92-94 Point Wines

wines

Samuel Billaud produces his Chablis from a blend of three different parcels. Quite restrained, concentrated and flinty on the palate, there is lovely purity of fruit here. A classic example of village Chablis which will age well.Decanter | 92 DECPale lemon and lime, pleasing marine followed by a touch of honeysuckle. Does not take away from the charm and there is a light mandarin note to the final acidity. Showing on the riper side at the moment but with an underlying structure which should maintain balance. DIAM 10. Drink from 2024-2029.Jasper Morris | 90 JM

Just a whisper of vanilla wafts on the nose of this steel-honed, fruity Chardonnay. A richly concentrated expression of a ripe vintage, it has Mirabelle and white-melon flavors that are pertly balanced by streaks of lime. Creamy in texture and endless on the finish, it’s irresistible young but likely to drink well through 2030.Wine Enthusiast | 94 WEA dynamic estate in Lignerolles, with David and Arnaux now in charge of the winemaking. Vauprin is one of the estate’s signature wines - a selection from a small, southerly-facing, parcel on local hills named Vauprin. This is a serious, intense Chablis that balances a luxurious texture on the palate, concentration of fruit, along with the unmistakable lift and drive of Chablis. Drinking well now though it will be even better in 12 months. Drinking Window 2022 - 2026.Decanter | 93 DECLemon tree, mineral and flint on the nose with a hint of matchstick. Full-bodied with density and intensity. So much character here. Some phenolics. Flavorful finish. This is so real. Drink now.James Suckling | 93 JSThe 2019 Chablis Vauprin has a backward bouquet, offering sultry malic scents that gradually open to show a little undergrowth along with attractive apple peel and dewy meadow notes. The palate is fresh on the entry, offering lively, vivacious orange zest and citrus flavors. Lovely peach notes surface toward the finish. A Chablis-Villages that aims for wide appeal and, judging by this sample, will succeed.Vinous Media | 90 VM

Pure crème de cassis, tobacco, black cherries, lead pencil, and a wonderful sense of minerality emerge from the 2020 Clos Du Marquis, and it’s medium to full-bodied, with a pure, elegant texture, plenty of ripe tannins, and the vibrant, focused, lengthy style of the vintage front and center. It’s going to need 4-6 years of bottle age, possibly more, but the balance, purity, and precision are all brilliant. The blend is 61% Cabernet Sauvignon, 33% Merlot, and the rest Cabernet Franc, raised in 40% new French oak. The technical information checks in with the alcohol at 13.57%, pH of 3.76, and an IPT of 84. This will be a long-lived Saint-Julien!Jeb Dunnuck | 94-96 JDA tighter, more linear red with blackcurrant, olive and floral character. It’s medium-to full-bodied with a firm, racy finish. Tight. Sweet tobacco. 61% cabernet sauvignon, 6% cabernet franc and 33% merlot.James Suckling | 94-95 JSFragrant black currants give a classic wine that shines with the Cabernet Sauvignon. Its density comes from concentration, offering the potential of density without weight. The wine will age well.Wine Enthusiast | 94 WEThe 2020 Clos du Marquis is composed of 61% Cabernet Sauvignon, 33% Merlot and 6% Cabernet Franc, weighing in with an alcohol of 13.57%, a pH of 3.76 and an IPT (tannins index) of 84. The Cabernet Sauvignon was harvested from the 26th to 29th of September, the Merlot from the 11th to the 16th of September and the Cabernet Franc from the 18th to the 29th of September. Deep purple-black in color, it bursts from the glass with flamboyant notes of crushed blackberries, ripe, juicy plums and blackcurrant pastilles, with suggestions of licorice, red roses and espresso. The medium-bodied palate is completely coated with perfumed black fruits, framed by firm, grainy tannins and bold freshness, finishing long and fragrant. Simply gorgeous.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 93-95 RPThis has the most gorgeous savoury fruit edge, a brilliant Marquis with a sappy chalky quality, concentrated and intense but still keeps the St-Julien balance. 40% new oak. Drinking Window 2024 - 2036.Decanter | 92 DECThe 2020 Clos du Marquis is plush, sensual and inviting, with soft contours that make it a real pleasure to taste today. Inky red/purplish fruit, lavender, spice, rose petal, mint and cedar all take shape as this sexy Saint-Julien shows off its allure. All the elements are so nicely balanced. In 2020, only 25 of the 46 hectares of the property were used for the Grand Vin.Vinous Media | 91-93+ VM

Richly structured, powered by dark tannins and rich blackberry fruits, this estate has produced a very fine wine this vintage. The structure is considerable while keeping fruitiness and fine acidity in focus. The wine will certainly age well.Wine Enthusiast | 94 WEThe 2020 Lafon-Rochet is fabulous. The aromatics along are dazzling. Gracious and yet effusive, with tons of nuance, the 2020 dazzles from start to finish. Inky dark fruit, new leather, spice, lavender and menthol fill the room with soaring intensity. Silky, elegant and so pure, Lafon-Rochet is shaping up to be one of the real under the radar gems of 2020. It’s a terrific effort from Basile Tesseron. Don’t miss it.Vinous Media | 93-95 VMI loved the 2020 Château Lafon-Rochet, a rich, powerful, concentrated Saint-Estèphe that stays beautifully balanced and elegant. Lots of pure cassis and darker currant fruits as well as tobacco, chocolate, and damp herb notes define the nose, and it’s medium to full-bodied, with plenty of mid-palate depth, building tannins, and a great finish. It’s going to take 7-8 years to hit the early stages of maturity, but it’s a brilliant wine. The blend is 61% Cabernet Sauvignon, 33% Merlot, and the rest Cabernet Franc and Petit Verdot, with an alcohol of 13.5 and a pH of 3.68. Tasted twice.Jeb Dunnuck | (93-95)+ JD(Château Lafon-Rochet, St-Estèphe, Bordeaux, France, Red) Attractive, well-paced fruits, plenty of clarity to the flavours, together with a feeling of linearity to the tannins. Austerity through the mid-palate constrains the brambled cassis fruit, but things build back up again and this is a measured, successful wine that will age well. 3% Petit Verdot completes the blend. First year with Eric Boissenot accompanying Jean-Claude Berrouet as consultants. (Drink between 2027-2042)Decanter | 93 DECBlackberry and spice with firm, chewy tannins that show polish and focus. It’s medium-to full-bodied with excellent energy. Blackberry and blackcurrant character on the finish with a touch of cedar and spice.James Suckling | 93-94 JS

This is a young red with great intensity and vision that starts off slowly and builds with energy and verve. It’s so minerally with salty, chalky and spice undertones to the cool and vibrant, purple and subtle-fruit flavors. The tannins are wonderfully toned and polished and build on the palate to deliver something very special.James Suckling | 98-99 JSDeep purple-black colored, the 2020 Le Gay erupts from the glass with scents of molten licorice and dark chocolate, giving way to a tantalizing core of baked black cherries, prunes and blackberry preserves, plus a hint of cardamom. The full-bodied palate is rich and decadent, featuring layers of black fruits and exotic spices with a firm yet velvety texture and seamless freshness, finishing with epic length. A hedonic powerhouse!Robert Parker Wine Advocate | (94-96)+ RPOne of my favorite estates in Pomerol is Château Le Gay, and their 2020 looks to be a gem, offering a ripe, forward, medium to full-bodied style as well as classic cassis and assorted darker fruits intermixed with white flowers, tobacco, and violets. It has plenty of background oak, sweet tannins, beautiful overall balance, and outstanding length on the finish. I don’t think it has the density of the 2016, but it still shows plenty of concentration as well as the fresh, elegant, incredibly pure style of the vintage.Jeb Dunnuck | 94-96 JD(Château Le Gay, Pomerol, Bordeaux, France, Red) Careful and seductive oaking, this develops and builds in power and finesse over the palate, and is a seriously enjoyable Pomerol, just packed full of appellation typicity. A yield of 35hl/ha, vinified in new oak barrels, and will stay in barrel for 18 months. (Drink between 2028-2042)Decanter | 94 DECThe 2020 Le Gay offers up a heady concoction of blackberry jam, chocolate, spice, licorice and new oak. Inky and deep, with tremendous sheer textural opulence, this is one of the most explosive, intense Pomerols readers will come across. A delicious wine, but not subtle in any way.Vinous Media | 92-94 VM

Blackberry and graphite with dark fruit and violets on the nose. Very complex. Full-bodied with lovely, fine tannins that are lightly chewy. Extremely long and polished. Really refined. Integrated tannins. Wonderful length.James Suckling | 96-97 JSThe second wine of Château Margaux is beautiful, smoky with acidity that is intense and yet integrated with the perfumed fruits. The wine’s freshness is very much a product of the vintage, giving the tannins a fine lift. Of course the wine will age.Wine Enthusiast | 95 WESinewed muscle, nuanced aromatics, graphite, gunsmoke, fresh tobacco leaf and blackberry puree. Great purity of fruits, a ton of lift and freshly crushed mint leaf aromatics that grip and curl out of the glass. One of the really successful second wines in the vintage. 31% of the overall blend. 2% of Cabernet Franc completes the blend. Drinking Window 2025 - 2038Decanter | 94 DECThe 2020 Pavillon Rouge is composed of 75% Cabernet Sauvignon, 18% Merlot, 2% Cabernet Franc and 5% Petit Verdot. The alcohol weighs in at 13.6%. Deep purple-black in color, the nose slowly unfurls to reveal gorgeous floral notes of lilacs and red roses, leading to a core of blackcurrant cordial, Morello cherries and minted blackberries, plus wafts of crushed rocks, forest floor and tilled loam. The medium to full-bodied palate is a mouthful of pure vinous seduction, slowly releasing layers of perfumed black fruits and mineral accents within a frame of achingly plush tannins and seamless freshness, finishing with epic length and a whole array of fragrant earth sparks.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 92-94 RPThe 2020 Pavillon Rouge shows just how compelling the vintage is. Rich red berry fruit, red plum, cedar, spice and licorice meld together in a sumptuous, racy yet impeccably balanced wine that is flat-out delicious. It displays tremendous reserve, freshness and nuance, and clean veins of salinity that refresh the finish. The blend is 75% Cabernet Sauvignon, 18% Merlot, 5% Petit Verdot and 2% Cabernet Franc. The Pavillon Rouge represents 31% of the harvest.Vinous Media | 92-94 VMThe 2020 Pavillon Rouge checks in as 75% Cabernet Sauvignon, 18% Merlot, 5% Petit Verdot, and the rest Cabernet Franc. It has a beautifully pure, classic Cabernet style in its cassis and blue-tinged fruits as well as notes of violets, tobacco, and chocolate. With medium to full body, ripe yet polished tannins, and a great finish, it shows the fresh yet concentrated style of the vintage beautifully. It’s going to evolve nicely for 20 years or more.Jeb Dunnuck | 92-94 JD

The 2020 Le Prieuré is fabulous. Inky and deep, with tremendous vibrancy, it dazzles from start to finish. Blueberry jam, graphite, menthol and lavender build as the 2020 gradually shows off its pedigree. Bright saline and mineral notes punctuate the mouthwatering finish. Technical Director Pénélope Godefroy has taken the farming and winemaking principles she learned at Latour and the other Artemis Group properties and applied them at Siaurac, Vray Croix de Gay, and the crown jewel Le Prieuré, all of which are now owned by French insurance company Suravenir. The results have been nothing short of remarkable. Le Prieuré is quite simply one of the most beautiful, striking wines being made in Saint-Émilion today.Vinous Media | 95-97 VMTextured with depth to the hawthorn, raspberry and blackberry fruit that travels down several layers. The frame is drenched with juicy and taut limestone minerality, with almost a juniper and saline sting. Hard to argue with the quality here. First year with new owners, Suravenir of Calon-Ségur, Penelope Godefroy is still the winemaker. A yield of 30hl/ha, organic winemaking. Drinking Window 2027 - 2040.Decanter | 94 DECThe 2020 Le Prieure is a blend of 83% Merlot and 17% Cabernet Franc, with 14.3% alcohol. It is aging for an anticipated 16 months in French oak barriques, 35% new. Deep purple-black colored, it needs a little swirling and coaxing to reveal fragrant notes of lilacs, underbrush and sandalwood over a core of Morello cherries and plum preserves, plus a waft of woodsmoke. The medium to full-bodied palate has beautiful energy and tension, featuring layers of juicy red and black fruits with a plush texture, finishing long and perfumed. What a stunner!Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 93-95 RPA medium-bodied red with blackberry, raspberry with and orange peel. It’s polished with fine tannins. Rather creamy texture.James Suckling | 92-93 JSA rich, ripe, opulent wine that shows more and more freshness and elegance with time in the glass, the 2020 Château Le Prieuré offers an outstanding array of black raspberry and mulled cherry fruits as well as background leafy herbs and chocolate. With high-quality tannins, good overall balance, and a great finish, it should easily be an outstanding wine and keep for 15+ years. It’s every bit as good as the 2016, 2017, and 2018.Jeb Dunnuck | 91-93 JD

The 2020 Savennières “la Jalousie” bottling from Domaine du Closel is nicely low in octane in this vintage, tipping the scales at twelve percent alcohol. The bouquet is bright and complex, hopping from the glass in a vibrant mix of sweet quince, flinty, chalky soil tones, citrus peel, lanolin and a gentle floral topnote of white flowers. On the palate the wine is full-bodied, focused and zesty, with a good core of fruit, lovely soil signature, a fine spine of acidity and impressive length and backend lift on the long, complex and well balanced finish. This is lovely young Savennières. (Drink between 2023 - 2050)John Gilman | 92 JGA racy, linear style introduced by pureed apple and crunchy orchard fruit edged in honeycomb. Shows wet stone accents that line the lean palate, with delicate floral notes. An upright, focused version, thanks to flint shavings and vibrant acidity. Drink now through 2028. 1,500 cases made, 250 cases imported.Wine Spectator | 90 WS

ean-Nicolas Méo’s 2020 Clos Vougeot is really, really refined this year. The wine delivers a complex and very pure aromatic constellation of red and black cherries, plums, dark chocolate, gamebird, violets, a touch of fresh nutmeg, complex soil tones and a nice foundation of new oak. On the palate the wine is deep, full-bodied, focused and complex, with a lovely core of sappy fruit, excellent mineral undertow and grip, ripe, buried tannins and impeccable balance on the long, suave and classy finish. Fine, fine juice. (Drink between 2035 - 2095)John Gilman | 94+ JGApart from 2017, Jean-Nicolas Méo only makes one commercially available cuvée of his substantial holding of Clos de Vougeot. Even purple throughout. This is a sturdy, weighty, richly dark fruited, multi-layered wine, with great potential for the long term. Ripe but not exaggerated. Tasted: December 2021.Jasper Morris | 94-97 JMThe 2020 Clos de Vougeot Grand Cru is very promising, unfurling in the glass with aromas of wild berries, cherries, orange rind, potpourri and loamy soil. Full-bodied, velvety and concentrated, it’s seamless and complete, with superb depth at the core and a long, resonant finish. It will be fascinating to compare with the 2019 rendition in two decades’ time.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 93-95 RPThe 2020 Clos de Vougeot Grand Cru had to shake off a little reduction before revealing its minerally blackberry, raspberry and cassis fruit. Wilted rose petal emerge with time. The palate is medium-bodied with supple tannins, nicely focused yet surprisingly strict and linear at the moment. This will gain "shoulders" once in bottle.Vinous Media | 92-95 VMDiscreet but still perceptible wood-suffuses the ripe aromas of black cherry, currant, newly turned earth and a floral top note. There is a lovely sense of underlying tension to the palate coating and nicely detailed medium weight plus flavors that offers excellent depth and persistence on the relatively refined if youthfully austere finale. This is more structured than it usually is and is a wine that is going to require at least a decade of aging first.Burghound | 92-94 BH

One of the highlights of the range is the 2020 Chablis 1er Cru Vaulorent, a medium to full-bodied, taut and concentrated wine evocative of pear, citrus oil, smoke, oyster shell and freshly baked bread. Chiseled and incisive, it concludes with a long, penetrating finish.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 94 RP(Chablis “Vaulorent”- Domaine Patrick Piuze) The 2020 Vaulorent from Patrick Piuze is outstanding. The bouquet is pure, precise and complex, wafting from the glass in a suave mix of apple, pear, chalky minerality, a touch of raw almond, white lilies, beeswax and vanillin oak. On the palate the wine is pure, precise and nicely reserved in personality, with a full-bodied format, a lovely core of fruit, excellent soil signature and a long, nascently complex and vibrant finish. This wine has beautiful grip and purity and all it needs is some time in the cellar to properly blossom. (Drink between 2028-2070)John Gilman | 94 JGThe 2020 Chablis Vaulorent 1er Cru was showing a bit of reduction on the nose when I tasted it directly from barrel. Moving straight on to the palate, there is crisp citrus fruit, lemon curd, touches of frangipane and plenty of spice toward the back end. A tang of stem ginger lingers on the aftertaste. This is a fine Vaulorent but it will need time in bottle.Vinous Media | 90-92 VMThis supple white is highlighted by apple, melon and green plum flavors, with accents of mineral and vanilla adding detail. Balanced and crisp, finishing on the bracing side. Drink now through 2026. 248 cases made, 73 cases imported.Wine Spectator | 90 WS(Maison Patrick Piuze Chablis "Vaulorent" 1er Cru White) An expressive nose combines aromas of white flowers, anise, tea, oyster shell and whiffs of ocean breeze. There is better volume if not quite the same degree of refinement on the punchy, saline and sneaky long finale. This firm effort is lovely with a Zen-like sense of poise. (Drink starting 2028)Burghound | 90-93 BH

I love the dry whites from the Sauternes area, and this is a good example - and of why Sémillon is such an interesting grape to work with in crafting dry whites with personality. A little less round in mouthfeel from some in the area (not appellation - this is Bordeaux Blanc), but still with slate texture and minerality showing how well the soils here can work for dry whites, and an excellent juicy delivery of citrus and white pear. Drinking Window 2021 - 2026.Decanter | 93 DECThis is a beautiful, layered white with solid structure and intensity. Full-bodied. Lots of grapefruit and dried green-mango character. 54% semillon, the rest sauvignon. Best ever. Beautiful to drink now.James Suckling | 93 JSComposed of 54% Semillon and 46% Sauvignon Blanc, the 2020 Le Blanc Sec de Suduiraut is being aged for six months in vats (75%) and the rest in oak barrels, 30% of which are new. It hits the ground running with vibrant notions of freshly squeezed limes, lemon meringue pie and Granny Smith apples, plus hints of dillseed and white pepper. The medium-bodied palate delivers an impressive satiny texture along with a racy line cutting through the citrus and apple-inspired flavors, finishing long and steely.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 89-91 RP

Bright and expressive, this white sports apple, lemon, spring meadow and gravel dust flavors. The vibrant structure holds court on the lingering finish. Drink now through 2028. 500 cases made, 75 cases imported.Wine Spectator | 91 WS

Opening in the glass with notes of sweet wild berries, petals, warm spices and loamy soil, the 2020 Moulin-à-Vent Les Trois Roches is medium to full-bodied, lively and nicely concentrated, with powdery tannins and a mouthwatering finish.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 93 RP(Moulin-à-Vent “les Trois Roches”- Pierre-Marie Chermette) The 2020 Moulin-à-Vent “les Trois Roches” from Jean-Etienne Chermette is an excellent young wine. It comes in this year at 13.5 percent and delivers a superb aromatic constellation of cherries, pomegranate, a touch of juniper berry, pigeon, coffee, woodsmoke, fresh herbs and a refined base of dark soil tones. On the palate the wine is pure, full-bodied, focused and complex, with a lovely core of fruit, excellent mineral drive and grip, a bit of ripe tannin and a long, beautifully balanced finish. This has a bit of baked fruit element such as one might find in a young 1982 Bordeaux. It will need a bit of bottle age before it starts to drink with true generosity. (Drink between 2027-2065)Cellar Tracker John Gilman | 93+ JG

The 2020 Beaujolais Coeur de Vendanges Vignes Centenaires is showing very nicely, bursting with aromas of juicy cherries, ripe berry fruit, licorice and peonies. It’s medium to full-bodied, fleshy and gourmand, with an enveloping core of fruit, melting tannins and succulent acids. This is a comparatively rich, gourmand rendition of this reference-point cuvée—consistently one of France’s finest wine values—but that additional power doesn’t come at the expense of its habitual charm and facility.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 92 RP

A more floral-suffused nose features very bright and fresh aromas of Granny Smith apples, essence of pear and a variety of citrus influences. There is again excellent volume and richness along with even more apparent minerality on the complex and beautifully persistent finale that flashes focused power. This too offers first-rate quality for a villages-level wine.Burghound | 92 BHThe 2020 Meursault Cuvée Tête de Murger has a well-defined nose, although I was expecting a little more presence and energy compared to previous vintages that I have tasted over the years. The palate is well balanced and shows more gumption, fine acidity with a touch of ginger, well-defined with red apple, nectarine and orange pith on the finish. Just give it some time for the aromatics to open.Vinous Media | 91+ VM

With close to 6.5 acres in this grand cru, Arnaud Lavantureux treats most of this wine to barrel fermentation, then aging in used oak barrels; a small portion rests in new oak. The barrel time has amped up the wine’s power, its viscosity and smoky scents. But it never goes dark, sustaining a stark contrast of white on white. Complex, feather-light in the end, it keeps coming after you with detail, the way wildflower honey might, only this is completely dry.Wine & Spirits Magazine | 94 W&S

Aromas of sliced apples and lime zest with citrus blossom and crushed stones. Polished and round-textured on the palate with a full body and tangy acidity. Creamy finish. 60% sauvignon blanc and 40% semillon. Drink or hold.James Suckling | 93 JSZesty and creamy and softly mouthwatering, a combination of lemon juice and orange rind giving a touch of bitterness with clear fragrance and oaky tones adding to the density on the palate but just detracting from some of the bright energy. Feels a touch heavy, though will be nice with food. I do like the weighty creaminess and this delivers a lot of flavour.Decanter | 92 DECWood aged, this balanced wine is poised between ripe citrus and spice. It offers a hint of pineapple along with lively acidity.Wine Enthusiast | 92 WEThe 2020 Cuvee Caroline leaps from the glass with notes of lemon drops, fresh grapefruit and lime cordial, plus wafts of yuzu and honeysuckle. Medium-bodied, the palate has a seriously racy backbone cutting through the intense citrus and savory layers, finishing with great length and a skip in its step.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 90-92 RPThe 2020 Chantegrive Cuvée Caroline has a perfumed nose with pressed white flowers, jasmine, chai and light pear scents, quite complex and full of vigor. The palate has a citric edge on the entry, taut and fresh, not a powerful dry white Graves yet with energy and tension. The sliced pear notes come through nicely on the finish. Very fine.Vinous Media | 90 VM

The 2020 Meursault Le Tesson wafts from the glass with aromas of white currants, ginger, lime, spring flowers and nutmeg, followed by a medium to full-bodied, satiny and tensile palate that’s taut and racy, concluding with a bright, precise finish.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 92+ RPAn exuberantly floral-suffused nose is more elegant still with its aromas of poached pear, spiced apple and citrus confit. There is excellent punch to the beautifully delineated medium-bodied flavors that display outstanding length on the sneaky long finish that is both stylish and very classy. Meursault villages wines rarely get much better than this and it too is strongly recommended.Burghound | 91-93 BH

The 2020 Chablis Mont de Milieu 1er Cru has a more powerful bouquet than its peers with scents of orange blossom, Nashi pear and an underlying gunflint note trying to surface. The palate is well balanced with orange rind and a touch of peach skin on the entry. Very poised and harmonious with impressive volume, I admire its tension and persistence on the saline finish. This will not require much bottle maturation, yet it has the substance to last 15-20 years. Excellent. Tasted blind at the BIVB tasting in Chablis.Vinous Media | 93 VM

The 2020 Muscadet “la Louvetrie” from Jo Landron is crafted mostly from vines that are thirty to forty years of age, with some younger vine fruit also included. The wine delivers a lovely bouquet of breadfruit, lemongrass, briny maritime scents, wet stone minerality and a nice touch of leesiness. On the palate the wine is bright, full-bodied and complex, with a good core and mineral drive, zesty acids and a good long finish that is just a touch pinched today on the backend from its screwcap. Fifteen minutes in decanter unlocks the wine completely on the finish, but the early signs of reduction issues would lead me to drink this wine in the next year or two, rather than tucking it away in the cellar. Once it opens up on the backend, it is very good. (Drink between 2022 - 2024)John Gilman | 92 JG

Another brilliant Pomerol in the vintage, the 2020 Château Montviel has a pure, medium to full-bodied, vibrant profile carrying darker, almost blue, iron-tinged fruits, lots of violet, floral, and chocolate nuances, fine tannins, and outstanding length. This classic 2020 brings lots of ripe, sexy fruit and texture yet stays balanced and seamless, with a real sense of elegance. Drink bottles over the coming 10-15 years. It’s every bit as good as the 2019.Jeb Dunnuck | 94 JDThe 2020 Montviel is exuberant and flashy to the core. A rush of back fruit, spice, leather, chocolate, tobacco, incense and sweet French oak races across the palate. This full-bodied Pomerol is not exactly subtle, but it sure is delicious.Vinous Media | 93 VMJuicy red with dark berry, chocolate, hazelnut, walnut and berry. Full and rather chunky. It’s a little old-school, but impressive. Needs time to soften and relax. Try after 2026.James Suckling | 93 JSRipe and fleshy, lots of tannins, salty with blackcurrant and black cherry and lots of mint and liquorice. A bold, savoury style, darkly fruited, clearly concentrated and intense but reigned in enough so that it’s not too much in any one direction. Has a certain streamlined finesse to it. Young still, this needs time as most Pomerols on clay will, but good energy and styling. Lashings of liquorice, slate and toast with a lifted finish.Decanter | 92 DECDeep purple-black colored, the 2020 Montviel needs a little swirling to unlock scents of stewed plums and baked blackberries, plus hints of garrigue, tilled soil and tobacco leaf with a hint of crushed rocks. The medium to full-bodied palate delivers pure, juicy black and blue fruits, supported by soft, rounded tannins and plenty of freshness, finishing with a red berry lift.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 89-91+ RP

The 2020 Château Meyney is a solid step up, with more elegance and finesse, as well as structure. Giving up medium-bodied aromas and flavors of darker currants, black cherries, classy oak, tobacco leaf, and damp earth, it has terrific overall balance, building, fine-grained tannins, and a great finish. It has some accessibility today yet will benefit from 3-5 years of bottle age and keep for two decades.Jeb Dunnuck | 94 JDLovely aromatic expression, floral and richly scented with ripe black cherry and salty blueberry. Cool and charming, this makes an impact straight away with a push of ripe, gently chewy tannins which expand and coat the mouth. More expansive and less narrow than some from this appellation at this point. Feels a bit more approachable but still with structure and push. Lots of freshness, wide, minty and salty. Nuanced, savoury and satisfying.Decanter | 93 DECAttractive aromas of ripe dark berries with dark spices, walnut, chocolate nibs and bark. Medium- to full-bodied with a dense, velvety texture and plush, fine-grained tannins. Very textural and creamy with a deep core of ripe dark fruit and a succulent finish. Try after 2025.James Suckling | 93 JShis estate has produced a densely textured wine, rich in tannins and packed with dark, concentrated black fruits. There is a muscular character, structured and with fine promise for longterm aging.Wine Enthusiast | 93 WEA strong performance for this improving estate, the 2020 Meyney unwinds in the glass with aromas of dark berries, plums, violets, cigar box and loamy soil. Medium to full-bodied, with a pure and fleshy core of fruit framed by sweet, powdery tannins and lively acids, it has retained energy and balance in this warm vintage.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 92 RPThe 2020 Meyney has a very estuarine infused bouquet insofar that you could imagine looking out over the Gironde Estuary on some overcast winter’s day. The palate is medium-bodied with fine tannins, very well balanced with an elegant bead of acidity. Plenty of freshness and focus towards the finish, this is a splendid Meyney that continues it good run of form.Vinous Media | 92 VMSolidly built, with lilac, red currant and mulled damson plum notes that mix well, all held by a thin but tensile iron note through the middle, which then extends a mouthwatering feel on the finish. Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot and Petit Verdot. Best from 2024 through 2035. 17,688 cases made, 570 cases imported.Wine Spectator | 92 WS

Drouhin’s Meursault En Luraule is done in the classic style, with profuse aromas of ripe apples, acacia flowers, spice and a hint of toasted almonds. The texture is dense and compact, with plenty of substance and breadth, yet enough acidity to balance. Véronique has given the wine extended lees ageing to obtain a slight hint of ‘beaux amers’ – the complexity of a slightly bitter note. The result is exquisitely stylish.Decanter | 92 DEC

A brilliant success for this property in the ascendant, the 2020 Berliquet opens in the glass with aromas of dark berries and cherries mingled with hints of warm spices and violets. Medium to full-bodied, deep and layered, it’s vibrant and dynamic, with polished tannins, a bright spine and a long, elegantly chalky finish. It represents another step up for Berliquet, which will soon benefit from a new winery.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 94 RPAnother brilliant Saint-Emilion in the vintage, the 2020 Château Berliquet is mostly Merlot yet includes close to a third Cabernet Franc, which no doubt contributes to its elegant, finesse-driven, floral character. It’s incredibly pure and classy, with notes of red and blue fruits, sappy spring flowers, graphite, and baking spices all emerging on the nose. These carry to a medium-bodied, ultra-fine, pure, seamless 2020 that offers pleasure today and will offer pleasure in 15+ years as well. This wine is never the biggest or richest in a vintage, but it shines for its purity, balance, and elegance. It’s beautifully done.Jeb Dunnuck | 94 JDBlackberry with charcoal and dark earth aromas that follow through to a medium to full body with fruit, iron and moss flavors. It’s structured and well-formed with excellent balance of acidity. Drink after 2027.James Suckling | 94 JSGorgeous fragrance on the nose, really so inviting and scented. Smooth and supple, crisp and fresh, lovely purity of expression here, still quite subtle and delicate, salty, tangy, wild herbs, liquorice, clove and dark chocolate. Not bright in so much as the fruits are quite dark - blackcurrant and cherry, but such concentration with a lightness of touch. Very well worked, focused, pure, detailed, decisive and forward with chalky tannins, expressive of terroir. Lovely style on show here. Another amazingly good wine from this stable in 2020.Decanter | 93 DECA big wine with rich tannins and a dense structure, the wine is solid, the clay soil showing both in the wine’s ripeness and its power. It is a fine wine, concentrated and with layers of black plum flavors. Drink this wine from 2026.Wine Enthusiast | 93 WEThe 2020 Berliquet is another step in a direction favoring finesse over the burly power that often marked the wines of the past. Delicate and nuanced, with pretty floral top notes, this mid-weight Saint-Émilion is a charmer. Drink it over the next decade or so.Vinous Media | 92 VMNicely rendered, with a fresh, focused core of damson plum and red currant coulis laced with a floral edge and backed by a refined chalky note. The finish features warm tobacco accents to the blossom notes. A restrained style. Merlot and Cabernet Franc. Best from 2024 through 2035. 3,000 cases made.Wine Spectator | 92 WS

From the up-and-coming Castillon region, just east of Saint-Emilion, the 2020 Château D’Aiguilhe has a floral, cassis, and black raspberry-driven style that shows more tobacco and classic limestone minerality with time in the glass. It’s medium to full-bodied, has fine tannins, and the balance and class to evolve for 10-15 years. It’s a seriously good Castillon, even better than the brilliant 2019.Jeb Dunnuck | 93 JDViolet reflections, great clarity of colour and immediate whoosh of salinity through the redcurrant fruits. Powerful and focused with bright berry flavours, it practically defines the term crunchy fruit, then softens to show creamier black cherry purée as it relaxes in the glass. Really a very tasty d’Aiguilhe from Vignobles Comtes von Neipperg. Extremely moreish. Harvest September 17 – 28, 30% new oak.Decanter | 93 DECAromas of cassis, dark berries and cherries mingle with subtle hints of incense and spices in an inviting bouquet to introduce the 2020 d’Aiguilhe, a medium to full-bodied, fleshy and layered wine with powdery tannins and the lively acids that are typical of this later-ripening, limestone-rich sector. Always a notable value, this age-worthy cuvée has turned out very well this year.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 92 RPThe 2020 d’Aiguilhe captures all of the exuberance of the vintage. Jammy and explosive, the 2020 offers up a heady mélange of raspberry preserves, mocha, spice and rose petal. This lush, extravagantly rich wine is a real beauty, but the style is definitely pushed in the direction of ripeness and textural intensity. Give the tannins a few years to soften.Vinous Media | 92 VMNicely rendered, with a very pure beam of cassis and cherry puree leading the way, gently infused with violet and savory accents. The fresh, focused finish is sneaky long. Merlot and Cabernet Franc. Drink now through 2034. 20,000 cases made, 2,200 cases imported.Wine Spectator | 92 WSBlack cherry, black berry and orange peel with some cedar aromas, follow through to a medium body with fine and chalky tannins. Dried herb and bark undertones. Some salt, too. Drink or hold.James Suckling | 92 JS