August 20 to 25, 33% new oak. The vineyard footprint has gone from around 10ha down to 5ha, focusing on a clear limestone and clay-dominant sector, plus one highly impressive sector in Leognan by the former Château du Sartre. 95 points

Rich, vivid and textured, the 2025 Pape Clement Blanc is outrageously beautiful. Lemon confit, marzipan, white flowers, tangerine peel, mint and white pepper soar from the glass. All the elements are so well balanced. This builds beautifully through to the intense, palate-staining finish. In 2025, the Blanc is quite simply magnificent - clearly one of the wines of the vintage. 96-98 points

The 2025 Pape Clement Blanc was picked August 20 to 25 and matured in 65% barrels, of which one-third is new. This is quite aromatic on the nose with yellow plum, marzipan and touches of patisserie. The palate is well balanced and certainly less heavy and `worked` compared to vintages that I tasted a decade ago. Fine acidity, quite fresh and tangy, with a dab of white pepper towards the finish. This should be drinking with just a few months in bottle. 91-93 points