Wine Advisor
Climens 1967
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Description
Tasting notes
Reviewed by: Neal Martin
Tasted at the Chateau Climens vertical in Zurich. This bottle of ’67 has a surprisingly pale green/straw colour. This has a simple nose with barley sugar, dried apricots and something just slightly unclean (wet dog commented my neighbour.) The palate is medium-bodied with a honeyed texture, straightforward, light honeyed notes with touches of coconut and almond. Quite elegant on the finish but it lacks intensity and complexity. A dropped catch. Tasted November 2009.
Reviewed by: Robert M. Parker, Jr.
Perhaps I have been unlucky and never seen a top-flight bottle of the 1967, but I have generally found this wine to be powerful and richly concentrated, yet not the best-balanced example of Climens. Nevertheless, it is full and mouth-filling, and if the finish is a little coarse and unpolished the wine is still quite satisfying. Anticipated maturity: Now. Last tasted, 12/79.
Reviewed by: Neal Martin
Tasted at Chateau Climens. This has a lovely nose of mandarin, orange-blossom and a touch of peach, although to be honest it is not a million miles better than the ’69. A little “smudged” by alcohol. The palate has a ripe, citrus and mandarin inspired entry, vibrant palate with good depth, touches of quince and barley sugar towards the finish. Good length although it does not fan-out like the ’71 Climens, it just does not have the same gumption or chutzpah. Drink now-2020. Tasted April 2009.
Reviewed by: Neal Martin
The 1967 Climens, which apparently contains 84g/L residual sugar, is a crystalline beauty. Glistening in the glass, it is like a golden beacon that lights up the table. The bouquet is fabulous with razor-sharp delineation and palpable energy, scents of tangerine, acacia honey, Portuguese Pastéis de Nata and barley sugar. The palate is intense, extraordinarily pure and brims with tension, riding on its razor-sharp acidity that counterbalances the honeyed fruit laced with blood orange, passion fruit and subtle white tea notes. I cannot recall a fresher 1967 Sauternes. Every mouthful elicits pure joy and the only downside was there was not a drop left once I had finished my glass.
About the Producer
Château Climens is a wine producer located in the Sauternes village of Barsac on the left bank of the Gironde river, south of Bordeaux. It was classified as a first growth in the 1885 Classification of Sauternes and Barsac alongside other châteaux such as Guiraud and Suduiraut. Climens is one of only a handful of châteaux in Bordeaux that produces its wines from only one grape: Semillon. The wine is characterized by fresh citrus notes, white flowers and spice, which becomes more honeyed and concentrated with age. Semillon thrives on the limestone-rich soils in the vineyards. Botrytis develops on the grapes because of the misty mornings, humidity and warmer afternoons that are typical during the months before harvest. If the grapes are not of the highest quality, or if botrytis has not properly formed, owner Bérénice Lurton and her team will not produce their top wine, the grand vin Château Climens. They have been bold enough in the past to declassify an entire harvest of fruit – either selling the grapes off to other producers rather than bottling as their own or releasing wines under secondary labels. The grapes are harvested and brought into the winery, plot by plot, where they are gently pressed before fermentation in oak barrels. Maturation takes place in French oak barrels on lees for about 20 months. Wines from the best vintages can last decades – a recent tasting of the 1921 vintage revealed a rich, balanced and zesty wine. Château Climens has been owned by the Lurton family since the 1970s (when it was acquired by Lucien Lurton), and in 1992 the estate came under the control of Bérénice Lurton (his daughter). In 2010, Climens began to practice biodynamic winemaking and viticulture, and the 2014 vintage was the first to be entirely certified as biodynamic. Chemical sprays were replaced with natural preparations and plant infusions, from flowers such as chamomile and juniper which are grown on the estate and dried in the attics above the chais.
