2001 Chateau Climens Premier Cru Classe, Barsac 1x375ml

Vinous 96.5/100

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. [Neal Martin, 04/08/2023]

Anticipated maturity: 2022-2060

Robert Parker 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". [Neal Martin, 01/10/2014]

Anticipated maturity: 2014-2040