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| Drinking Windows and Values |
| Community Tasting History |
| Community Tasting Notes (average 93.1 pts. and median of 93 pts. in 28 notes) - hiding notes with no text | | | Tasted by paul195 on 8/16/2022 & rated 95 points: 2 - 2 Served at friends 47th bday party. Beautiful bright tea color, the nose of apricot laced with hints of citrus zest, crème brûlée. Medium sweetness, oily texture, great complexity of tropical fruits, honey, some spice, sufficient acidity to keep things in focus. Long finish. This kept opening to show more over the next two hours. In a great place well stored bottles have a decade or more at this level. 1975 is my favorite vintage for Barsac/Sauterne (1551 views) | | | Tasted by KenK on 11/17/2021 & rated 95 points: Rezek Society Honors Hugo (Casino Club): A delicious showy treat. Ripe dense yellow tropical fruits with a tangy honeyed flavor that builds nicely over the silky dense rich oily texture. A beautiful wine drinking marvelously. Rezek Society dinner honoring Hugo. (2109 views) | | | Tasted by paul195 on 9/9/2021 & rated 95 points: Beautiful medium gold color…. medium sweetness, layers of tropical fruit, creme brûlée, long finish …. Delicious mature Sauternes (1825 views) | | | Tasted by vagrantone on 4/5/2021 & rated 93 points: Very top shoulder fill.
Cork saturated and starting to give in.
Very impressive wine with unusual level of concentration.
The intensity of the botrytis character gives this wine a textural richness. Supposedly, this wine has 14+ % alc and almost 100 g/l RS. I believe it...
This has everything that you can expect in an aged Barsac but clearly doesn't fit the mold of Barsac being "lighter" than Sauternes.
If it wasn't for the corks, this wine would go another 10-20 years; even in his half bottle format. I will recork remaining bottles and enjoy them over the next two decades. (2137 views) | | | Tasted by Doblk on 12/26/2020 & rated 92 points: Very similar experience to others here. Leaky rotting cork - shoulder fill. I was worried about it but the wine was fine. It had darkened to an amber color. Nice candied orange and honey notes with less prominent acidity than some sauternes. Nice finish to a Christmas dinner. (2241 views) | | | Tasted by englishman's claret on 3/30/2020 & rated 93 points: Very good and really satisfying with its tart Seville orange peel, subtle Chantilly cream, and wildflower honey, but not quite complex enough to really push it to the next level. Good acidity, but slightly angular on the palate. (3208 views) | | | Tasted by SGoenophile on 3/13/2020 & rated 95 points: Dinner at JP. Deep golden yellow. Velvety smooth. Concentrated, complex, notes of caramel, coconut and honey and not cloyingly sweet. Doesn’t quite have the level of acidity of younger Climens I have tasted but this is still quite fresh. Highly enjoyable. The oldest Sauternes (Climens is technically Barsac) I have tried so far, testament to the impressive aging potential of these wines. This is a good reminder of the under appreciated appeal of Sauternes. (1719 views) | | | Tasted by vagrantone on 11/13/2018 & rated 93 points: From a half bottle with base neck fill. Cork in very questionable condition. Moist on top with mold. Luckily the wine seems to have held up but it has surely aged a little quicker.
Golden hue. Excellent clarity. Intense aromatics jumping out of the glass: refined candied fruit, noney, tropical fruit, papaya, passion fruit.
Almost a minty lift to wine. Great balance, no cloying sweetness, great acidity, so lively. This particular bottle probably peaking; others could go a while longer.... (2184 views) | | | Tasted by vagrantone on 12/3/2017: Faulty cork. Deep caramel color. What a shame... (2495 views) | | | Tasted by englishman's claret on 10/31/2017 & rated 94 points: Such a delight; how can you not love Sauternes and Barsac with wines like this in the decanter? These age so slowly; this still has magnificent fruit density, a bit tropical, a bit of lemon, biscuit, parchment, a little flower, a hint brulee. So many facets, lovely. A beautiful weight to it. 94-5. (3073 views) | | | Tasted by BigTarheel on 12/13/2015 & rated 91 points: Med-bodied, tangerine and vanilla cream notes. Well-balanced and velvety. Very good but not quite concentrated enough to be great (4045 views) | | | Tasted by MC on 7/12/2015: From 375ml. This never gets enough attention coming so late in the evening, but was great with cheese and still holding firm. A- (4056 views) | | | Tasted by tinybubbles on 6/6/2015 & rated 92 points: Dried orange peel, apricot, membrillo, mountain honey and faint caramel. Great balance of sweetness and acid. Went very well with caramelized pineapple. (3743 views) | | | Tasted by MC on 7/11/2014: HS fill 750ml. This was great. Better than expected, and holding well for its age. Maybe not as complete and concentrated as the best, but still this is very good and should hold a bit longer. A- (3963 views) | | | Tasted by Burgaddict on 6/6/2014 & rated 92 points: Leiden visits Librije tasting: Refined Sauternes, fresh, apricot, honey, figs, some caramel. Medium bodied, good botrytis. (2899 views) | | | Tasted by johannes.c on 6/6/2014 & rated 91 points: Dinner @ Librije: score based on the better of two bottles served that evening. A nice and mature sauternes. Some marmalade, apricot and still the right touch of freshness coming from some citrus in the background that prevents this from being just a sweet fruit bomb. But I still had a 75 Yquem in mind had at this same restaurant a few months before and that clearly is a wholy different level. (3770 views) | | | Tasted by MC on 12/31/2013: From 375 with high shoulder fill. This is clearly fully mature, but holding well. Very nice medium gold color, elegant fruit and a nice long finish. Was great with cheese. A- (2548 views) | | | Tasted by rnellans on 6/19/2013 & rated 94 points: Caramel, apricot notes. Quite viscous with nice mouthfeel. Very sweet and pretty nice finish. Enough acid to balance. (3096 views) | | | Tasted by jlgnml on 5/16/2013 & rated 95 points: Dinner at Catbird Seat with Krug, La Mouline and older Dominus (Nashville, TN): light caramel color, smooth, lasting and lingering sweetness on the palate of apricots and figs. (2787 views) | | | Tasted by dcwino on 1/16/2013 & rated 93 points: 2010 Bouchard wine dinner organized by Panos (Lavandou, Washington DC): It is an extremely fresh bottle with the color that is as light as the 04 that was served side by side. Perfectly ripe apricot, honey, burnt caramel, vanilla and oolong tea. Medium concentration, steely, nice tension but slightly lacking in complexity. This ain’t no D’Yquem but still very enjoyable. (3519 views) | | | Tasted by BigTarheel on 9/17/2012 & rated 90 points: Very refined, airy and tasty. Still quite youthful and fresh with a lengthy finish. Should drink well for years to come. (3074 views) | | | Tasted by Serge Birbrair on 4/30/2012: Brown, delicious, everything in it's proper place - acidity, sweetness and a killer nose. Hard to put the glass back on the table before it's all gone. (3088 views) | | | Tasted by Alex H on 4/20/2012 flawed bottle: Quite sweet and rich botrytis apricotish fruits but had a taint of wet cork. A pity (2684 views) | | | Tasted by Paul S on 4/20/2012 flawed bottle: Dinner at Ming Kee (Ming Kee, Macpherson Road): From a lightly-corked 375ml. A real pity - this bottle seemed to have really nice underlying material. It had a super honeyed, caramelly nose, with drippings of sweet orange marmalade and lemon curd wed to a bit of coconut and some really nice mushroomy, earthy undercurrant. It would have been a stunning nose if not for a little touch of iodine and cardboard that hinted at TCA. That seemed to fade a little with time on the nose, but unfortunately kept haunting the wine in patches. The palate, much like the nose, showed a lot of richness, with treacle and honey, lemon candy and marmalade, dried apricots and peaches along with a touch of sultanas, all powerful, ripe flavours, but nicely held in perfect balance by a good touch of Barsac acidity. It was only towards the long finish where the flaw seemed to reassert itself, stripping the wine of some of the power it showed on the attack and across the midpalate. It finished just a bit lighter, with the acidity standing out more alongside some honey lemon flavours. Still a really pleasurable drink that paired really well with deep-fried crispy tripe. Pity about the TCA though. (3404 views) | | | Tasted by MC on 11/15/2011: This was from a 375 with mid-shoulder fill. It was pleasant, but a little tired. I think the rest of the bottles are much better fill and will hope for more. B+/A- (2655 views) | | | Only displaying the 25 most recent notes - click to see all notes for this wine... |
| By Jancis Robinson, MW
JancisRobinson.com (12/1/2015)
(Ch Climens Sauternes White) Subscribe to see review text. | By Julia Harding, MW
JancisRobinson.com (5/13/2009)
(Ch Climens Barsac White) Subscribe to see review text. | By Neal Martin
Vinous, Magic and Madness: Climens 1912-2020 (Aug 2022)
(Climens Climens Sweet White) Subscribe to see review text. | By Richard Jennings
RJonWine.com (2/5/2004)
(Château Climens) Coconut nose; coconut, maple palate with great concentration; long finish 93+ pts. 93 points |
NOTE: Scores and reviews are the property of JancisRobinson.com and Vinous and RJonWine.com. (manage subscription channels) |
| Château Climens Producer website - Read more about Chateau Climens
ABOUT THE PRODUCER
Ch. Climens is one of Sauternes-Barsac’s leading producers of sweet wine. Classified as a Premier Cru or First Growth in 1855 it sits alongside just 10 other Premier Cru estates in Sauternes, only bettered by Ch. d’Yquem, which was granted its own elite classification of Premier Cru Supérieur.
Climens is the only First Growth in Bordeaux to be certified biodynamic (in 2014) and has some of the lowest yields in Sauternes.
The estate is known for its consistency, even in more difficult vintages. Being based in Barsac, it benefits from the limestone bedrock that is thought to contribute to the wine’s overriding elegance, brilliance and depth.
The estate’s origins date back to 1547, but it was when Bordeaux wine merchant Jean Binaud purchased the estate in 1802 that the property’s promise was realised. He recognised the potential of the site and it is his work in the vineyard that is thought to have contributed to the château being awarded First Growth status in 1855.
In 1971 the estate was bought by Bordeaux legend Lucien Lurton (owner of Ch. Brane Cantenac among others). In 1992, his daughter Bérénice Lurton took over the estate aged just 22. It has been her commitment to the estate and sustainable viticulture that has seen Climens become one of the very top-performing estates in Bordeaux.
The wines are all 100% Semillon, with around 3,000 cases of the Grand Vin produced in a good vintage. They also produce a second wine called Cypres de Climens and a dry wine called Asphodèle.
The vineyards is a single block of vines. The soil is a red clay sand (rich in iron) sitting on a bedrock of limestone. The limestone provides natural drainage and a heightened florality and salinity to the wine. The iron brings richness, while the sand brings elegance and brightness.
The château is not afraid to bring production levels right down and even declassify entire vintages if the quality of the grapes is not up to their (very high) standards. No Grand Vin was made in 2020, 2019, 2017, 1993, 1992, 1987 or 1984. Yields can be as low as 4hl/ha.
Grapes are picked typically over a long period (six weeks to two months), selecting only botrytised bunches at optimum ripeness. The wine is fermented over two to three weeks and fermentation halted once a sufficient level of alcohol is reached. The wine is then chilled and racked off its lees. The wine is aged in around 50% new French oak barrique, depending on the vintage.France Vins de France (Office National Interprofessionnel des Vins ) | Pages Vins, Directory of French Winegrowers | French Wine (Wikipedia)
Wine Scholar Guild vintage ratings
2018 vintage: "marked by a wet spring, a superb summer and a good harvest"
2019 vintage reports
2021: "From a general standpoint, whether for white, rosé or red wines, 2021 is a year marked by quality in the Rhône Valley Vineyards. Structured, elegant, fresh and fruity will be the main keywords for this new vintage."
2022 harvest: idealwine.info | wine-searcher.comBordeaux Bordeaux Wine Guide
Vins Bordeaux (Conseil Interprofessionnel du Vin de Bordeaux)
History of Bordeaux
History of 1855 Bordeaux Classification
"2009 is all about ripeness, with wines impressively packed with ripe fruit and high alcohol levels. They are showy, in-your-face, and full of pleasure. The 2010s have the fruit and alcohol levels of the 2009s, but with a compelling freshness on the finish that balances the fruit and provides a perfect sense of structure." - Ben Nelson
"2016 is a landmark vintage in certain spots of Bordeaux and it should be remembered as one of the most inspired campaigns of the last 40-50+ years." -Jon Rimmerman
"The quality of red Bordeaux in 2016 was universally lauded – although the response to the en primeur campaign was muted. Quantity was high too, with the equivalent of 770 million bottles of wine produced. An exceptionally dry summer with cool nights eventually, thanks to mid September rain, resulted in small, thick-skinned, ripe grapes, and the wines are marked by high tannin and acidity, with superb aromatic fragrance." - Jancis Robinson
"2017 was complicated, but there are some excellent wines. Expect plenty of freshness and drinkability from wines that will offer excellent value, and others that will rival 2016 in terms of ripeness and ageability. But they are likely to be the exception not the rule, making careful selection key." - Jane Anson
"In the past, a vintage such as 2022 may have been overripe, raisined and low in acidity but 2022 had a sneaky little reservoir in its back pocket - a near perfect marriage of cool/cold/rain the previous winter and the previous vintage that literally soaked the soils (a key to why 2022 is not 2003...or 1893)." - Jon RimmermanBarsac Appellation Barsac - Read details and information about Barsac |
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