This wine is luscious, complex and still has plenty of fruit.
It has a gravelly, earthy quality as well as a “charred” quality that I guess is from the barrels but it does not have the vanilla/mocha oak flavors.
It could be a bit more concentrated and have a longer finish but I am quibbling.
It was hard to stop tasting this wine. I had to restrain myself.
I have read many times that Pape-Clement has gone over to the “dark side”. That their wines are “spoofy”.
When is this supposed to have begun ?
If this 1998 is spoofulated then I guess I really enjoy spoofulated wine.
The '98 is a great wine, and a great Graves, IMO. Thanks for the note. I seem to recall that by 2000 or 2001 the “dark side” style changes were in place, but I cannot attest from personal experience. I opened a 2000 last year to check this out, but it was corked.
I like the 1998. Though it’s not made in the older style, it had not yet gone terribly spoofy (which it had by 2000 - I don’t recall having tried the 1999). Basically the stylistic shift had begun but had not progressed all the way and, as traditionalist though I generally am, I still enjoy this vintage. So wait and see if you like 2000 or later to decide if you like spoofy wines .
98 Pape Clement has always been a terrific wine for my taste in Bordeaux. The 2001 is also a fun bottle, and the last of the good buys from these guys (not a fan of the 2003, and the 2005s and beyond are just too pricey).
Bernard Magrez took over as managing director in '85 or '86. I want to say that he hired Michel Rolland fairly soon after that. However, while some of the early wines he (Magrez) was involved with are still considered “old style” they were already starting to turn a corner. Once you get to @'96 things started to change a little more. And by '99-'00 the new style was clearly cemented.
Pape Clement has always been a wine that I’ve wanted to embrace but has for the most part has been a disappointment. Kind of like a beautiful woman who’s lousy in bed. Even good vintages like the 89 and 90 left me asking where’s the graves? So for the money I think its a waste.
This is so sad IMO. Pape-Clement was such a lovely wine, an elegant expression of the unique Graves character. A wine to contemplate. Sugar Ray Leonard. Why was it made into Mike Tyson? Is it Parker Points?
Thanks folks !
I look forward to trying the more recent vintages. As I said, most likely 2003 which I expect to be ready earlier.
FWIW, I have had the 61, 88,89.90,96,98 and 99 Pape Clement.
I enjoyed them all though some were better than others.
BTW, the 1999 though less concentrated was quite delicious and enjoyable to me.
Also, it was less expensive.
About 7 or 8 years a go I attended a Pape Clement vertical put on thru BWE in NYC. My favorite was the 1990 and I enjoyed the 1998 enough to purchase some. The 2000 was too thick and ripe for my taste.
I have not been a huge fan of the 2000’s which I know is contrary to the masses. Last weekend I drank a 2000 Cotes de Castllion that was ok and had the ripe fruit of the vintage that I question. As to which of my old favorites that did not impress me in 2000, gee it is hard to say as I did not taste too extensivley among them when they were released, but I was just not moved by the vintage style.
My big purchase, such as it is, of the 3 mixed cases I bought was 6 bottles of Rauzan Segla. I am probably 5 years away from opening the first bottle.
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