Tasting Notes
Neal Martin 96+
The 2001 Climens has always been one of my favourite vintages of this era. It has a divine bouquet, beautifully defined with quince, saffron, walnut and almond, hints of Satsuma emerging with time. The palate is well balanced with fine acidity, quite tangy with marmalade and quince, saline and spicy with a persistent finish. An awesome Climens with maybe more to offer down the line, hence the plus sign. Tasted at the Climens vertical at the chateau in April 2022.
Anticipated maturity: 2022-2060
Vinous 94+
Medium yellow. Reticent, liqueur-like aromas of yellow plum, vineyard peach, spices, white flowers and menthol. Impeccably balanced and impressively structured, with its new oak component to the fore. But this extremely bright, intense, focused wine possesses a strong core of spicy, botrytized fruit. Finishes with terrific fruit and an almost tannic firmness. Like so many of these 2001s, give this long aeration if you plan to taste a bottle any time soon.
Wine Advocate 99
The Climens 2001 has always possessed a deliriously complex and intense bouquet that is beautifully defined: dried quince and marmalade, honeycomb and antique furniture. There is an inchoate, resinous element that will surely surface over the next decade or so. This is a bouquet that demands attention and in this blind tasting, sticks out from the crowd, a sui generis. Since I last tasted it, the palate has opened up and is beginning to pump on all cylinders. It is wonderfully balanced with fabulous intensity and a long, citrus-tinged finish that is utterly beguiling. As Kate Bush once sang: “Wow”.
Anticipated maturity: 2014-2040
JancisRobinson.com 19
So massive and unctuous yet with great freshness. Wonderful stuff with a slightly burnt edge. Great complexity. Long. Brava!
Anticipated maturity: 2012-2030
