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| Drinking Windows and Values |
| Community Tasting History |
| Community Tasting Notes (average 90 pts. and median of 90 pts. in 4 notes) - hiding notes with no text | | | Tasted by poppacork on 8/23/2023 & rated 91 points: Caramel sweetness accented with a touch of toffee adding interest. Botrytis was not apparent. Good, but relatively simple. (286 views) | | | Tasted by NoTrollingerPlease on 3/25/2022 & rated 90 points: 1982 Bordeaux + some Pirates (Restaurant Brunnenstube, Beinstein): Climens gets more and more into my personal Top 5 in the Sauternais. Not too much botrytis in here, rather clean, good tension and length, fine and with potential of another decade. 90-91 (831 views) | | | Tasted by bendrew on 2/13/2007 & rated 89 points: Fading slightly with age, this Climens had a light and aromatic fragrence with a hint of apple and citrus fruit. There was no botytis evident and the stucture on the palette was light and unusually dry. However, there was still the classic signs of clarity and purity in the fruit and nimbleness in finnish despite the age. (5079 views) | | | Tasted by DelYap on 9/23/2004 flawed bottle: Corked what a shame bottle was darker than the other one and cork was crumbling and musty. (5660 views) |
| 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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