Chateau Le Pape Pessac Leognan Bordeaux, Complete Guide

Learn everything about Chateau Le Pape Pessac Leognan, Bordeaux with wine tasting notes and wine with food pairing tips. Learn the best vintages, a history of the property, and information on the vineyards and winemaking. If you want to read about other important, Bordeaux Chateaux: Links to all Bordeaux Wine Producer Profiles

Chateau Le Pape History, Overview

Chateau Le Pape has a history that dates back to the 1700s when the estate was founded by Pierre Bobineau. The background for Pierre Bobineau was not in the wine trade. In fact, he was known as one of the best makers of sails for boats that sailed in and out of Bordeaux.

In 1805, he built the original chateau and continued planting the vineyard. At some point that started during the 1960s, and continued through the 1980s, and for most of the 1990s as well, the vineyard was leased to the Perrin family that owned neighboring Chateau Carbonnieux.

In late 2011, Patrick Monjanel sold Chateau Le Pape to Bob Wilmers, the American owner of the neighboring estate, Chateau Haut Bailly, also located in the Pessac Leognan appellation.

The first thing Bob Wilmers did after purchasing Chateau Le Pape was to bring in Veronique Sanders to manage the estate. Veronique Sanders was already the director of Chateau Haut Bailly, so of course, this was a natural fit.

The next step was a complete renovation of the chateau, the wine-making facilities, cellars, and gardens. Everything was completely modernized and redesigned, including the label, which was changed from the older, original type font and design to a more streamlined design that is similar to that which is used on the labels for Chateau Haut Bailly.

The size of the vineyard has since been increased as well, going from 7 hectares to 9 hectares of vines starting with the 2018 vintage.

After the passing of Bob Wilmers, the estate is now owned and managed by his son Chris Wilmers. In 2022, the vineyards were incorporated into Chateau Haut Bailly, making 2021, the final vintage for Chateau Le Pape.

Chateau Le Pape Vineyards, Terroir, Grapes, Winemaking

The 9-hectare vineyard of Chateau Le Pape is planted to 75% Merlot and 25% Cabernet Sauvignon. Many of the vines are old, at close to 50 years of age.

However, the majority of the vineyard needs to be replanted. At the time of the purchase, the vineyard was only planted to 2,600 vines per hectare, which is well below the AOC rules for the appellation, which requires a minimum of 6,500 vines per hectare.

The terroir is gravel with sand and clay-based soils that is in a single block of vines. All vineyard management techniques are conducted using only self-sustaining viticultural techniques.

To produce the wine of Chateau Le Pape, the wine is vinified in temperature-controlled cement tanks. Malolactic fermentation takes place in vat. The wine is aged in 30% new, French oak barrels for between 12 to 15 months, depending on the character and quality of the vintage.

The same team that is responsible for producing the wine at Chateau Haut Bailly is now in charge of making the wine at Chateau Le Pape.

The average annual production for Chateau Le Pape is close to 3,500 cases per year. With the team headed by Veronique Sanders, and the spare no expense attitude of Bob Wilmers to produce the best wine possible, this is an estate to watch.

The Best Vintages of Chateau Le Pape are 2021, 2020, 2019, 2018, 2017, 2016, 2015 and 2014.

In September 2015, Chateau Le Pape announced they were entering the oenotourisme field. For wine lovers looking to experience life in the vineyards accompanied by great meals and stunning wines, it was now possible to stay at a real chateau.

Chateau Le Pape offers rooms and suites that provide guests with the true atmosphere of Bordeaux, along with all the comforts of a luxury hotel. To learn more about the hotel, please visit the website of Chateau Le Pape.

When to Drink Chateau Le Pape, Anticipated Maturity, Decanting Time

Chateau Le Pape can be enjoyed on the young side with decanting. Young vintages can be decanted for an average of 1 hour to 90 minutes, give or take. This allows the wine to soften and open its perfume. Older vintages might need very little decanting, just enough to remove the sediment.

Chateau Le Pape is usually better with at least 5-7 years of bottle age. Of course, that can vary slightly, depending on the vintage character. Chateau Le Pape offers its best drinking and should reach peak maturity between 6-15 years of age after the vintage.

Serving Chateau Le Pape, with Wine, Food, Pairing Tips

Chateau Le Pape is best served at 15.5 degrees Celsius, 60 degrees Fahrenheit. The cool, almost cellar temperature gives the wine more freshness and lift. The red wine of Chateau Le Pape is best served with all types of classic meat dishes, veal, pork, beef, lamb, duck, game, roast chicken, roasted, braised, and grilled dishes.

Chateau Le Pape is a perfect match with Asian dishes, hearty fish courses like tuna, mushrooms, and pasta as well as cheese.

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