Jeb Dunnuck: Coming from 66% Cabernet Sauvignon, 30% Merlot, and the rest Cabernet Franc brought up in 60% new French oak, the 2018 Château Pape Clement from Bernard Magrez is a gorgeous wine that's performing even better from bottle than barrel, which is always a good sign. Deep ruby/purple, with stunning crème de cassis and blackberry fruits as well as kaleidoscope-like notes of graphite, scorched earth, smoke, violets, and spring flowers, it offers full-bodied richness yet stays light on its feet, graceful, and almost ethereal on the palate, with integrated acidity and building yet seamless tannins. The Cabernet Sauvignon really sings at this point, and there's almost a Médoc-like regalness here. Reminding me of a slightly more elegant 2005 (it also has similarities to the 2016), it will benefit from 4-6 years in the cellar and keep for 30+ years. 99/100

Parker: This wine is a blend of 66% Cabernet Sauvignon, 30% Merlot and 4% Cabernet Franc to be aged for approximately 18 months in oak barriques, 60% new. Deep garnet-purple colored, the 2018 Pape Clement is a little closed, slowly unfurling to reveal fragrant earth, crushed rocks, iron ore and tobacco notions over a core of crushed red and black currants plus kirsch, red roses and Ceylon tea. Full-bodied and wonderfully vivacious, it offers a solid line of firm and fine-grained tannins and amazing freshness, finishing very long and mineral laced. 96-98

Gerstl: Da muss man nur kurz an dem Glas riechen und schon ist man gefangen, dieser Duft ist von unvorstellbarer Schönheit, unglaublich edel, sagenhaft vielschichtig, intensiv, aber vor allem elegant, filigran, raffiniert. Das ist Pape-Clément wie er leibt und lebt, irre konzentriert und reich, gleichzeitig total zart und filigran, das ist vibrierende Sinnlichkeit, alles stimmt auf den Punkt und es wirkt so natürlich, so unkompliziert, einfach unendlich gut. Mehrfach probiert, das ist klar einer der ganz grossen Weine des Jahrgangs. 20/20