2011 Chateau Pape Clement Pessac-Leognan 750 ml

Parker's 96-Point Upgrade: The King Falls on His Sword

In late February of 2015, Parker alerted the Bordelais that he would not be tasting the 2014s out of barrel. You could hear the groans from Pomerol to Pessac-Léognan. Since his historic report on the 1982 vintage, The Wine Advocate has not simply influenced the buying decisions of collectors worldwide — Mr. Parker has actually SET the prices at which new releases are sold.

Beginning in May 2014, the dollar finally began gaining ground on the euro. Beginning on January 1st, 2015, we received daily updates on prices of highly scored wines still cellared at the châteaux where they were bottled. On January 27th, we made our first purchases as the dollar surged to 1.06, completing a 25% turnaround.

Among those first purchases were the 100-point 2010 Pontet-Canet, the 2010 Léoville-Poyferré, the 2011 Clos de Sarpe, and 2009 Duhart-Milon. But perhaps the most intriguing purchase was one of Parker’s most notorious “upgrades” — Bernard Magrez’s magnificent 2011 Château Pape Clément.

In April 2012, The Wine Advocate rated the 2011 Pape Clément 92-94 points, thus deflating the release price to a modest $119/bottle. Exactly 24 months later, “The King” returned to Pessac-Léognan and all but fell on his sword. Parker described flying winemaker Michel Rolland’s powerhouse as “profound.” He wrote, “Full-bodied, rich and multidimensional, this wine clearly transcends the entire vintage. It should age effortlessly for 25 years.” 96 points. Anticipated maturity: 2014-2039!!

The last few bottles are up for grabs today, all drawn from the cellar in Bordeaux. $110/bottle. Shipping included on 3. Last call.