Chateau Climens Reviews
Learn More About Chateau Climens Through its Reviews.
2017 Chateau Climens Reviews
No Wine Produced, Due to Frost Damage
2016 Chateau Climens Reviews
96 Pointz Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
“Pale lemon-gold colored, the 2016 Climens is a little youthfully mute, revealing notions of ripe peaches, mango, and musk melon with touches of cedar chest, orange blossoms, candied ginger, and baking bread. Bursting in the mouth with vibrant, energetic stone fruit and tropical layers, it is framed by fantastic freshness, finishing long and creamy.”
95 Pointz Vinous
“I tasted the 2016 Climens from four separate lots identified by location, harvest dates, alcohol, residual sugar, and the percentage each lot represents of the harvest. The four wines were remarkably different. The Nord was both plush and tropical-leaning, yet with notable freshness, while the Sud managed to be both deep and also light on its feet. I found the Ouest to be the most precise and aromatically lifted of the samples, while the Est was the most concentrated. A simple, impromptu blend of the four lots suggests the 2016 Climens is shaping up to be a magnificent Barsac. The interplay of the various components is quite remarkable.”
93 Pointz Wine Spectator
“Expressive, with peach, mirabelle plum, mango, and pear fruit flavors running along in unison, lacing with light bitter almond and orange notes and a flash of honeysuckle.”
Bonus Reviews
United Kingdom
94 Pointz Decanter
“Climens hold blending tastings every few weeks during maturation, and generally the final blend is made in the November of the year after harvest. Climens only needed two 'tries' through the vineyard here, which has been the case for two or three years as it goes so smoothly. The first tri took place on 20th September following 40mm of rain in mid September, which helped to kick-start the botrytis. The overall yield of around 20hl/ha mainly avoided mildew, and importantly proved that biodynamics can withstand difficult climatic conditions. They work with individual lots here to ensure the right balance, and tasting through several lots the homogeneity of quality is really impressive this year. The overall impression is of smooth citrus fruits with a succulent, velvety rich texture and a beautiful creaminess. There are toffee and nut notes and a gorgeous focus, with true salinity on the finish. The 3.7pH is very close to last year's acidity analysis.”
18+/20 Pointz Jancis Robinson,
Master of Wine
“Friendly, round, fresh and floral, gorgeous. Bright fruit. Drink: 2026-2048”
2015 Chateau Climens Reviews
97 Pointz Jeb Dunnuck
“Lastly, the 2015 Château Climens is unquestionably in the same league as the 2011 and 2014, with slightly more elegance and freshness. More exotic notes of honeyed limes, tart apricots, white flowers, and lavender honey all emerge from the glass, and it's medium to full-bodied, with a beautiful elegance, good acidity, and a great finish. It's not as big or opulent as the 2011, but it’s flawlessly balanced and will have a long life.”
97 Pointz James Suckling
This great Barsac is just beginning to open up and not only has incredibly fine mango, papaya, and star-fruit character but also something mineral. Great concentration and textural complexity right from the tip of your tongue to the end of the extremely long, very pure finish. You can enjoy this now, but I recommend cellaring it as long as you can, because this has at least 50 years of ageing potential!
97 Pointz Vinous
“Gracious, light on its feet, and positively sublime, the 2015 Climens is one of the wines of the vintage. Its airiness and grace are hard to capture with words. Lightly honeyed notes, chamomile, and exotic flowers lead into orchard fruit and candied citrus in this impeccably polished, nuanced Barsac. I would prefer to cellar the 2015 for at least a few years to get the benefit of even more complexity, but readers will have a very hard time keeping their hands off this gem from Climens and proprietor Bérénice Lurton.”
97 Pointz Wine Spectator
“Gorgeous, offering a range of orange, almond, and brioche notes backed by lively citrus oil, green tea, and ginger accents. Rich but tightly coiled nonetheless, with lots of energy lying in reserve on the finish. Needs some time. Best from 2022 through 2045.”
95 Pointz Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
“The 2015 Climens was tasted from different lots (after naughty Bérénice Lurton had successfully duped me with her April Fool's joke by saying that she had done a final blend). The fruit was picked from 8 September until 4 October at 21 hl/ha. The residual sugar is 130 grams per liter this year. Aromas that spring from samples included acacia honey, orange blossom, grapefruit, and a little frangipane, all beautifully defined and gaining intensity in the glass. The palate is medium-bodied with a viscous opening, a dash of spice on the entry, lively in the mouth with ginger and a dash of pepper tincturing the honeyed fruit, long and sustained as it fans out with vigor. This is a fabulous Climens from Bérénice Lurton and her team, and as usual, those with wise heads will opt to lay bottles down for 15 years to get the most from this special Barsac. It is destined to be a great Climens - and that's no April Fool's joke.”
Bonus Reviews
United Kingdom
98 Pointz Decanter
“This stands out from the rest - white flowers, bitter orange, mandarin, and smoked caramel are met at every step by lift and tension. A beautiful wine that keeps on delivering.”
18/20 Pointz Jancis Robinson,
Master of Wine
“Of the 22 very promising ingredients, many are big and muscular, while some are particularly spicy. As usual, Bérénice Lurton did not show the final blend, which is likely to be about 14.3% alcohol.”
2014 Chateau Climens Reviews
98 Pointz Wine Enthusiast
“This is beautully concentrated and full of great richness yet seems closed at the moment. Its apricot jelly and dried fruit flavors, acidity, and botrytis are in perfect balance, developing intensity as it opens. A full, generous wine with a great future. Drink from 2023.”
97 Pointz Wine Spectator
“This delivers wave after wave of piecrust, dried pineapple, warm marmalade, singed almond, glazed peach, and apricot flavors, with a hint of brioche. Despite the heft, this has a breezy feel within, thanks to riveting acidity buried deep on the finish. Best from 2020 through 2040.”
96 Pointz Jeb Dunnack
“In the same ballpark as the 2011, the 2014 Château Climens reveals a similar gold hue as well as rich, powerful notes of honeyed almonds, caramelized peach, white raisins, toasted bread, and honeycomb. It’s more full-bodied and has a wonderful mid-palate to go with serious opulence and possibly more moderate acidity. Slightly softer and more seamless than the 2011 (and the 2015), it still has beautiful freshness and purity and another 25-30 years of longevity.”
95 Pointz James Suckling
“A concentrated and finely nuanced wine that opens up a lot in the glass after starting out quite shy. The best thing about it is the great balance and the subtlety of flavor. It ends in a long, silky finish of serious complexity. Drink or hold.”
94 Pointz Vinous
“The 2014 Climens has to shake off a little reduction on the nose, eventually revealing dried honey, quince, apple blossom, and caramelized pear aromas. The palate is very well balanced with a killer line of acidity that slices through the rich botrytized fruit. It fans out wonderfully towards the second, displaying great depth and concentration, genuine complexity that rivets you to the spot on the finish. Outstanding. Tasted blind at the annual Southwold tasting.”
94 Pointz Robert Parker’s Wine Advocate
“The Château Climens was tasted from several lots that Bérénice Lurton and her team are preparing to blend together during its barrel maturation. Having conducted this practice over many years, I would point out that whereas in some years one has to conjecture to the full, in 2014 the lots were both smaller in number, less heterogeneous, and paradoxically, more 'complete'. This made it easier to envisage the final wine. Here, you had to focus on the second trie where 80% of the crop was picked with widespread onset of botrytis. There are fleeting senses of dried honey, juniper berries and marigold, dried apricot on a couple of barrels. There is clearly good acidity here, most of the lots spicier than 2013. As usual, this Climens is bestowed a sense of volume and persistence in the mouth and you have the sense that this will be a more approachable Barsac compared to other vintages. Overall, Bérénice Lurton has a winning Climens on her hands, one that will in the top two or three sweet wines of the vintage.”
Bonus Reviews
United Kingdom
96 Pointz Decanter
“One extremely fine lot after another, all marked by an extremely pure lemony botrytis. Bright and crisp, with lovely sweetness and mindboggling precision. Choosing between the various barrels to make the final blend will be even tougher than usual this year. Drink: 2021-2055”
2013 Chateau Climens Reviews
97 Pointz Wine Spectator
“There's loads here, with apricot, nectarine, and clementine flavors stitched with a racy orange zest note to give energy, along with tropical papaya and mango flavors that add a sublimely creamy edge. The finish sails on and on, coating the palate with a porcelain feel, while an echo of bitter almond hangs effortlessly, like a lace curtain hanging on an endless breeze. Stunning.”
95 Pointz Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
“Cropped at ten hectoliters per hectare, this represents the first certified organic Chateau Climens. As usual, I have to conjecture how the final blend will manifest itself, a task becoming easier now that I have tasted through individual lots for several years. Clearly, the first tries contain zesty citrus fruit with crisp acidity and strong botrytis character, the second tries lending the structure and the Barsac/Climens character. I noticed a "marine" influence on the final tries picked on October 21 and 23, although here there is a slight attenuation. Putting all this together, I foresee an assured, perhaps slightly lighter but tensile Climens, with the more heavily botrytized fruit delivered toward the end. Quality is certainly on par with a very good vintage, the most impressive lots destined to form major components of the final blend. This ought to be a classic Climens.”
Bonus Reviews
United Kingdom
94 Pointz Decanter
“A greater diversity of lots this year than usual, ranging from delicate to unctuous, but the final blend should be terrific. An elegant, layered, harmonious wine with freshness.”
17.5/20 Pointz Jancis Robinson,
Master of Wine
“Honey, marmalade, vanilla, peach, pear, aniseed, white chocolate - absolutely loaded with fruit and complexity. Vivid acidity on the finish. An absolute delight.”
2012 Chateau Climens Reviews
93 Pointz Wine Spectator
“This pulls together lush pineapple, ginger, creamed apricot, and peach notes, along with singed almond and bitter orange hints. Stays broad and rich overall, but there's good cut underneath and some power that will need a bit of time to mellow. An excellent effort for the vintage. All Sémillon.”
91 Pointz Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
“Pale lemon-gold colored, the 2012 Chateau Climens has a slightly evolved nose sporting honeyed nut and toast notes with a core of lemon pie, fresh hay, and allspice. Big, rich, and powerful in the mouth, with maturing citrus and stone fruit notions, it has a provocatively spicy finish.”
2011 Chateau Climens Reviews
97 PointzJeb Dunnuck
“Moving to the Grand Vin, the 2011 Château Climens reveals a still youthful gold color to go with impressive marzipan, brioche, honeycomb, and sauteed peach and apricot-like fruits. With beautiful balance on the palate, it's full-bodied and has a vibrant spine of acidity followed by a clean, lengthy finish. This beautiful, complex Sauternes is going to evolve for 20-30 years or more in cold cellars.”
97 Pointz Wine Enthusiast
#15 TOP 100 CELLAR SELECTIONS 2015
“This is a rich, complex wine, full of dry botrytis that is surrounded by ripe honey. Spice, white peach, and green plum jelly give complexity and variety. The acidity at the end is beautiful. The wine is already enticing but will need many years to develop fully. Drink from 2022.”
97 points Wine Spectator
“Still tight, with an energetic core of white peach, creamed pineapple, persimmon, and white ginger flavors. The backdrop of orange blossom and singed almond notes adds extra dimension on the finish. This will go a long way in the cellar. best from 2016 through 2035.”
96 Pointz James Suckling
“A dense, racy, sweet white with dried-apple, apricot, and honey character. Full, very sweet, and fresh. Tangy, spicy aftertaste. Shows lots of subtle, intense botrytis-spice character on the finish. Better in 2016.”
96 Pointz Vinous
Bright gold-tinged yellow. Knockout nose combines lime, pineapple, honeyed peach, and cinnamon, complicated by very pure floral botrytis. Dense and ripe but vibrant too, with strong spice character and harmonious acidity enlivening the wine's highly expressive lemon and tropical fruit flavors. Finishes broad, tactile, and very complex, with terrific length and a lingering spicy nuance. A star of the vintage.”
93 Pointz Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
“Tasting through individual lots, I was struck by their purity and tautness, developing engaging floral aromas with aeration, with occasional notes of yellow plum and ginger. On the palate, once again there is a common theme of purity and crisp acidity, although they alternated between a lighter and a more mellifluous style. One or two significant lots demonstrated enticing spicy notes that define great Climens. There is certainly enormous potential here, one that beckons an intense, vivacious Barsac underpinned by freshness and focus. The 2011 was picked over five tries in two phases, the first from September 8 to the 21st representing a whopping 82% of the harvest over two tries; the second from September 26 until the 28th comprising over three smaller tries. Although the weather played a critical factor, Berenice Lurton attributed the success of her wine to her limestone soils.”
Bonus Reviews
United Kingdom
95 Pointz Decanter
Complex, poised nose of apricot and quince. Fine attack, intense and very concentrated, with considerable force and drive. Taut and full of tension, this is for the long haul. Disappointing last year, magnificent now. Very long. Drinking Window 2016 - 2050.
18+/20 Pointz Jancis Robinson,
Master of Wine
“Wonderful - complex, rich, compelling. So many flavours - vanilla, buttered popcorn and loads of tropical fruit. Gorgeous balance. A stunner!”
2010 Chateau Climens Reviews
96 Pointz James Suckling
“Attractive nose with hazelnuts, vanilla, and apricot. Lots of dried orange peel and honey in this excellent sweet wine. Dense and very sweet on the palate with bright acidity and wonderful purity of fruit. Soft, well-balanced, and very elegant long finish. Medium sweetness. Intense botrytis spice on finish. Better in 2016.”
96 Pointz Wine Spectator
“Dense and lush now, offering tangerine, apricot, honey-roasted almond, and dacquoise notes, with a long, powerful, honeyed finish that lets toasted coconut and mango cruise through. The lovely dried pineapple and honeysuckle accents flitter through the background. Shows stunning length and depth. This will become dreamy with age. Best from 2018 through 2035.”
95 Pointz Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
“Pale to medium lemon-gold colored, the 2010 Climens offers a lifted, floral nose of orange blossoms and jasmine over a core of lime cordial, grapefruit oil, and dried apricots plus hints of lemon preserves and ginger nut. Very sweet, hedonic, and fantastically seductive in the mouth, the concentration is beautifully offset by lovely freshness, finishing with fantastic length.”
95 Pointz Wine Enthusiast
Cellar Selection
Full and very rich, this is an opulent style of wine. It has a ripe, tropical fruit feel to it, offering power as well as fresh acidity. Pineapples and lychees give fruitiness, perfume, and spice. The aftertaste, with its liquorous character, is gloriously warm and concentated. Drink from 2018.”
90 Pointz Vinous
“The 2010 Chateau Climens has just been a bit variable bottle-to-bottle. This was a transitional Climens as biodynamics was being introduced. Again, I find this a little subdued at the moment, perhaps going through a sulky adolescent stage. The palate is well balanced with a menthol-tinged entry, fine depth, and acidity, more expressive towards the finish with a touch of lemongrass on the aftertaste. C'mon...show me what you can do... Tasted at the Climens vertical at the château in April 2022.”
Bonus Reviews
United Kingdom
96 Pointz Decanter
“You shouldn't need an excuse to open Sauternes but Christmas is a great occasion with plenty of opportunitues to enjoy its many styles. Choose this 2010 for a rich treat and savour it's balance, freshness, and depth, full of succulent tropical fruit, exotic spice flavours and honeyed brioche. Enjoy before, during or after a meal!”
18.5/20 Pointz Jancis Robinson,
Master of Wine
“Very firm on the nose. Round and unctuous. Lots of clean, very sweet fruit here. The acid and alcohol are well managed. The proportions of this wine are excellent. Drink 2020 - 2045”