After tasting more than 900 Bordeaux 2020 wines in bottle, Georgie Hindle has given her verdict on how the wines are tasting now.
Here we present a quick and easy way to see tasting notes and scores for the top 76 Left Bank Bordeaux wines all with 95 points or above.
| Producer | Appellation | Vintage | Score | Notes | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Château Les Carmes Haut-Brion | Pessac-Léognan | 2020 | 100 | The best 2020s seem to be confident without showing off or shouting too loudly and this Carmes does just that. Focussed and precise, this is complex and characterful, rich yet vibrant with a texture and taste that makes an impact straight away. Fresh black fruits, floral notes and sensational minerality do the talking - it has weight, density and structure - broad and bold yet svelte, it has direction and persistence, building quickly then settling and elongating with such clarity and purity. This is a wine you want to drink. Cool, classic, sharp and decisive with a flawless texture. Whereas '19 was more generous this is more classic and easy to understand. An excellent job - seemingly effortless winemaking in 2020 - and a bottle that is sure to be emptied pretty quickly. | |
| Château Mouton Rothschild | Pauillac (1er Cru Classé) | 2020 | 100 | Dark fruits on the nose, blackcurrants and cherries with savoury nuances of dark chocolate and tobacco. Fresh and forward on the palate, this hits you square on, still very lean and direct, almost piercing and severe in its intensity and drive, though wonderfully precise. It’s like an arrow - serious and focussed yet full and layered. The texture is lovely, a slight graininess that lingers but it’s the acidity and the fruit purity that are so excellent - they give such a sense of vibrancy and make this wine so thrilling. Extremely youthful so you get a feeling of pent-up energy, but after a few minutes the slight density of the ripe fruit comes through, giving some plushness and weight. I love the Cabernet details and the mineral element that leaves the mouth cool and fresh. A well constructed, subtle beauty. | |
| Château Ducru-Beaucaillou | St-Julien (2ème Cru Classé) | 2020 | 99 | Evocative and moreish, a Ducru that beguiles and delights from the start with a scented nose full of cedar, rose, violets, cherries and damsons - a riot of Cabernet typicity. Vibrant and pulsing on the palate, this has grip and intention from the get go. Massy, full and wide in the mouth - there’s density and this is broad but it’s delicate too, a sense of weightlessness with such movement and energy and a soft sweet, succulent grip throughout. Powerful with present tannins that unravel slowly so there’s time to appreciate the details as they come. A thoughtful and intellectual wine that leaves a small on your face. | |
| Château Lafite Rothschild | Pauillac (1er Cru Classé) | 2020 | 99 | An utterly brilliant Lafite - a sense of understated charm, it’s certainly not shouting but delivers a bright, sharp, joyous sensation. Almost subtle in its presentation with delicacy and refinement on show yet such clear power underneath. An incredible aromatic display with ripe black fruits, pepper, liquorice and crushed stones - calm, controlled and contained with beautiful tannin integration and a chalky, salinity on the finish. Supremely complete with mass appeal. | |
| Château Latour | Pauillac (1er Cru Classé) | 2020 | 99 | Smooth, round and bright, there is a controlled sense to this, quiet and contemplative with aromas of coffee, tobacco, dried cherries, floral scents and liquorice offset by a juicy core giving clear acidity and freshness with freshly-picked strawberry and red cherry fruit flavours. Bright and fun, the texture is dominating right now, the tannins fully on show but so well integrated - they support the fruit giving the frame, width and expansion - really providing the backbone to the overall expression. Forward and characterful, Latour can sometimes be more lean and mean, especially so young, but this is focussed and sleek, delicate and open - it really makes you smile with a vein of iron/saltiness that lingers. | |
| Château Margaux | Margaux (1er Cru Classé) | 2020 | 99 | Cool and confident, an effortless Margaux that’s a clear success in 2020. Vivid colour in the glass with a delicately perfumed nose. Smooth and graceful on the palate, silky smooth yet rich too, deepening in layers, much more vertical than wide at this point but with clear concentration. It expands slowly but surely, really taking its time before the juicy, chewy, succulent blackcurrant, liquorice, clove, sweet spice and cooling menthol touches come forward. Nuanced and detailed with precision and clarity to the taste and overall sensation. A Margaux for the ages. | |
| Château Calon Ségur | St-Estèphe (3ème Cru Classé) | 2020 | 98 | Very deep perfumed nose, you can smell the 1% Petit Verdot, quite potent and intense with ripe fruit aromas. Super smooth and silky on the palate however, just so juicy and lovely with tons more balance than the nose suggests. A lovely energy and freshness which comes across as both sharp and well defined - juicy and succulent but remaining intense linear in terms of structure. The weight comes from plump, ripe fruit - the blackcurrant, black cherry and plum offset by a cooling minerality and wet stone, pencil led minerality. It has richness for sure, the concentration is there, but so slight of hand, so well executed and long. This really is very impressive. | |
| Château Gruaud-Larose | St-Julien (2ème Cru Classé) | 2020 | 98 | Detailed and delicate, this has a seductive charm to it, slowly displaying scented blueberries and raspberries, before layers of salty minerality, liquorice, and cooling blue fruits come into play as well as tobacco and liquorice adding a savoury touch. It’s not immediately upfront - more calm and collected, slowly growing in stature and presence. Tannins are fine but mouthcoating giving the structure, this isn't a light wine, but it's supremely elegant and excellently textured. Impressive complexity and drama here, still very serious but it's sublime too. A luminous wine I'd love to own. | |
| Château Lynch-Bages | Pauillac (5ème Cru Classé) | 2020 | 98 | One of my favourite wines of the vintage, this is a wonderful example of high definition winemaking but still offering plenty of Pauillac swagger. Smells dark and slightly savoury, full of black fruit and toasted aromas. Bright and lively on the palate with clarity and precision to the berry fruit, shining and clear with juicy, mouthwatering acidity - so much energy in the glass. Chalky, graphite-laced tannins fill the mouth, giving structure and clear terroir markers with a lingering minerality on the finish. Perfectly weighted with incredible delectability and drinkability. Persistent with a long finish. Superb effort. | |
| Château Montrose | St-Estèphe (2ème Cru Classé) | 2020 | 98 | Scented and perfumed on the nose with a delicate charm. Striking, full, round, juicy and crisp - this has bite and a sense of strictness in the frame that keeps things relatively narrow at this point but comes with excellent definition of elements. Great classicism with lots of freshness. Really very seductive, the black and blue fruit, graphite and touch of smoke grow and expand with richness and intensity but staying friendly at the same time thanks to the soft sweetness and juicy acidity. I just love the interplay between being serious and generous, structured but racy, intense yet precise. Such purity, and focus. Energetic and pent up, this is raring to go to show off its beauty but just being held back. Effortless, complex and compelling. I loved it a tiny bit less than the ‘19 but it’s still one of the best in 2020. | |
| Château Palmer | Margaux (3ème Cru Classé) | 2020 | 98 | An irresistible wine from Palmer in 2020, sumptuous and voluptuous, open and appealing yet with all the elements so very carefully set in their place. Rich and evocative on the nose, dark and brooding with softly perfumed violet and rose aromas but it’s the texture that captivates on the palate with soft and seductive velvety tannins that immediately expand in the mouth giving the power but also refinement. Mouthwatering and juicy but rich at the same time, so approachable you could drink this right now and just marvel in its nuance, structure and ease - and the oak integration is seamless. I love the liquorice bite and chalky sensation alongside vibrant black fruit. You do get a sense of heat and menthol, liquorice freshness at the finish reminding you this is a serious wine that is built to last. This really carries the Margaux beauty and charm. A long life ahead but once opened this will disappear out of the bottle instantaneously. | |
| Château Pichon Baron | Pauillac (2ème Cru Classé) | 2020 | 98 | Gentle and delicately aromatic but rich too, full of coffee, mocha, dark chocolate, caramel and medicinal herbs - mint and aniseed with a combination of red, blue and black berry fruits. Lovely density and weight on the palate, really very tannic but wide with an aerated effect so it doesn't feel at all heavy with a bright juiciness and extremely long length. The tannins make the first impression with a velvet texture and chalky minerality but it’s clean and the fruit has a crystalline purity that gives a sleek and direct overall impression. Generous, elegant and refined yet still not showing its best. | |
| Château Pichon Longueville Comtesse de Lalande | Pauillac (2ème Cru Classé) | 2020 | 98 | Smooth, seductive and finely textured. This is both sleek and strict, with a savoury, crushed stone saline tang alongside tobacco, tar, ripe black cherries and soft floral scents. The Cabernet really makes its mark, sexy and rich, less immediately charming than the '19 was at this point - it’s more restricted and coiled but more sophisticated, elegant and refreshing - a wine you want to sit and think about while the aromas and flavours open and evolve. Lovely definition, weight and texture overall. A clear stand out. | |
| Château Rauzan-Ségla | Margaux (2ème Cru Classé) | 2020 | 98 | Juicy and lively fragrance on the nose - so perfumed and alluring. Delicate and pure on the palate, crystalline yet with such intensity. A rush of creamy tangy strawberries, herbal-edged raspberries and plum fruit lined with salty minerality gives the nuance and detail. It’s lightly framed with well integrated tannins that are fine and firm, a tiny bit tense just giving some tightness on the mid palate, a sense of compactness, but then it opens again towards the finish. Cool and ethereal this exudes charm and confidence. Extremely well made and totally seductive. I love the juiciness and sense of joyful but it’s also seductive as it deepens and grows in layers of chalk, slate, bramble fruits, perfume and florality. Sleek and excellently presented. Another excellent wine from Rauzan with delicacy, detall and drinkability. Stunning. | |
| Château Smith Haut Lafitte | Pessac-Léognan (Cru Classé de Graves) | 2020 | 98 | Vivid dark purple in the glass, but a remarkable clarity too. Fragrant black cherries, plums, cassis and perfumed aromas with blueberries, balsamic touches and white pepper. Rich, round, grippy and captivating, slightly plush but also tight, where you get a soft chalky, wet stone grip with lively acidity balanced by strict and spiced liquorice-touched fruit. You feel the leanness here but it's so well defined with clarity and precision. A sleeping giant right now, definitely not yet fully expressing itself but slowly grows to a long finish. There's something so utterly seductive about this wine, it's overt, forward, upfront, confident and powerful no doubt, this will need a while before it should be opened, but it’s a shining thoroughbred. Refined and purposeful. There’s a bit of magic in this bottle. | |
| Château Batailley | Pauillac (5ème Cru Classé) | 2020 | 97 | A very fine Batailley, opulent and structured, fragrant and expressive on the nose and palate. This is supple and succulent, immediately balanced and appealing with a fine tannic hold, crushed velvet in texture, which cushions the blueberries and black cherries with mint and liquorice edges but no overt spice. There’s an air of style to this, very likeable with structure, definition and persistence from the start. Muscular but fine with clear terroir markers in the liquorice, wet stones, pencil led and graphite. One for the long haul, give at least 5-10 years before approaching. | |
| Château Brane-Cantenac | Margaux (2ème Cru Classé) | 2020 | 97 | Heady and expressive on the nose, seductive tones of ripe fruit and perfumed flowers. Gorgeous intensity on the palate, rich, round and ripe - gently chewy - but cool and refreshing too. This has a dynamic undercurrent with tannins that are fine but firm giving a slightly narrow frame. It’s a bit more serious than some, more brooding, but clearly well made with definition. There’s a confidence here, vibrant and detailed fruit with an excellent lingering impression of the terroir in the slightly salty, chalky, graphite touch. Layered and well built with supreme classicism. A top buy. I'd like to own this one! | |
| Château Cos d'Estournel | St-Estèphe (2ème Cru Classé) | 2020 | 97 | Dark chocolate, milk chocolate, mocha, tobacco, and vibrant blackcurrant aromas on the nose. This is a sultry, seductive wine, smooth, ripe, round and voluptuous but also sleek and kept in check in that it gives layers of fruit, acidity and freshness but also a spiced frame from which the flavours are contained. Tons of liquorice, almost too much, but giving nuance, style and complexity. It’s broad and muscular, there is power, heft, concentration and intensity, but it’s expertly delivered. Tightly packed, tense and verging on austere but you just know this will be sublime in time. Carefully constructed and a no doubt hit. | |
| Château Duhart-Milon | Pauillac (4ème Cru Classé) | 2020 | 97 | Suave, elegant and calmly confident. A masterclass in high definition winemaking where all the elements are presented harmoniously with structure, freshness, complexity and a wide expansive finish. Tannins are well integrated giving support to the shining black Cabernet fruit that has strength, power and concentration but delivered underneath the savoury salinity, liquorice spice and minerality. There’s something very special about this. I love the sense of discretion, a wine that knows it has star quality but it’s not shouting about it. Pure and poised - incredibly inviting! A great buy. | |
| Château Haut-Bages Libéral | Pauillac (5ème Cru Classé) | 2020 | 97 | A shining star among an appellation of stars in 2020. This captivated me from the first sip with its energy, harmony and completeness. Dark and brooding at first with blackcurrant, black cherry, milk chocolate and floral flecks that transform on the palate giving a sense of forward motion, tannic density and real bite. Plush and softly bouncy with lovely acidity and the softest sweetness that is so enjoyable, backed against a savoury liquorice and clove tang that puts the Pauillac terroir and power front and centre but the vibrancy here is undeniable. There are wines in this vintage that really make you smile and this is one of them! Magic. | |
| Château Haut-Bailly | Pessac-Léognan (Cru Classé de Graves) | 2020 | 97 | Almost wild on the nose, aromatic and expressive, you can tell this is a powerful, concentrated wine with dark fruits, graphite, fresh mint and medicinal herbal touches. Pure and focussed, clean, lean and multifaceted, the flavours huit the palate then melt away giving the fore to liquorice, cedar tobacco and soft clove spices. I love the sleekness and the sense of seriousness that the 2020 has compared to the more 'look at me' 2019 at this point. The texture and depth make this wine, with vertical layers and excellent acidity. A profound wine. | |
| Château Haut-Brion | Pessac-Léognan (1er Cru Classé) | 2020 | 97 | Concentrated and persistent. This remains quite tight overall with clear power, push and generosity of ripe blackcurrants, fragrant black cherries, blueberries, liquorice, cocoa powder, clove and wet stone. The acidity and oak keep the elements all very centred but there’s no denying this is a statuesque wine that will need time to come around. Vivid, full and well framed. | |
| Château Léoville-Las Cases | St-Julien (2ème Cru Classé) | 2020 | 97 | Perfumed touches on the nose, quite high toned, blackcurrant but almost liqueur with rose petal and candy floss nuances. On the point of ripeness, still tense, not hugely expansive in the mouth or particularly weighty but juicy with a really confident energy to it - vibrant and compelling. Tannins are perfectly integrated, so fine, this has a silky overall texture with a hint of grip coming towards the mid palate. Driven and straight, not deviating from the core. Almost unfriendly, but you know this has been well made - it’s sleek, with sinewy muscles, just caged right now needing time to come around. I love the precision to the elements, there’s such a sharp attention to detail with a liquorice, slate and pencil led tang. The flavours need coaxing a little; this is a sleeping beauty waiting to awaken, but when it does it will be delicious because of the precision. A wonderful wine that makes you really think about how it’s going to evolve. | |
| Château Pontet-Canet | Pauillac (5ème Cru Classé) | 2020 | 97 | A seriously impressive Pontet Canet in 2020, complete and easy to like. Nicely contoured with so much going on but all well controlled. Lovely high acidity straight away, forward, bright and energetic with a crunch to the cool blue and red fruit; plums, strawberries and black cherries with tons of slate, graphite and liquorice. Tannins are well integrated with a silky creamy texture so you're getting nuance, joy and structure while keeping a joyous overall feeling. Nothing feels overdone, it’s quietly seductive and confident still with the Pauillac touch but not at all showing off. A charmer that will age well. | |
| Château Haut-Batailley | Pauillac (5ème Cru Classé) | 2020 | 96 | Potent on the nose, the Cabernet speaking with herbal tones, some minty freshness, aniseed, vanilla and cedar. Crystalline and pristine handling of the fruit, it's so smooth and succulent, not so crisp perhaps but on the edge - strikingly clean, and very pure. Feels effortless to drink, still has concentration but a lovely easy juicines combined with grip from the well integrated tannins makes this a joy to drink. I love the cool touches, the slightly bitter, dark chocolate liquorice elements. Refined and restrained with elegance throughout, not overpowering, still with a wide finish that suggests a large structure but graceful. I love this kind of wine - one that offers a lot of pleasure and isn't too hard to think about. A great buy! | |
| Château Batailley | Pauillac (5ème Cru Classé) | 2020 | 96 | Really quite fragrant, lots of purple flowers and purple fruits, ripe blackcurrants, pencil shavings - deep and brooding. Supple and succulent, immediately just so balanced and comfortable in the mouth, calm and quietly confident, less showing off, not so overt or upfront, but more mouthfilling and expansive. Tannins give a stronghold in the mouth but are fine and velvety in texture, cushioning the cool fruit - blueberries and black cherries with mint and liquorice edges but not spiced. There’s an air of style but also of ease, you could drink this now, it's so approachable and likeable in the glass. Mouthwatering acidity, long and giving. Lovely structure and frame, great definition and persistence from the beginning. Opulent and structured, this needs some time, but I like the texture and tension, excellent potential. 18 months ageing in oak barrels, 60% new. | |
| Château Beychevelle | St-Julien (4ème Cru Classé) | 2020 | 96 | Scented and perfumed - violet tones, almost a touch of liqueur fruit to the nose, aromatic with dark chocolate touches too. Bright and shining, this is sleek, quite delicately displayed in terms of texture but this has layers of savoury elements - liquorice, clove, tobacco with bright red fruits and dark bramble fruits. Clean and compelling. Well made with tons of confidence. So complete, juicy in a heady seductive way, this is deeply scented, driven and brooding but perfectly weighted to keep the right side of being too heavy. Refreshing but devilishly charming - it leaves a clean feeling in the mouth where you just want to taste it again. | |
| Château d'Issan | Margaux (3ème Cru Classé) | 2020 | 96 | Wonderfully intense on the nose, so ripe and concentrated with some toasted oak aromas. Supple and vibrant on the palate, the fruit is clean and crisp with tannins that are fine but firm, just giving the expression some tension and linearity. Cinnamon and clove edge the bright blackcurrant and black cherry fruit with lovely acidity. This is plush, and firm at the same time, clean and clear, fragrant and ripe. Lots going on here with bitter dark chocolate too. It’s all happening. Needs time to relax but this is wonderfully nuanced and really quite captivating. Grippy and refreshing, leaves a lingering impression. | |
| Château Grand-Puy-Lacoste | Pauillac | 2020 | 96 | Milk chocolate, blackcurrants, some cinnamon ,floral spice notes, cedar, touch of liquorice. Smooth and supple, lovely energy and vibrancy here, really quite high-toned and in focus, lovely precision to the details here - the tannins are firm, slightly coarse and grainy but do so well to give the structure in the mouth - really give the frame while the flavour and the acidity does the talking. I like the combination of fruit and texture and acidity, feels serious while maintaining energy, focus and drive. Lovely lightness of touch, flows along the palate, I also love the red fruit aspects - strawberry, red cherry, bright, seering, really so joyful here with acidity that lasts and lasts. But a lovely crunch and bite to the tannins overall and lovely fresh ending. Long. wide, open, generous and friendly. Finessed and refined. True signature here where they don’t push too hard, not too heavy on the extraction. | |
| Château Haut-Bages Libéral | Pauillac (5ème Cru Classé) | 2020 | 96 | Dark and brooding, blackcurrant, black cherry and milk chocolate with floral flecks. Thick but so juicy, really alive in the glass, forward and bold, still with bite but also density of tannins, fleshy right now. Herbal medicinal raspberry and strawberries and red cherries comprise the fruit flavours on the palate. Tannins are super smooth, really harmonious, while still having density and plushness. There are wines in this vintage that make you smile and this is one of them - very charming. The sucrosity gives a tiny bit of sweetness to the cheeks and the acidity is great. I love the savoury nature too, the liquorice and clove are well balanced and it really gives the Pauillac power. Very complete, a shining star. | |
| Château La Mission Haut-Brion | Pessac-Léognan (Cru Classé de Graves) | 2020 | 96 | Lovely florality with butterscotch, candied lemons, white blossom and lemon peel on the nose. Round and lively, a nice initial bounce before it becomes quite serious. High acidity with tangy citrus elements and a shot of sweet juiciness before a saline, minerality and some toasted spice elements come in. Excellent intensity of flavour - streamlined and sharp with a solid backbone and drive. 3.9pH. | |
| Château Léoville Poyferré | St-Julien (2ème Cru Classé) | 2020 | 96 | Perfumed and intensely floral on the nose. Supple and generous with mouthwatering acidity, though really quite tannic at this point which does cover up some of the nuance. I like the texture, the frame and the weight, it's clean, polished and well worked, not overdone at all, but this has a sense of potent seduction in the flavours - rich blackcurrant, perfumed and scented. Detailed with lots of stony, slate, and wet stone elements giving a wonderful terroir influence. It's not as immediately charming as the 2019, the tension still prominent, but this will be brilliant in 5-10 years. | |
| Château Pontet-Canet | Pauillac (5ème Cru Classé) | 2020 | 96 | Dark chocolate, bramble tones, not overly floral or fruity with some cedar and cinnamon notes. Lovely high acidity straight away, forward, bright and energetic with lovely crunchy blue fruit on the palate but creamy textured tannins giving a round and complete mouthful. Nothing feels overdone, this is quietly seductive and confident but not at all showing off. I love the minerality and the graphite grip with plum and black cherry and tons of slate, liquorice and menthol freshness. Long finish, slowly expansive, building and growing from start to finish showing an impressive structure overall. Nicely constructed, charming still with the Pauillac touch. A great Pontet - immediately seductive and enjoyable with a long ageing potential. | |
| Château Smith Haut Lafitte | Pessac-Léognan (Cru Classé de Graves) | 2020 | 96 | Butterscotch, vanilla, a soft honeyed caramel, lemon and orange notes with green apple. Quite bitter straight away, the lemon and orange rind and grapefruit juice elements all to the fore alongside a hit of bright, lemon juice acidity. Then it settles, almost closes, or narrows into a funnel, quite tight and sleek, definite tension there, but there's power and structure still with elegance. It's not giving, generous and approachable right now but this has been well made - really focused and polished. Body, freshness and structure with lovely hints of minerality and such a wide aerial, aerated finish. It's serious - this is bold but with something so special about it. Ageing 50% new oak, 50% one year old barrels, 12 months with three months in vats before bottling. | |
| Château Smith Haut Lafitte, Le Petit Smith Haut Lafitte | Pessac-Léognan | 2020 | 96 | Dark blackcurrant on the nose, really speaking of the Cabernet Sauvignon with medicinal herbal touches too, mint, bramble and dark chocolate. Very gently chewy, such a subtle bounce to the palate with the ripe fruit coming through giving the density while the Cabernet Sauvignon gives the strength, the structure and the backbone. It expands outwards, penetrating the sides of the mouth but retaining a sense of refinement. It doesn't feel like it's been overworked, there's tension but nothing harsh. Structured and serious but also there's lots of life with great acidity and a mouthfilling crushed stone texture. Really delicious and I love the outward freshness. A lovely Petit in 2020 that will also age well. Serious but captivating. Ageing 14 months, 15-20% new oak | |
| Domaine de Chevalier | Pessac-Léognan (Cru Classé de Graves) | 2020 | 96 | Bright red fruits, creamy and deliciously textured - full, ripe and round but so well controlled. Vibrant and vivid yet balanced and sleek, you want to drink this now with great acidity and cool blue fruit touches and stony minerality. Tannins are present and mouthfilling but grippy and supportive not overwhelming. Feels stylish and really so drinkable. A great effort! | |
| Château Branaire-Ducru | St-Julien (4ème Cru Classé) | 2020 | 95 | Sleek and seductive, quite highly charged with such a potent perfume and black bramble fruit aroma on both the nose and palate. Silky, smooth, suave and confident, this is a supremely gorgeous wine. Not weighty as such, but there is intensity in the layers of fruit and acidity with a cool, refreshing core underpinned by salty stones and liquorice elements. Elegant and refined, pulsing with energy, charm, delicacy and detail. | |
| Château Clerc Milon | Pauillac (5ème Cru Classé) | 2020 | 95 | Subtle, delicate, not shouting but delivering a really nuanced glass of wine with lots of fresh acidity and soft sweetness but also a herbal element giving spiced red fruits in the glass. Feels less serious than d'Armailhac, more upfront and open, but lovely detail too. Soft, such high acidity, really so lifted in the glass, a lovely purity, clean and clear. I love the grippy tannins that almost clean the palate leaving a crushed velvet texture on the tongue with lots of generosity. Super appealing and already very pleasant and pleasing to drink. | |
| Château Couhins | Pessac-Léognan (Cru Classé de Graves) | 2020 | 95 | Freshly shelled peas on the nose with green apple aromas. Zingy and full of life straight away, vibrant yet so well controlled. A beautiful glass of wine with excellent acidity, weight and texture. It has a lovely salty, iodine tang to the lemon, lime, orange rind, pineapple, grapefruit pith and green apple. Thrilling and vibrant but clean and crisp. So well worked, focused so give this a year or two for it to settle and expand but this is a great white from 2020. A wine to buy, and more importantly drink and enjoy. | |
| Château Couhins-LurtonBlanc | Pessac-Léognan (Cru Classé de Graves) | 2020 | 95 | Grassy notes with crisp apple, pear and white flowers. Supremely lived and finessed on the palate with crisp and crunchy citrus fruits, fresh acidities and a long, lifted finish. Has some weight, depth and layering to the mid-palate with a honeyed, caramel texture that is so appealing. Feels structured and well put together with lots of life and energy. A delicious wine worth seeking out. | |
| Château Giscours | Margaux (3ème Cru Classé) | 2020 | 95 | Wonderful aromatic expression, fragrant with wild flowers and dark bramble fruits as well as sandalwood. Rich and round on the palate, really so juicy and succulent, mouthwatering acidity balances the crushed stone texture and flavour - a combination of liquorice, slate, pencil lead and blackcurrants and black cherries. It’s concentrated but delivered so gracefully. Nicely layered, graceful and refined, a delicacy to this overall. It’s not weighty but precise and nuanced, lots of individual flavours really hitting different aspects. They haven't pushed this, it’s definitely still a little high-toned and slightly austere in the chalky tannins but I love the gentle fragrance, the air of quiet confidence but still with structure, concentration and persistence. Well worked. So much going on here, this will be delicious in time. | |
| Château Haut-BrionBlanc | Pessac-Léognan (Cru Classé de Graves) | 2020 | 95 | Elderflower, white chocolate, pear, lemon blossom and orange zest - a nice mix of fresh fruits and floral scents. Bright, round and plump but focused too, this carries a lovely weight and intensity of flavour, it's not sharp or too woody with volume and balance. It's not shouting, more subtle and understated. The acidity is not that high 3.7pH so this doesn't have the immediate lift and joy you may be expecting but it's still tangy and vibrant with a round overall frame. Feels serious, and polished, this has been well worked with lovely nuances, a contemplative wine to think about. Still with some edges and tension too - the weight of Semillon playing against the sharpness of Sauvignon Blanc. | |
| Château La Mission Haut-Brion | Pessac-Léognan (Cru Classé de Graves) | 2020 | 95 | Dark chocolate, bramble fruits, some perfumed notes, exotic spices, liquorice, cedar and clove, but floral too. Supple and charming on the palate, not so lively and openly expressive at this point, a bit more knitted down, quiet and calm but a lovely texture. Tannis are fine but just chalky giving the grip and width while the dark fruit has both a red and black tang to it, just restricted a little by the oaky edges, subtle as they are in terms of flavour, it just narrows the expression a little. You can feel the concentration in the lingering flavour on the cheeks and again a touch of heat and wood spice on the finish. Good acidity with a lightness of touch despite the depth of flavour. Well worked with a long finish. | |
| Château Lafite Rothschild, Carruades de Lafite | Pauillac | 2020 | 95 | Some candy floss notes, ripe fruit, almost sweet and perfumed, scented cherry drop sweets on the nose. I was expecting something more plush on the palate but this is just so fun with a lovely bouncy palate, cushioned and bright. Stunning sharp and bright bramble fruit flavours are given grip from the liquorice-laced tannins but overall this has so much joy, energy and character. A strong spiced backbone gives the structure with excellent freshness and tension for ageing but it's also saying 'look how fun and drinkable I am right now'. An excellent Carruades. | |
| Château Léoville Barton | St-Julien (2ème Cru Classé) | 2020 | 95 | Liquorice on the nose with blue fruit aromas - cool and expressive. Quite tight on the palate, the tannins making the impact right now and the style still very much on the savoury edge. Good acidity here, but it’s coming off a little sharp, giving angles to the palate though given some cushioning by ripe tannins. I do love the red and black berry elements alongside pine notes, cedar, coffee, liquorice and tobacco, the wood flexing its muscles. Softly classic with nice St-Julien character. | |
| Château Pape Clément | Pessac-Léognan | 2020 | 95 | Tannic heft from the get-go, though this does have a lovely fresh, clean and precise core with a narrow, focused frame so the elements come across as quite tight and severe right now but well worked. It has class, no doubt, on the high-toned scale, potent and upfront but there's gorgeous detail and precision to the fruit, acidity and tannins. Slick and classy with lots of glamour that plays to the strengths of the vintage. 1% Cabernet Franc completes the blend. | |
| Château Pichon Baron, Les Griffons de Pichon Baron | Pauillac | 2020 | 95 | Dark and heady on the nose, richly fruited and perfumed, smells serious and deep and totally inviting with dark chocolate, coffee and mocha notes with blackcurrant and black cherry and spiced vanilla, tobacco and cedar. Energetic, lively, vivid and bright on the palate but deep too, such a lovely vibrancy laced with liquorice, tobacco and bitter chocolate. Definitely serious but I love the energy, potency and florality. Structured and intense, totally seductive in a heady way yet still lively with a juicy core of strawberry, red cherry and blackcurrant. Feels nicely constructed and considered. A great second wine. | |
| Domaine de ChevalierBlanc | Pessac-Léognan (Cru Classé de Graves) | 2020 | 95 | Round with a soft medicinal, herbal element and toasted spice framing the lemon, lime, elderflower, pear and peach fruit with a core of salty, wet stones. Bitter, sweet and acidic - all the elements melding together harmoniously with an appealing weight. I like the overall sleek and crisp expression, feels well worked and well structured. A great buy. | |
| Château Arnauld | Haut-Médoc (Cru Bourgeois Exceptionnel) | 2020 | 94 | A bold and heady, fragranced nose - ripe fruit and floral scents. Much less ripe and alcoholic on the palate than the nose suggests, this has a wonderfully juicy and unctuous fruit profile with a mouthwatering core. Acidity is high and this has a nice sense of drinkability. It is lightly framed in that the tannins are still reserved and quiet tight - it's certainly not plush or plump - more linear, giving focus to the acidity and fruit. A touch of cinnamon and mint on the finish suggests the wood needs time to expand and soften a bit more which will widen the whole experience. | |
| Château Cantenac Brown | Margaux (3ème Cru Classé) | 2020 | 94 | Juicy, succulent and supple, this has lovely bright energy and impact straight away. Tannins are on the chalky mineral side, mouthcoating, but with a salty tang so they don't appear too ripe, heavy or rustic, but give width and structure. Feels quite powerful, with an underlying concentration and a tight clove and cedar tang to the tannins. Energetic, definitely more bright and pulsing right now. Purity of fruit is there, as is the acidity. | |
| Château Couhins-Lurton | Pessac-Léognan (Cru Classé de Graves) | 2020 | 94 | Fresh and ripe dark fruits on the nose, smells lively. Clean and clear, a sleek and smooth texture. Tense still with a streamlined core of firm and well defined tannins. The fruit elements have depth though giving a verticality of flavours which is lovely but this is still quite coiled and reserved for now. Lovely succulence and grip, a stony minerality balances the ripe, softly chewy blackcurrant and black cherry. Lifted, fresh and clean finish. Some gorgeous detail and nuance here, will be absolutely delicious in a few years. | |
| Château d'Armailhac | Pauillac (5ème Cru Classé) | 2020 | 94 | Dried flowers, lots of pot pourri scents on the nose, very aromatic in a floral sense with some rich Cabernet blackcurrant flavours at the back. Smooth and lively, excellent acidity from the get go, this has a nice bounce and push but also a creaminess and a touch of spice so you're getting a lot of complexity in the mouth. A touch little rustic with clove, green pepper and cinnamon spice but I love the slightly textured grainy tannins and the freshness is there. Definitely learner than I was expecting, with a saline finish and wonderful crystalline aspect to the fruit. Clear, detailed, precise with a sense of classicism. | |
| Château Desmirail | Margaux (3ème Cru Classé) | 2020 | 94 | Bright, perky and forward, the fruits shine out of the glass, alive and detailed - more lightly framed than some, elegant and refined with clear strawberry, red cherry and raspberry elements underpinned by lively acidity and firm but fine tannins. It’s very Desmirail, not trying too hard, not pushing, just giving delicate, gentle finesse with lovely red fruit flavours. Detailed and nuanced - this isn't a blockbuster you're going to find elsewhere. Needs time, but will be excellent. | |
| Château Durfort-Vivens | Margaux (2ème Cru Classé) | 2020 | 94 | Blueberries, plums, black cherries - dark bramble fruits with herbal, medicinal nuances on the nose. Ripe and juicy, this is calm and supremely controlled on the palate - harmonious but you can feel the construction and winemaking. Fruit forward, round and generous but still with clear direction and precision alongside taught salinity and minerality. Tannins are slightly granular with edges of liquorice, clove, aniseed and cola giving a sense that this still needs time to soften a bit more. Two thirds barrel aged, one third in amphora. | |
| Château Ferrière | Margaux (3ème Cru Classé) | 2020 | 94 | Seductive fragrance on the nose, perfumed, clean and pure. Rich yet direct too, I like the sleekness with clarity, energy and a vibrancy to the dark fruits edged with clove and liquorice. Tannins are firm and grippy, taking hold of the palate, showing off the muscular side. Feels well made with a full body and persistence from start to finish. Nicely approachable. | |
| Château Gloria | St-Julien | 2020 | 94 | Tobacco, dark chocolate and scented flowers on the nose - beautiful aromatic display. Ripe and concentrated fruit but with clarity and precision alongside savoury elements of coffee, cola and creamy blackcurrants. Tannins are rich and grippy edged by liquorice and a salty minerality giving St-Julien typicity. Charming with energy and poise. | |
| Château Kirwan | Margaux (3ème Cru Classé) | 2020 | 94 | Gorgeous nose, full of dark bramble fruits and dark chocolate and flowers. Round and energetic with a core of intensely concentration blackcurrants, plums and black cherries. Lovely refinement here, sleek, satisfying, clean, precise. Great drive from start to finish, this has both a satisfying wight and texture - plump but not too much, mineral and salty but not too much. Glamour and confidence. A lovely wine, still youthful but expertly delivered. Just so juicy and alive, refreshing, vibrant and concentrated. Really very stylish. | |
| Château Lafite RothschildAnseillan | Pauillac | 2020 | 94 | Ripe tones on the nose; bramble fruit with perfumed scents - gorgeous rose scents appear after a few minutes, expanding and becoming more expressive. Juicy and succulent, vibrant and thrilling on the palate, there's a sense of energy here, a liveliness straight away with high acidity and a saline, slate mineral edge to the blackcurrant and blackberry fruit. Lovely clarity and purity with textured tannins that are well integrated but give the taut and refined frame. Great focus and complexity, less textured in terms of tannins compared with 2019 but this is wide and expansive, suggesting plenty of ageing potential. | |
| Château Lagrange | St-Julien (3ème Cru Classé) | 2020 | 94 | Aromatically very expressive on the nose. Perfumed with ripe fruits and floral characters. Supple and juicy, a lovely lifeforce and bounce. Tannins are plush yet plump giving a roundness to the expression letting the bright red fruits shine and acidity keep everything lifted. Has a joyous quality, so easy to like this - refreshing and enjoyable. The texture and weight is great, lovely medicinal edges as well as some salinity with cooling minty touches and a long finish. Really well worked, not pushed and delivered with poise. It’s lightly framed in terms of texture, more layered vertically than wide, giving an aerial freshness throughout. | |
| Château LatourLes Forts de Latour | Pauillac | 2020 | 94 | Dark fruits on the nose with purple violet floral reflections, milk chocolate and cocoa touches give hints of savoury complexity on the nose. Pumped, alive and round, this is full in the mouth, supple but with high acidity. Round and textured in the mouth with powdery, crushed velvet tannins giving the depth and width. Round, bright, vivacious, plump and juicy. Joyful but still cool and fresh with salty stone elements, blue fruits as well as plums and blackcurrants with cola touches. I really like this, feels really well worked, very complete, lively, energetic, and detailed. 3.7pH | |
| Château Les Carmes Haut-Brion, C de Carmes | Pessac-Léognan | 2020 | 94 | Smells rich with perfumed blackcurrants. Clean and crisp on the palate, a smooth and silky texture but with crunchy and bright, almost sharp fruit - dark cherries, plums and figs edged with a chalky, minerality. Clearly charming, this is succulent, supple and so easy to like with excellent drinkability. Refreshing and totally moreish. 3.6pH. Ageing 30% new oak, 60% foudre (30-50hl), 10% amphoras. 35% whole bunch. | |
| Château Lynch-Moussas | Pauillac (5ème Cru Classé) | 2020 | 94 | Intense and concentrated, lots of liquorice and clove mark the palate alongside ripe blackcurrant and plum. I love the cool freshness here, despite the clear oak, it wears it well with lots of minerality and such smooth, enveloping tannins. There is refinement to this, it hasn't tried too hard to overdo it. Suave with a tiny bit of sweetness on the mid-palate and a long fresh finish. Finely textured with an appealing Cabernet signature of menthol and eucalyptus. A good effort, and top buy - strong but stylish. | |
| Château Malartic-Lagravière | Pessac-Léognan (Cru Classé de Graves) | 2020 | 94 | Sweet and aromatic fresh black fruits and flowers on the nose. Sensual and nicely round on the palate, this has body and nuance with crunchy fruit that have a lovely almost sour tang to it, vibrant and vivid. Still has quite a dark, almost sombre core, brooding with liquorice and slate giving the dark tone as well as blackcurrant and black plum fruit. Feels sculpted though, gently muscular with power and precision. I really like this. You could drink this straight away such is the balance and overall flavour profile but it’ll age well. Impressive with lovely texture, weight and length. | |
| Château Malartic-Lagravière, Blanc | Pessac-Léognan (Cru Classé de Graves) | 2020 | 94 | Herbal accents on the nose with creamy lemon, ginger and salty orange touches. Lots going on here, definite oak influence, too, which is a little restrictive at the moment and really does mark the palate, causing a bitter finish and stark spice though this will settle. There’s delectable fruit with a juiciness at the end and signs of energy and persistence from start to finish. | |
| Château MargauxPavillon Rouge | Margaux | 2020 | 94 | Liquorice and aniseed tinged blackcurrants on the nose, very medicinal, deep, heady, perfumed too but softly scented, more savoury and spiced. Smooth and supple, fully tannic - they coat the mouth but seamlessly still leaving the vibrant, lively, forward and upfront fruit to shine. So much energy, crisp and crunchy dark fruit - blackcurrant, black cherry, raspberry and plum. A sense of heat enters on the finish with liquorice and clove coming through reminding you this is a serious wine with plenty of ageing potential. Excellent length and sense of classicism - a totally moreish Pavillon. 2% Cabernet Franc completes the blend. | |
| Château Marquis de Terme | Margaux (4ème Cru Classé) | 2020 | 94 | Roses and patchouli aromas on the nose. Svelte and charming on the palate, sumptuous but restrained and delicate. Excellent sculpting and persistence with real floraity and herbal-touched cool blue fruits. It’s not massively weighty, more linear and focused but with style to it. Pretty, seductive and alive, all in the best way with a juicy core. An excellent effort this year and a wine that will be approachable soon but will age too. Sleek, refined, cool and classic. | |
| Château Mouton Rothschild, Petit Mouton | Pauillac | 2020 | 94 | Smells wonderful, perfumed, herbal, milk chocolate, ripe blackberries, cherries and blackcurrants, quite soft and a tad shy but you get a sense of fullness on the nose. Supple, beautifully balanced and textured, round but direct, it’s not overt or too big but just settles in the right places. Really elegant and classy, just so easy to enjoy moving from start to finish with persistence and confidence. It's not trying too hard and nothing feels pushed with an overall gorgeous tetue, weight, balance, and push still with excellent acidity, ripe fruits and an element of minerality that cleans the tongue. Sharp, serious and long. A great wine that's a joy to taste. | |
| Château PalmerAlter Ego | Margaux | 2020 | 94 | Devilishly charming on the nose, deep and seductive, expressive and richly scented. Juicy and succulent but with a richness in terms of texture and depth. Seductive, defined and refined with a chalky, grip to the tannins. Feels rich and charming at the same time with blackcurrant, black cherry, blueberry, pomegranate and a touch of balsamic with an undercurrent of crushed stones and liquorice. A lovely second wine with clear ageing potential. | |
| Château Pape ClémentBlanc | Pessac-Léognan (Cru Classé de Graves) | 2020 | 94 | Bright and high acidity gives this a shot of life and energy as soon as it reaches the palate. Focused and full with lively citrus fruit but not massive acidity, the oak is covering up a little of the overt joy at the moment, just restricting the expression slightly and causing some tension and tightness on the mid-palate. Lovely persistence with caramel, toast, vanilla and clove aside orange zest, lemon and lime. | |
| Château Pédesclaux | Pauillac | 2020 | 94 | Tense and coiled, lovely styling here with bright and vibrant black fruits, a soft hit of creaminess alongside liquorice-laced tannins. Power and brawn, clearly structured and intense, this will age very well just a bit shy and tight right now. Dark chocolate, menthol freshness, plum and rosemary. Excellent tannic grip and I love the sweetness on the palate as well as overall freshness. Something very captivating about this and upscored from a tasting in September. | |
| Château Phélan Ségur | St-Estèphe | 2020 | 94 | Clean and compelling, quite richly textured with bright black fruits but also savoury touches. This is brooding and you can feel the power and the concentration of the vintage. Ripe tannins remain prominent with spiced edges giving tension and linearity throughout. Forward, intense but detailed, nuanced and seductive. Feels well worked, salty and tangy. Give it time but this will have fans. So sleek and well controlled with bite. Lovely. | |
| Château Prieuré-Lichine | Margaux | 2020 | 94 | Ripe and deeply scented on the nose and palate, a lingering florality follows the dark black fruits from start to finish. This has a lovely richness, more textural depth than some with salty, liquorice and wet stone tannins that support the fruit and give the frame. Rich and intense but so sleek. Super glamour on show, but elegant in its presentation. Definitely mineral, a salty coolness on the finish but textured tannins giving an appealing chalkiness too. Bold but restrained and super refreshing. A great wine. | |
| Château Saint-Pierre | St-Julien | 2020 | 94 | Quite reduced on the nose, a salty oyster shell and iron nuance with slightly granular tannins. Fruit is ripe and this has a deep, rich and wide structure and frame with firm tannins, a cool minty freshness and good balance. Powerful and concentrated, an opulent showing with floral notes, blackcurrant jam, dried herbs and liquorice. Impressive but will take a while to soften and fully shine. | |
| Château Smith Haut Lafitte, Les Hauts de Smith | Pessac-Léognan | 2020 | 94 | Floral scents, chocolate, Turkish Delight and raspberries - smells lovely. Clean and clear, a lovely tangy intensity on the first sip, excellent acidity gives the life and energy straight away then it becomes slightly strict, an element of the frame restricting some of the fruit, but there's gorgeous clarity here - a clean, chalky salinity with wet stones, liquorice and graphite alongside bitter black chocolate that is so appealing. Refined, straight, polished and easy. A gourmet wine, approachable and yet still sophisticated. Ageing 14 months, 15-20% new oak. R | |
| Château Talbot | St-Julien | 2020 | 94 | Coffee granules on the nose, smells like an espresso martini, with mocha touches too - very toasty aromas. Crisp, fresh and vibrant - lovely energy with a salty edge giving the tannins a mineral tang. Feels plump and alive, juicy with quite overt wood spice on the mid-palate, but there’s enough fruit and acidity to balance it, giving a wide if high-toned expression. Slick and suave. Well built, still tense and focused but stylish. Will be nice to drink sooner than some of the others. | |
| Domaine de la Solitude | Pessac-Léognan (Cru Classé de Graves) | 2020 | 94 | Gorgeous intensity of aromatics on the nose, really so full and alive full of blackcurrant, black cherry and roses. Intense on the palate, straight away a wave of ripe and juicy, aimost tart fruit hits the tongue but edged by a soft creaminess that counters the acidity and gives a roundness to the expression. Still lightly framed, the tannins are not plush, this is more linear and straight at the moment, the oak giving it tension and narrowing the focus overall. But it’s superbly well worked with the best juicy core. Really soft, velvety tannins too giving a crushed stone, powdery element to the finish. Still feels extremely youthful but this will be delicious in a few years. Easy enjoyment. |