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Another killer wine in the vintage is the 2020 Château Côte De Baleau, which comes from a cooler, north-facing vineyard on the eastern side of the appellation. Almost all Merlot, it offers a medium to full-bodied, mouth-filling, layered style that carries plenty of ripe tannins, terrific mid-palate depth, and textbook Right Bank Merlot notes of red and black cherries, leather, dried flowers, and chalky minerality. It picks up more and more minerality with time in the glass and is a bonafide mineral bomb. Give it just a few years in the cellar and enjoy it over the coming 15-20 years.Jeb Dunnuck | 94 JDAromas of currants and blackberries with spiced chocolate, dried herbs and wet stones. Medium- to full-bodied with fine tannins and vivid acidity. Structured and meaty. Shows freshness and juiciness to its deep, dark-fruited character. Toned, firm finish. Drink from 2025.James Suckling | 93 JSThe 2020 Côte de Baleau has an attractive bouquet with blackberry, raspberry, dried blood and cedar. Lovely focus here, real class and delineation. The palate is medium-bodied with blackberry, tobacco and graphite, again, very well-focused with an engaging, mineral-driven finish that lingers in the mouth. This a very well-crafted Saint-Émilion that will age with style.Vinous Media | 92 VMLashings of liquorice and dark chocolate combine with ripe blackcurrant and plums, giving a serious tone to this wine. It’s well built, with good support from gently chewy and present tannins, with a long, minty, salty finish. There are touches of dried fruits to this, raisins and prunes, but the acidity is well balanced and this has a nice weight in the mouth. A little drying by the finish. Heft and power, but not brutish.Decanter | 90 DECA ripe, full-bodied wine, this has rich tannins and plenty of spicy character from the wood aging. It is dense, structured with powerful black fruits and a generous, velvet texture. The wine has enough structure to age well. Drink from 2026 Wine Enthusiast | 90 WE

A ripe, rich red that delivers loads of crushed-berry, chocolate and walnut character, as well as fine tannins through the center palate. Layered texture.James Suckling | 94-95 JSLots of mulled cherries, blueberries, iron, and bouquet garni emerge from the 2020 Château Faugeres, a rich, focused, yet fruit-loaded barrel sample that has a good sense of purity and elegance. I was able to taste two bottles, both showing medium to full-bodied richness, with one having slightly more precision. Both showed great mid-palates, and this is certainly a beautiful wine in the making. Two to four years should do it well and it’s going to have two decades of longevity.Jeb Dunnuck | 93-95 JDDeep purple-black colored, the 2020 Faugères stampedes out of the glass with a herd of powerful black fruit notes: blackberry pie, baked black plums and ripe, juicy black cherries, plus hints of wild mushrooms, damp soil, tar and star anise with a waft of tobacco. The full-bodied palate is chock-full of black fruit preserves, framed by ripe, rounded tannins and oodles of freshness, finishing long and earthy.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 91-93 RPThe 2020 Faugeres offers ripe black plum and boysenberry fruit on the nose, which is extravagant and verging on ostentatious, though somehow it maintains focus and delineation. The palate is medium-bodied with red cherries, boysenberry, cola and light allspice notes on the entry. Well balanced with impressive depth toward the fleshy finish, leaving a lick of dark chocolate on the aftertaste. This is a fine Faugeres that should be afforded 4–5 years in bottle.Vinous Media | 91-93 VMAlways a concentrated wine and with low 23hl/ha yields it is expectedly so. This translates as intense charred oak on the nose, but they have done a good job of balancing it with ripe berry fruit alongside liquorice and black chocolate. Sleek and confident with clear depth. Another wine that shows the success of Cabernet Sauvignon in the right places of St-Emilion.Decanter | 91 DEC

Attractive aromas of blueberries and mulberries with graphite, dark licorice and crushed stones. Dark chocolate, too. Full-bodied. Impressive quality to the tannin structure that starts gently and glossy and continues to build, gaining power throughout the palate. Deep and dense with a velvety dark-fruited core. Really long, tense and persistent. 77% merlot, 18% cabernet franc and 5% cabernet sauvignon. Try after 2026.James Suckling | 96 JSComposed of 77% Merlot, 18% Cabernet Franc and 5% Cabernet Sauvignon, with an alcohol of 14.5% and a pH of 3.57, the deep purple-black colored 2020 Fleur Cardinale bursts from the glass with powerful notes of crushed blackberries, stewed black plums and Morello cherries, plus suggestions of star anise, pencil shavings and black truffles. The medium to full-bodied palate is chock-full of softly textured, juicy black fruits, countered by fantastic tension, finishing with great length and loads of earthy layers.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 93-95+ RPSupple and utterly charming, with a juicy core, fine tannins and chalky edges. This is quite reserved still, not showing its full width but I love the detail and precision of the elements. Feels sleek and well made, dark and brooding, concentrated and ripe, with liquorice and clove showing the oak but there’s a refinement in the texture and overall weight. It’s broad shouldered but with a charming core. Clean and confident. It’s potent with layers of flavour and texture, but structured and presented very well. Impressive.Decanter | 94 DECThe 2020 Fleur Cardinale is packed with dark fruit, chocolate, new leather, menthol and generous sweet oak. The 2020 has gained in body and complexity with élevage, exactly what is supposed to happen over time. Moreover, the 2020 has plenty of energy to balance its more exuberant leanings.Vinous Media | 93 VMA solid step up, the Grand Vin 2020 Château Fleur Cardinale checks in as 77% Merlot, 18% Cabernet Franc and 5% Cabernet Sauvignon. This 22.5-hectare estate has been in the Decoster family since 2000 and consists of mostly clay over limestone soils and is located in the Saint-Etienne de Lisse region of Saint-Emilion. From healthy yields of 43 hectoliters per hectare, with malolactic fermentation in tank followed by 13 months in 90% new French oak, it has a juicy, pure, medium to full-bodied style that shows the classic, elegant style of the vintage beautifully. Offering lots of cassis-like fruit, notes of truffly earth, spring flowers, and violets, well-integrated acidity and tannins, and just a beautifully balanced mouthfeel, it’s going to benefit from just 2-4 years of bottle age and will evolve nicely through 2040. It’s another beautiful wine from this estate.Jeb Dunnuck | 93 JD

Cassis, black raspberries, graphite, spicy oak, and floral notes all emerge from the 2020 Château Fombrauge, a wonderfully textured, medium to full-bodied, concentrated, yet elegant Saint-Emilion. A wine that builds beautifully with time in the glass, it complex, has ripe, silky tannins, and a great finish. Tasted on more than one occasion, it never failed to impress. Drink this richly textured, sexy, beautiful 2020 over the coming 15+ years.Jeb Dunnuck | 94 JDThis has aromas of cigar box, cedar, blueberries and pine cones. Firm, polished tannins provide sturdy support, yet remain silky. Medium to full body. Very fine and classy. Better from 2025.James Suckling | 94 JSFrom vines surrounding one of Saint-Emilion’s most beautiful château, this wine is massively rich with dense tannins, dark chocolate and rich berry flavors. Obviously, it has a fine future, ripe with powerful fruits and structure.Wine Enthusiast | 94 WEThis wine is dark with dense tannins and a solid texture. Along with the richness, there is the potential of massive black fruit weight that will give a wine of power and concentration.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 91-93 RPFrankly ripe and forward, with a broad swath of dark plum, blackberry and boysenberry compote flavors that course through, supported by light licorice root and alder threads. Reveals a warm earth note that drapes over the finish. Merlot and Cabernet Franc. Best from 2025 through 2035.Wine Spectator | 92 WSDark and ripe, suave, sleek and savoury. Striking and linear from start to finish. Clearly powerful, with concentration and intensity of flavour. Excellent acidity and life in general. It’s still precise and tense which does restrict the overall expression, just putting the liquorice and minty freshness ahead of the black bramble fruits, but this has been well handled. A lovely, tight, liquorice-tinged wine. 15% alcohol gives a hefty feel but is integrated thanks to the acidity and the fresh, stony nature. A lot to like and true to style.Decanter | 92 DECThe 2020 Fombrauge, so impressive in barrel, has a very opulent bouquet in bottle with ravishing red cherries and cassis fruit. It’s a little oaky, but there is enough fruit to soak that up. The palate is dense and powerful, clearly showing quite a bit of extraction, and I was hoping to find more complexity coming through on the finish. Not bad at all, but this falls just below my expectations from a few months back. Tasted twice with consistent notes.Vinous Media | 91 VM

The 2020 Franc Mayne is dense, resonant and beautifully explosive in the glass. Sumptuous dark red/purplish fruit, rose petals, mint and lavender all saturate the palate. This heady Saint-Émilion really delivers the goods. There’s plenty of energy and tension to balance the more forward nature of the Merlot. Superb.Vinous Media | 96 VMThe 2020 Franc-Mayne has turned out beautifully, wafting from the glass with aromas of dark berries, spices and licorice, followed by a medium to full-bodied, layered and seamless palate of real class and purity. Vibrant and polished, with vibrant fruit, powdery tannins and a long, perfumed finish, it’s further evidence that this is an estate on the rise.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 94 RPA pretty, floral, exotic 2020, the 2020 Château Franc Mayne has ample red and blue fruits as well as flowery incense, orange blossom, and sandalwood notes in a medium to full-bodied, silky, elegant, already irresistible package. While it’s not massive, it has terrific concentration and intensity, supple tannins, and a great finish. It’s going to evolve gracefully for 15 years or more.Jeb Dunnuck | 93 JDPolished, juicy and with grip. A little austere right now, but this has layered blueberry and black cherry fruits, drawn out by waves of liquorice and slate. Last year with director Martine Cazenave in charge before retirement. Winemaker Sophie Mage used to work with Artemis Estates in the Rhône. 18 months in new oak barrels, wood casks, amphoras and ovoid concrete vats.Decanter | 92 DECThis has a pretty mix of violet and cassis laced into a darker plum core, while lively anise and black tea details add to the finish. Nice streamlined finish. Drink now through 2035. 1,600 cases made, 900 cases imported.Wine Spectator | 91 WSAromas of freshly crushed berries, dried herbs, violets and walnuts follow through to a medium body with fine-grained tannins and a juicy red fruit character. Vivid finish. 100% merlot. Drink or hold.James Suckling | 91 JS

The 2020 Grand-Pontet is a rich, heady Saint-Émilion. Black cherry jam, chocolate, spice, licorice, menthol, dried herbs and espresso resonate in the glass. The 2020 is a big wine with huge fruit and equally imposing tannins that need time to soften. There is certainly quite a bit to look forward to.Vinous Media | 92-94 VMLots of juicy plum and darker berry fruits as well as chocolaty oak and rocking minerality emerge from the 2020 Château Grand-Pontet, a medium to full-bodied, rich, sexy Saint-Emilion. One bottle of this showed much more firm tannins, yet a second bottle was a noticeable step up, with a ripe, seamless texture and beautiful mid-palate depth. It’s certainly going to be an outstanding wine, and if the final wine is closer to the top bottle, it should eclipse this rating. The blend is 77% Merlot with 17% Cabernet Franc and the rest Malbec.Jeb Dunnuck | 91-93 JDA fruitier 2020 with medium body and tannins that grow on the palate and fold into the wine nicely. Fresh finish. Should build in the center palate with time.James Suckling | 92-93 JSThe deep garnet-purple colored 2020 Grand-Pontet opens with pronounced notions of fresh blueberries, blackberry pie and Morello cherries, plus suggestions of chocolate mint, star anise and unsmoked cigars. The medium to full-bodied palate (14.43% alcohol) is packed with crunchy blue and black fruits, supported by velvety tannins and soft acidity, finishing long and spicy.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 90-92+ RPDeeply fruited with blackberry and toasted cumin spice with a velvety texture that slows things down and delivers enjoyable character and personality. The addition of a touch of Malbec makes an oversized contribution, and this is good. A yield of 45hl/ha. 70% new oak.Decanter | 92 DEC

This is linear and creamy with lovely, fine tannins and dark-berry, violet, stone and licorice character. Medium-to full-bodied, racy and fresh. Charming. Freshness at the end.James Suckling | 93-94 JSThe 2020 Monbousquet is a blend of 70% Merlot, 15% Cabernet Franc and 15% Cabernet Sauvignon, coming in with an alcohol of 14.69% and a pH of 3.75. It is aging in French oak barriques, 50% new. With a deep purple-black color, it prances out of the glass with showy scents of crushed black plums, mulberries and Morello cherries, plus touches of dried Provence herbs, charcoal and forest floor. The medium to full-bodied palate delivers expressive black and red berry layers, framed by plush tannins and just enough freshness, finishing on a fragrant earth note.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 91-93+ RPThe 2020 Monbousquet is a heady, exotic wine. Blackberry jam, bittersweet chocolate, spice, new leather and espresso are all kicked up. Explosive and deep, the Monbousquet packs a serious punch. The tannins are pretty imposing today, but élevage should take care of that.Vinous Media | 90-92 VMPerfumed and heady with blue fruits and bramble. Lean and straight, there’s a real austerity to this, serious liquorice on the palate, a touch dry, you get the feeling of heat and fruit. A little reserved right now; tense and serious, but has backbone and weight. It’s dark, savoury, coiled and tense, with drive and texture, displaying tobacco, graphite and an iron, mineral tang.Decanter | 92 DECAlmost always a winner, the 2020 Château La Tour Carnet offers a terrific, medium-bodied, concentrated style as well as classic notes of ripe currants, darker cherries, spicy wood, and graphite. It has the vintage’s more focused, classic, structured style, with ripe tannins and outstanding length. It’s well worth seeking out and is going to evolve for at least a decade.Jeb Dunnuck | 91 JD

Beautiful, exotic aromas of green mangos and pineapples. Pears, too. It’s full and creamy with a gorgeous texture and a vivid finish. Harvested very early with fantastic results. Sauvignon blanc and sauvignon gris.James Suckling | 94-95 JSThe 2020 Monbousquet Blanc is a blend of 62% Sauvignon Blanc and 38% Sauvignon Gris, aging for six months in 25% vats, 38% new oak barrels and 37% one-year-old barrels. It springs from the glass with exuberant notes of fresh Bosc pears, white peaches and green guava, plus and undercurrent of lime blossoms, lemongrass and chalk dust. The medium-bodied palate is clean and refreshing, with a seriously zippy line of freshness cutting through the pear and tropical fruit flavors, finishing long and zesty.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 91-93 RPThe 2020 Monbousquet Blanc was whole-bunch-pressed and matured in 38% new oak. The bouquet has a pleasing edginess that might have been missing in a couple of recent vintages; more of the terroir seeps through, touches of crushed gravel intermingling with white flowers. The well-balanced palate delivers orange peel, lemon zest and just a touch of grilled hazelnut, and fine depth and plenty of energy on the finish. This white Saint-Émilion comes recommended.Vinous Media | 90-92 VMFleshy nectarine and peach, this is a less weighty Monbousquet blanc than in certain vintages, still rich with texture but enjoyable and well placed.Decanter | 92 DEC

The 2020 Château Quinault L’Enclos, which saw two thirds of the blend brought up in foudre, is another beautiful, seamless wine from this estate that offers both richness and elegance. Black cherries, smoked tobacco, chocolate, and a touch of scorched earth all flow to a medium to full-bodied, concentrated, finesse-driven Saint-Emilion that already offers pleasure. It will evolve for two decades.Jeb Dunnuck | 95 JDThis is hyper fine and polished with currants, light chocolate and hazelnut aromas and flavors. Medium body. Fresh and very long. Extremely pretty and fine. Drinkable, but better in 2026.James Suckling | 94 JSThe 2020 Quinault L’Enclos is a gorgeous, deeply pitched Saint-Émilion. Rose petal, mint, dried herbs and sweet red berry fruit all grace this wonderfully layered, nuanced Saint-Émilion. Pure and nuanced, with terrific energy, Quinault has a ton to offer. In 2020, the Cabernets (15% each Cabernet Sauvignon and Franc) are super-expressive. There is just a bit of youthful austerity that needs time to soften.Vinous Media | 93 VMBlack fruits, livey and quite vibrant yet with a seriously salty liquorice tang to the profile. Exotic spice lingers on the finish, surrounded by a minty freshness which gives a wide expression. Chalky, powdery, yet also quite bitter with dark chocolate and clove marking the finish. Yet there is a lovely overarching freshness, and lingering seduction and charm. Feels sophisticated but sombre, with lots of minerality and wood notes.Decanter | 92 DECThis vineyard in the heart of the city of Libourne is now showing great quality. Ripe black fruits dominate the tannins, giving a wine of great freshness. It is succulent, with generous fruitiness while keeping an good structure. Drink from 2026.Wine Enthusiast | 92 WEThe 2020 Quinault l’Enclos offers up aromas of cherries, plums and crushed mint, followed by a medium to full-bodied, velvety and lively palate built around powdery tannins that somewhat temper this site’s proclivity for an overt, even obvious, expression of fruit.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 90 RP

Readers may not know it, but this team makes some incredible whites. The 2020 Virginie De Valandraud Blanc has a beautiful perfume of bright citrus, lemon pith, and chalky minerality as well as a medium to full-bodied, concentrated, yet still racy and vibrant style on the palate. It’s gorgeous today, but this will evolve gracefully for 15 years.Jeb Dunnuck | 94 JDTypical Sauvignon Blanc nose of herbs, peas, apple and stalky elderflower with some white chocolate. Bright, textured and clear, a lovely clean sensation, I like the creamy yet piercing lemon and lime. Thrilling with clarity and elements of chalky, lemon, salty lime, nectarine and bitter orange peel. In a quiet phase but plenty of appeal.Decanter | 93 DECThis has aromas of almonds, thyme, clove, lemons and green apples. Crushed stones, too. Creamy, medium-bodied and textured, with a nutty thread throughout. Excellent weight and intensity. Drink or hold.James Suckling | 93 JSThe 2020 Virginie de Valandraud Blanc is a very pretty and expressive dry white. Hints of passionfruit, tangerine oil, mint and pineapple all grace this airy, weightless white.Vinous Media | 92 VMThe 2020 Virginie de Valandraud Blanc leaps from the glass with exuberant notes of green guava, passion fruit and ripe pears, plus hints of coriander seed, lemongrass and wet pebbles. The medium-bodied palate has impressive purity and intensity, delivering a racy backbone to offset the tropical fruit flavors, finishing long and lively.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 89-91 RPCrackles nicely from the start, with oyster shell, lemon peel and gooseberry notes. Shows lots of mouthwatering zip through the finish, which brings you back for another sip. Sémillon, Sauvignon Blanc and Sauvignon Gris. Drink now through 2024. 1,200 cases made.Wine Spectator | 90 WS