Chateau Pape Clement 2016 Rouge|Pessac-Leognan《ZTF890A》

Pessac-Leognan Black Pope Winery

Chateau Pape Clement is located in the Pessac-Leognan region of Graves, Bordeaux, France. The winery was selected as the Grand Cru Classe de Graves for its outstanding red wine and produces very high-quality white wine.

Black Pape is one of the oldest Chateaus in Bordeaux. In 1299, Pope Boniface VIII appointed Bertrand de Goth Archbishop of Bordeaux. In the same year, Bertrand Guess received a vineyard named "Mothe" as a gift from his tenure. According to diocese archives at the time, Bertrand Guess loved the vineyard very much and during his several years in the Diocese of Bordeaux, he had been seeking the most rational and efficient way to manage the vineyard and cellar. In 1305, Bertrand Guess was elected as the new pope and was renamed Pope Clement V, from which the name of the Black Pope came. When he was about to leave Bordeaux, he chose to hand over the estate to his successors as Archbishop of Bordeaux. This inheritance between successive bishops continued until the eve of the French Revolution.

The Pape Clement vineyard covers an area of ​​32.5 hectares, of which only 2.5 hectares produce white grape varieties. The soil here is composed of gravel, clay and sand, and the soil contains limestone. Since Bernard Magrez took over the management of the winery, the production of white wine has more than doubled. It is worth noting that before Bernard Magrez, Pape Clement Blanc was not sold to the public and was only consumed privately by the owners. In addition, starting from the 2013 vintage, Pape Clement began using drones in the vineyard to help monitor each plot and vines. Since Pape Clément Blanc received 100 points from James Suckling and Robert Parker in 2009, Pape Clement Blanc has maintained its status as the king of Pessac-Leognan white wine, and 2020 is the year with the highest score since 2009.

[The origin and meaning behind the golden key]

According to legend, Jesus gave Saint Peter, one of his twelve disciples, two keys, one gold and one silver, symbolizing that he had given him all rights in heaven and on earth. After Clermont V started his clerical career and became archbishop, he also used the two keys symbolizing the supreme authority of the Pope as the Castle of Clement Pope that he founded. Most of Bernard Magrez's wineries commemorate the shadow of Pope V. The most well-known classified winery, Chateau Pape Clement, is named after Le Pape Clement V. The double key pattern has also become the symbolic logo of its winery brand. If you see the signature "Bernard Magrez" on the wine label, it means the strictest quality assurance and the sharing of his passion and persistence in wine for half a century.