Climens

“’Can Sauternes be better than this?’ I scribbled at the conclusion of my tasting note. The answer is ‘No.’”
– Neal Martin, The Wine Advocate

Located in the sweet-wine-only village of Sauternes in the Barsac village of Bordeaux, the exceptionally distinguished Château Climens has been known as the ‘Lord of Barsac’ since its early foundation. The chateau was classified as a First Growth in the 1885 Classification of Sauternes and Barsac, but what makes it unique is that they are part of only a handful of wineries that produce wine from a single grape, Semillon. Thriving on the limestone-rich soils that the Climens vineyards are known for, the Semillon grapes develop the noble rot of botrytis during the humid mornings and warm afternoons, which cause the grapes to dehydrate while maintaining the sugar levels. If botrytis has not properly formed or if the grapes are not of the highest quality, the Climens team will not produce their grand vin for that vintage. The first record of the Climens name appears in a 1547 contract showing that the owner, Guirault Roborel, attorney for the King of Barsac at the time, had inherited the land from his father. At some point in the 17th Century, the physical chateau was built, but was damaged during the French Revolution. Climens changed ownership a couple more times through the centuries and now is owned by the Lurton family when Lucien Lurton purchased it to continue to uphold the respect and tradition of the age-old domain.

www.chateau-climens.fr