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A gorgeous dark purple colour in the glass with a bright pink rim. It is a little reticent on the nose, just giving a hint of fragranced fruit with dark chocolate, caramel and sweet coffee touches - so inviting. Ultra sleek and suave on the palate but at the same time racy and vibrant. A combination of rich black fruits and quite savoury aspects on the palate, tar, tobacco and wood smoke with black currants and cherries but here the emphasis really is on those herbal, medicinal aspects that give this such a serious tone but also such interest and intrigue. Lifted and bright on the palate but soft tannins letting the aromatics do all the talking. Seductive. Will be incredibly moreish in a few years. Drinking Window: 2027 - 2045.Decanter | 96 DECThe 2019 Gruaud Larose is performing extremely well in bottle, wafting from the glass with aromas of wild berries and plums mingled with notions of licorice, potpourri, pencil shavings and subtle soil tones. Medium to full-bodied, elegant and seamless, with powdery tannins and succulent acids, it’s remarkably suave and refined for a wine of obvious breadth, concentration and power.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 95+ RPThe 2019 Gruaud Larose is a deep, imposing wine endowed with a huge center of fruit and plenty of tannic clout to back it all up. Red fruit, cedar, leather, tobacco, smoke and dried herbs reveal themselves with some coaxing. Imposing tannins and some slightly rough contours suggest cellaring is a must. There’s good potential here.Antonio Galloni | 94 AGI wasn’t able to taste the 2019 Château Gruaud Larose from barrel, but it’s certainly an impressive Saint-Julien in bottle. Deep purple, with beautiful cassis and darker raspberry fruits as well as spice, dried flowers, and cedary incense notes, it hits the palate with medium to full-bodied richness carrying plenty of sweet tannins, a deep, concentrated mid-palate, and beautiful length. It’s not the dense blockbuster style of the 2018 and is much more elegant and pretty, with plenty of up-front charm. It’s beautifully done. It’s going to benefit from just short-term bottle age and have 25+ years of prime drinking.Jeb Dunnuck | 94 JDAttractive aromas of ripe dark and blue fruit, vanilla, dark chocolate, hazelnuts and wet soil. Dense and compact with layers of polished tannins that hold long and even on the palate. Firm finish with notes of chocolate and crushed stones. Pretty finish. Try after 2026.James Suckling | 94 JS

Lovely deep red pink rim to the glass. Such freshness and floral lift on the nose, smells lively and welcoming with a cool blue fruit touch to the aromas alongside faint hints of liquorice. Amazing texture and mouthfeel - filling with a good density of chalky and textured tannins underpinning creamy red fruits with a juicy acidity that is so succulent and mouthwatering. Just giving everything - abundant, generous lively fruit, creamy velvet-textured tannins, bright acidity and gorgeous Cabernet aspects. Round and complete, excellent winemaking on show. Drinking Window: 2023 - 2037.Decanter | 96 DECThe 2019 Lagrange has turned out beautifully in bottle, wafting from the glass with aromas of cherries, blackberries and cassis mingled with hints of loamy soil, pencil shavings and bay leaf. Medium to full-bodied, fleshy and enveloping, with an ample core of lively fruit, powdery tannins and succulent acids, it’s suave and seamless, concluding with a long, expansive finish. The result of an extremely rigorous selection, and incorporating fully 80% Cabernet Sauvignon, this is the finest wine this château has produced in the modern era. Remarkably, it was released at the same price en primeur as the 2005!Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 95 RPWhile I don’t think the 2019 Château Lagrange matches the 2018, it’s not far off, with a more elegant yet still concentrated style. Beautiful crème de cassis, spicy oak, tobacco, chocolate, and new saddle leather notes all emerge on the nose, and it stays tight, compact, and focused on the palate, with plenty of firm tannins. It opens up beautifully with time in the glass but merits 4-6 years of bottle age, and it should evolve for 20-25 years or more.Jeb Dunnuck | 95 JDA deep, fleshy Saint-Julien, the 2019 Lagrange builds beautifully with time in the glass. Sweet red/purplish berry fruit, rose petal, sage, mint, lavender and cinnamon are finely delineated, and yet this mid-weight Saint-Julien impresses with its super finessed personality. The 2019 is so inviting. It is an especially fine Lagrange. Tasted two times.Antonio Galloni | 94 AGAromas of blackcurrants, sandalwood and rose petals. Medium-to full-bodied with linear tannins that are racy and refined, yet forceful. Fine tannins at the end. Best after 2024.James Suckling | 94 JSThis full-bodied wine is open in style, with lashings of rich black fruits alongside dense tannins. This is a wine for some long-term aging.Wine Enthusiast | 94 WEJuicy and flush, with steeped red and black currant and plum fruit flavors, this has a generous edge from start to finish. Features notes of tobacco, singed cedar, warm earth and iron throughout, with a seductive hint of incense curling around the tail end of the finish. This has a generosity that makes it approachable, but there’s no rush at all to drink this one. Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot and Petit Verdot. Best from 2023 through 2036. 16,000 cases made, 700 cases imported.Wine Spectator | 93 WS

Really clear aromas of blackcurrants and blackberries with dried flowers and sandalwood. It’s full-to medium-bodied, yet with very tight, refined tannins that run the length of the finish. Second wine of Lagrange. Very well done. Best after 2024.James Suckling | 92 JSThe 2019 Les Fiefs de Lagrange is a soft, supple easygoing wine to drink now and over the next few years. Sweet red cherry, red fruit flowers, mint, blood orange, spice and rose petal perk up the finish. Readers will find a charming Saint-Julien that captures the personality of the year in spades.Antonio Galloni | 91 AGThe second wine of Château Lagrange, the 2019 Les Fiefs De Lagrange is a charming, delicious wine in the making and has plenty of classic Saint-Julien purity and elegance as well as notes of cassis, violets, damp earth, and cedarwood. It’s medium-bodied, nicely balanced, and already hard to resist. It’s going to drink nicely for a solid decade.Jeb Dunnuck | 89-91 JDBlackcurrant florality on the nose. Great sweetness and juice with creamy edges, too, and again the aromatics come out. Soft, playful, nice depth, unshowy but nicely balanced and well presented. It’s for easy drinking. Gentle and comforting. Drink now. Drinking Window 2022 - 2030.Decanter | 90 DEC

Plenty of blackberry, currant and floral aromas. Some mint as well, following through to a full-bodied palate with layers of ultra-fine tannins and wonderful length. This is sophisticated and beautifully crafted with style and personality, displaying its terroir. Extremely well done. Drink after 2025.James Suckling | 96 JSFrom one of the Barton family’s estates, this wine is solid in black fruits flavors and spice from wood aging. It has a fine, perfumed character, rich in fruit but also lifted by lively acidity. The wine’s ripeness will sustain it well as it ages.Wine Enthusiast | 95 WEA timely classic for patient readers with cold cellars, the 2019 Langoa Barton is performing beautifully in bottle, unwinding in the glass with a rich bouquet of cassis, plums, cigar wrapper, pencil shavings and loamy soil. Medium to full-bodied, deep and elegantly muscular, its concentrated core of fruit is framed by lively acids and ripe, powdery tannins that assert themselves on the youthfully firm finish. Forget it for a decade and reap the rewards for the following four.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 94+ RPA soft, seamless, beautifully textured Saint-Julien, especially in the vintage, the 2019 Château Langoa Barton gives up lots of red and black currant fruits as well as textbook damp earth, leafy herbs, chocolate, and spring flowers. It’s complex, medium to full-bodied, has beautiful tannins, and no hard edges. Drink this beauty any time over the coming 20-25 years. The blend is 67% Cabernet Sauvignon, 26% Merlot, and the rest Cabernet Franc.Jeb Dunnuck | 94 JDQuite strongly perfumed on the nose here, full, heady, more pronounced than some of the others with a richness and intensity to the nose. High toned straight away, a combination of quite ripe acidity, almost brusque on the palate with a creaminess to the tannins. Doesn’t feel totally harmonious right now but there is great density of fruit, good acidity, brightness and soft tannins with a liquorice kick at the end, cooling and fresh. Lots going on here, just needs to come together. (Drink between 2025-2040)Decanter | 94 DECThe 2019 Langoa-Barton is every bit as delicious as it was from barrel. The purity of the flavors is just striking. Inky red fruit, blood orange, spice, mint and pomegranate are pushed forward. This is an especially succulent, richly textured Langoa, and that’s not a bad thing for a wine that in some vintages is a bit light.Antonio Galloni | 93 AGRipe and juicy, with a youthfully compact core of steeped plum, blueberry and black currant fruit. The finish is scored by violet and singed apple wood notes, with a tug of tar peeking in as well. Offers ample fruit and inner freshness, so this should open up soon enough. Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot and Cabernet Franc. Best from 2025 through 2038. 7,950 cases made.Wine Spectator | 93 WS

The flagship 2019 Château Léoville Poyferré is based on 66% Cabernet Sauvignon, 27% Merlot, and the balance Petit Verdot. It’s one of the bigger, richer wines in the vintage and has a gorgeous, thrilling, full-bodied style as well as notes of crème de cassis, tobacco leaf, violets, and chocolate. While many estates seem to be playing it safe and focusing on so-called elegance and balance, I love that Poyferré continues to make a ripe, sexy, beautifully textured wine that always offers more opulence and sexiness than most in the vintage. Ranking with the crème de la crème of the vintage, this gorgeous Poyferré can be enjoyed any time over the coming 40-50 years. Bravo!Jeb Dunnuck | 98 JDSo aromatic with real complexity of notes on the nose, perfume and black fruits. Quite tannic on the palate, broad-shouldered with a core of liquorice-edged black fruit, dark chocolate and slate giving it quite a serious, gourmet and savoury feel right now. Lovely poise though, with mouthwatering freshness. Feels well made with energy and elegance. A standout wine with plenty on offer. Drinking Window: 2027 - 2045Decanter | 97 DECThe 2019 Léoville-Poyferré is creamy, racy and voluptuous to the core. Bright red cherry/plum fruit, blood orange, mint, spice and menthol fill out the layers with effortless grace. In some tastings, the 2019 has come across as quite powerful, while in other moments it shows greater finesse. Either way, the 2019 is positively stunning. I very much admire its energy and persistence. Tasted three times.Antonio Galloni | 97 AGThe 2019 Léoville Poyferré is showing very well in bottle, wafting from the glass with aromas of crème de cassis and wild berries mingled with notions of licorice, loamy soil, cigar wrapper and smoke. Full-bodied, velvety and polished, it’s broad and enveloping, with an ample core of fruit, ripe tannins and succulent acids, concluding with a long, precise finish. Invariably the most sumptuous of the three Léovilles, featuring some 35% Merlot, the 2019 is a terrific effort that will offer a wide drinking window.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 96 RPThrows off gorgeous warmed plum, blueberry reduction and açaí berry compote aromas and flavors, laced with ganache and sweet tobacco from start to finish. Delivers ample structure in the guise of a cold cast iron note buried underneath the showy fruit, with a flash of violet for treble in the background. Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Cabernet Franc and Petit Verdot. Best from 2025 through 2040. 15,000 cases made.Wine Spectator | 96 WSBlackcurrant, wet-earth with fresh black-mushroom aromas. Some chocolate, too. Full-bodied with layers of beautiful, ripe fruit and creamy tannins. It’s chewy and focused. Impressive balance. Try after 2025.James Suckling | 95 JS

The 2019 Léoville Las Cases is a brilliant young wine that will delight Bordeaux purists. Unwinding in the glass with scents of cassis, dark berries, cigar wrapper and pencil shavings, it’s full-bodied, layered and tightly wound, with a deep core of fruit, lively acids and an abundance of rich, powdery tannins. Concentrated and serious, much like its immediate neighbor Château Latour, it is likely to emerge as one of the vintage’s longest lived—and greatest—wines.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 98 RPRemarkably sleek and pure, considering the generally burly and obvious tannic profile of the vintage. Delivers a pure and unadulterated beam of cassis and plum reduction flavors inlaid seamlessly with a glistening iron girder that seems to have no end point through the finish, where violet, anise and black tea notes shimmer. Reserved overall, with a beautiful austerity, this is an example of how great terroir always shines through—even in extreme years. Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot and Cabernet Franc. Best from 2030 through 2050.Wine Spectator | 98 WSWet stone, smoke and floral aspects to the aromatic profile - seriously inviting. Density and power here, but cooling and all in balance, full of blackcurrant and black cherries with obvious minerality. It gives such plushness in terms of roundness and grip of tannins, but also layers of perfumed fruit, ripe fruit and cooling slate and liquorice elements. A distinguished wine with a seamless tannic structure and excellent length. Lots of life here and also a real, almost sweet acidity that gives life and lift. Lots going on now but designed for long and steady ageing. Drinking Window: 2029 - 2050Decanter | 98 DECCurrants and blackberries with crushed stones, bark and some conifer and pine cone. Perfumed. Discreet. Medium-to full-bodied with an integrated tannin structure that’s full of fine tannins that are weightless and seamless, building on the palate and coming out at the end. Needs five or six years to open. Texture of heavy silk. 79% cabernet sauvignon, 11% merlot and 10% cabernet franc. Try after 2027.James Suckling | 98 JSThis is an immense wine. Made from 79% Cabernet Sauvignon, it shows great structure, richness and aging potential. The tannins are ripe, showing the gentlest of extraction and are what is going to drive this wine for many years.Wine Enthusiast | 98 WEMore backward, deep, and layered, the Grand Vin 2019 Château Léoville Las Cases is 79% Cabernet Sauvignon, 11% Merlot, and the rest Cabernet Franc that saw 90% new French oak. Just awesome aromatics of pure crème de cassis, graphite, tobacco leaf, burning embers, and gravelly earth all soar from the glass. This is followed by a quintessential Léoville Las Cases that’s medium to full-bodied, pure, concentrated, and regal on the palate, with beautiful tannins. The purity of fruit is spot on, it’s flawlessly balanced, and it’s going to age for decades. While it offers pleasure today, I’d wager it will take 10-15 years to hit maturity and will be a 50+ year wine.Jeb Dunnuck | 97+ JDJust as it was from barrel, the 2019 Léoville Las-Cases is a wine of pure and total sophistication. There is not the size of some recent vintages, but instead that heft is replaced by cool refinement. The expression of fruit leans into the redder end of the spectrum as opposed to the typically darker Las-Cases profile. Hints of cedar, tobacco, mint and blood orange linger. I can’t wait to see how it ages.Antonio Galloni | 96+ AG

Based on 51% Cabernet Sauvignon, 45% Merlot, and 4% Petit Verdot, the Grand Vin 2020 Château Beychevelle is a stunner that does everything right, offering a monster bouquet of black and blue fruits as well as candied violets, incense, flowers, and toasty oak. A ripe, full-bodied, incredibly sexy wine in every sense, it has a great mid-palate, ripe, velvety tannins, no hard edges, and a great finish. It’s one of the more up-front, exotic wines in the vintage and should be accessible with just short-term cellaring.Jeb Dunnuck | 95-97 JDDeep purple-black colored, the 2020 Beychevelle offers up vibrant notes of black raspberries, fresh black cherries and cassis, plus hints of wild sage, chocolate mint, rose hip tea and fallen leaves, with an exotic hint of Indian spices. The medium to full-bodied palate offers layers of crunchy black fruits with a firm, grainy texture and just enough freshness, finishing long and perfumed.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 94-96 RPThe 2020 Beychevelle opens with the most exotic bouquet imaginable. Wild flowers of all sorts, spice, lavender and inky dark fruit all saturate the palate. As always, Beychevelle is an overt, flamboyant wine, but all of the elements are so well out together. The 2020 is sexy, alluring and impossible to resist. Time in the glass brings out redder tonalities of fruit along with sweet floral notes that add striking inner perfume. Even as a barrel sample, I am so tempted to just drink it.Vinous Media | 94-96 VMSweet-berry and tobacco character with blackberries and violets. It’s full-bodied with firm, polished tannins and a fresh finish. Very fine at the end.James Suckling | 94-95 JSThe wine’s structure and serious tannins are, happily, balanced by the rich generosity of the fruit flavors. Together, the two elements of this very fine wine will allow it to develop with weight and concentration.Wine Enthusiast | 95 WESmoke, grilled almond on the nose, even a touch of rubber from an edge of reduction. This has depth to black chocolate and bilberry fruit, it is well balanced and seductive. Enjoyable, it’s pretty broad shouldered but it sits well within the successful run of vintages at Beychevelle. A yield of 47hl/ha. 18 months ageing. 55% first wine. Drinking Window 2029 - 2044.Decanter | 94 DEC

The 2020 Talbot is a hugely promising wine. It offers up an exotic mélange of inky dark fruit, chocolate, licorice, gravel, lavender and menthol. Brooding in the glass, with broad shoulders and tons of intensity, the 2020 is a Talbot that marries power, breadth and savory intensity with notable stylishness and tons of personality. Impressive.Vinous Media | 92-95 VMThis is a great Talbot, a real success for the château. Subtle and deft touches throughout, from the smoked turmeric notes that lace the black fruits to the finessed aromatics that accompany the body of the wine. Balance and freshness, and a saline edge to the finish that is extremely moreish. Three years with Jean-Michel Laporte as director and he is doing great work. Drinking Window 2026 - 2040.Decanter | 95 DECA tight, focused young red with blackcurrant, lead-pencil and chocolate character. It’s full-bodied and tense with a long, flavorful finish.James Suckling | 94-95 JSA great success from this estate, the wine has bold tannins and richly, concentrated fruit. Its blackberry flavors mingle with the dry core, promising some serious aging.Wine Enthusiast | 95 WEThe 2020 Château Talbot is a winner and certainly an outstanding wine. Offering lots of blackcurrants, green tobacco, chocolate, and lead pencil notes, it’s a classic Saint-Julien, with medium to full body, velvety tannins, and a rounded, layered texture. It’s ripe, yet certainly plays in the fresher end of the pool and should have 15-20 years of longevity.Jeb Dunnuck | 91-93 JDDeep purple-black colored, the 2020 Talbot storms out of the glass with powerful blackcurrants, raspberry leaves and baked plums scents, followed by suggestions of dried Mediterranean herbs, tobacco leaf and graphite. The medium-bodied palate delivers lovely freshness and an approachable chewiness, nicely framing the herb-laced black fruits, finishing savory.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 90-92 RP

This has aromas of currants, blackberries, licorice, pine needles and peppercorns. It’s medium-bodied with refined, tightly knit tannins. Elegant and poised, with a fine finish. Second wine of Talbot. Drink from 2025.James Suckling | 92 JSThe 2020 Connétable Talbot is matured in 15% new oak. It has a fresh blackberry and briary scented nose with tobacco scents emerging with time. The palate is fresh and energetic, quite chiseled tannins, a little chalky in texture with a graphite-tinged finish. This punches above my expectations and is well worth seeking out.Vinous Media | 90 VM

The 2020 Lagrange is a fine follow-up to the excellent 2019. Offering up aromas of crème de cassis and plums mingled with hints of violets, licorice, pencil shavings and vanilla pod, it’s medium to full-bodied, fleshy and layered, with a deep core of ripe but vibrant fruit that’s framed by powdery tannins that assert themselves with gentle grip on the finish.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 95 RPComing from depressingly low yields of just 26 hectoliters per hectare (the lowest since 1991), the 2020 Château Lagrange checks in as 74% Cabernet Sauvignon, 24% Merlot, and 2% Petit Verdot that was raised in 60% new French oak. It’s a gorgeous, complete Saint-Julien offering remarkable purity in its cassis, violets, chocolate, and leafy tobacco-like aromas and flavors. Medium to full-bodied on the palate, with terrific balance, a pure, focused mouthfeel, ripe tannins, and beautifully integrated oak, it’s going to benefit from 4-6 years of bottle age and cruise over the following 2+ decades in cold cellar.Jeb Dunnuck | 95+ JDThe 2020 Lagrange is fabulous, just as it was from barrel. Super-ripe dark cherry, plum, mocha, licorice, cedar and new leather are all amplified in this gorgeous, striking Saint-Julien. Soft and racy, with no hard edges and exceptional balance, Lagrange is a winner.Vinous Media | 94 VMAttractive nose of blackberries, blackcurrants, walnuts, ink and kaffir leaves. It’s medium- to full-bodied, firm and structured, with chewy and tight tannins. Dark and intense, with a long and persistent finish. Turns to graphite and cedar. Needs time to open and soften. Try from 2026.James Suckling | 94 JSAromatically 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. Decanter | 94 DECThis wine, with its red plum and spice flavors has an initial smoothness that is belied by the wine’s dry, firm core. Its dark tannins are there to ensure a fine future. Wine Enthusiast | 93 WEVery sleek, with a racy iron edge driving through in lockstep with cassis and cherry coulis flavors. Reveals a subtle black tea accent on the finish, with the minerality eventually holding center stage. Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot and Petit Verdot. Best from 2024 through 2036. 11,200 cases made, 1,100 cases imported.Wine Spectator | 92 WS

The flagship from this great château, the 2020 Château Léoville Barton checks in as 85.5% Cabernet Sauvignon and 14.5% Merlot that saw 60% new French oak. It has fabulous aromatics of crème de cassis, graphite, liquid violets, spring flowers, and background oak. Full-bodied and concentrated on the palate, its purity of fruit is just about off the chart, it has a great mid-palate, and enough tannins to warrant 7-8 years of bottle age. This is another sensational wine from this team that will have 30-40 years of overall longevity.Jeb Dunnuck | 97+ JDA bold, strapping young wine, with vivid plum, cassis, kirsch and black licorice notes that meld steadily as they cruise through, carried by a bolt of graphite and finishing with a flourish of violet, anise and apple wood. Mouthwatering in the end. Built for the cellar. Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot. Best from 2030 through 2045. 9,100 cases made.Wine Spectator | 96 WSThe 2020 Léoville Barton is compelling. It offers up a gorgeous mix of vintage 2020 intensity married to the classicism Léoville-Barton have come to expect. Blackberry, graphite, dried herbs, menthol and dark spice abound. Whereas so many Saint-Juliens are exuberant in 2020, Léoville-Barton is very much buttoned up, showing just a twinkle of mischief that lets you know the best is yet to come.Vinous Media | 96 VMAromas of dark berries, ash, tar, blackcurrants and lead pencil, following through to a medium to full body, with firm and integrated tannins and a medium, chewy finish. Needs four to six years to soften and come together. Very tight and nicely structured. Try in 2027 and onwards.James Suckling | 96 JSDense and with velvety tannins, this wine has great structure and concentration without being too weighty. This solid wine is sure to age. Drink from 2027.Wine Enthusiast | 96 WEA superb wine, the 2020 Léoville Barton exhibits generous aromas of blackberries and crème de cassis mingled with hints of licorice, pencil shavings and classy new oak. Medium to full-bodied, broad and fleshy, with a concentrated core of fruit, sweet tannins and a nicely defined finish, it bears some similarities with the estate’s demonstrative 2000 vintage, even if the two growing seasons were quite different. I suspect it will tighten up with more time in bottle, hence the plus sign next to my score, but right now, the 2020 is unusually accessible out of the gates.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 95+ RPLiquorice 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.Decanter | 95 DEC

Dark fruits with a spicy character and licorice, dark chocolate and black olives. Some wet earth, too. Medium-bodied, polished and textured with fine-grained tannins and a juicy fruit core underneath. Flavorful and attractive with a creamy finish. Drink or hold.James Suckling | 92 JSThe 2020 Fiefs de Lagrange is dark, supple and super-delicious. Ripe dark cherry/plum fruit, spice, dried flowers and mocha. This racy, succulent wine is an absolute winner.Vinous Media | 90 VM

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.Decanter | 94 DECThis is poised and elegant with notes of bitter chocolate, crushed walnuts, black peppercorns, blackberries and blackcurrants. It’s medium-bodied with silky tannins and layers of fresh black fruit. Classy. Try from 2026.James Suckling | 94 JSUnder the same ownership as neighboring Château Saint-Pierre, this estate produced a fine, stylish wine that will develop well. The outlines are already there with spice and black currant fruits underling the tannic structure. Wine Enthusiast | 94 WEThe 2020 Gloria is the last vintage before the estate moved completely towards organic farming. It has a lovely bouquet with blackberry, raspberry, orange rind and sous-bois aromas, precise and focused. The oak is nicely integrated here (40% new). The palate is medium-bodied with pliant tannins, harmonious and poised, just a little soy in the background, almost understated towards the finish that gently fans out. It might drink a little earlier than I estimated from barrel, but it’s going be a gem.Vinous Media | 93 VMYouthfully taut and well-structured, with singed apple wood and licorice root notes holding a core of red currant, dark plum and blackberry fruit in check for now. Reveals a nice racy graphite underpinning on the finish. One for the cellar. Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Petit Verdot and Cabernet Franc. Best from 2026 through 2038.Wine Spectator | 93 WSJust about a perennial must-buy, the 2020 Château Gloria is another terrific vintage for this Saint-Julien château, which always seems to turn out a fabulous wine that sells for a great price. Sporting a deep purple hue as well as impressive aromatics of ripe blackcurrants, plums, camphor, smoked tobacco, and gravelly earth, it’s a wine that blossoms with time in the glass. (I followed this bottle for multiple days.) Medium to full-bodied on the palate, it has beautifully polished tannins, outstanding balance, and the more focused style of the vintage. Tasted twice with consistent notes.Jeb Dunnuck | 93 JDRich, generous and demonstrative, the 2020 Gloria bursts with aromas of cherries, sweet berries, plum liqueur and cigar wrapper. Medium to full-bodied, fleshy and generous, it will offer a broad drinking window.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 92 RP

The tannins make their presence felt from the first moments, giving both depth and spice but also a certain constriction. This is not a year for exuberant second wines in St-Julien - there are well-framed black fruits, some fresh St-Julien balance, but a little sombre overall. 60% of overall production. Cabernet Franc 3% completes the blend. A yield of 31hl/ha.Decanter | 90 DEC

This is very linear and structured, with blackcurrant, pine-needle, graphite and cedar aromas and flavors. Intense. Full-bodied, chalky and intense. Superb. Best of the trilogy. Drink after 2027.James Suckling | 97 JSTasted on multiple occasions, the 2020 Château Langoa Barton comes from a mix of different sites in Saint-Julien, which makes it a great representation of the vintage and appellation. The blend is 53.5% Cabernet Sauvignon, 38% Merlot, and the rest Cabernet Franc. It exhibits a deep ruby/purple hue to go with a beautiful bouquet of red and black cherries, currants, leafy tobacco, and cedar pencil, with a touch of damp earth that emerges with time in the glass. Medium to full-bodied, balanced, and elegant on the palate, it has plenty of mid-palate depth and richness, velvety tannins, and a great finish. This plush, up-front, expansive, wonderfully textured Saint-Julien will benefit from just a few years of bottle age and cruise for two decades. It’s the finest example from this château I’ve tasted. Bravo!Jeb Dunnuck | 95 JDThe 2020 Langoa Barton has turned out superbly in bottle, offering up generous aromas of black cherries, crème de cassis, licorice and pencil shavings deftly framed by classy new oak. Medium to full-bodied, deep and fleshy, its concentrated core of ripe but vibrant fruit is framed by sweet, powdery tannins and lively acids. Beautifully balanced, it’s somewhat more open out of the gates than the excellent 2019 and will offer an especially broad drinking window.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 94 RPThe tannins in this wine are velvety, supporting the black fruits and richness. The wine has fruitiness but also structure and potential. Drink from 2027.Wine Enthusiast | 94 WESolidly built, with a bright violet note leading the way, followed by cassis and blackberry flavors that are vivid and defined. Shows apple wood and bramble notes that add a grippy, juicy feel to the finish, while an iron note adds cut and drive. Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot and Cabernet Franc. Best from 2026 through 2036. 6,400 cases made.Wine Spectator | 93 WSThe 2020 Langoa Barton has quite a plush, violet-tinged bouquet, higher-toned than the Léoville Barton, though without the same unerring complexity. This just wants to go out and have fun. The palate has an irresistible rondeur, velvety smooth with black plum, hints of cassis and a sweet and persistent finish. Joyful.Vinous Media | 93 VMWood aspects on the nose: vanilla, cinnamon, toast and caramel. Ripe, but clean and tight, there’s depth and intensity to the fruit which is focused and narrow, giving a sleek but tense frame and drive of flavours. There is underlying acidity and a juiciness that comes through, and this has a long, persistent flavour but it does remain quite narrow. Nicely worked and restrained. It grows more and more, but the wood is still quite present and needs to settle. Just feels a little dry, tight, high-toned and spicy which is slightly off-putting. Decanter | 92 DEC

The Grand Vin 2020 Château Léoville Poyferré, which is released in a stylish black bottle commemorating a century for the Cuvelier family, is reminiscent of the 2016 with its powerful, concentrated, yet vibrant and inward style. Pure crème de cassis, melted chocolate, loamy earth, graphite, and some spicy nuances all define the aromatics, and it’s full-bodied, with a stacked mid-palate, nicely integrated oak, ripe tannins, and one hell of a great finish. This is another utterly brilliant wine from this team, which has been producing First Growth quality wines for many years now. The blend of the 2020 is 64% Cabernet Sauvignon, 31% Merlot, 3% Cabernet Franc, and the rest Petit Verdot, aged in 80% new barrels, hitting 13.58% natural alcohol and a pH of 3.81. It will benefit from just 5-7 years of bottle age and will evolve for 50 years or more if well stored. Bravo. Tasted multiple times with consistent results.Jeb Dunnuck | 98+ JDThe 2020 Léoville-Poyferré is every bit as impressive as it was from barrel. If anything, it has gained in freshness and vibrancy with élevage. Dark cherry, plum, mocha, graphite and a kiss of French oak are some of the many notes that infuse the 2020 with tons of character. I especially admire its vertical energy and buttoned up personality. In some recent vintages Léoville-Poyferré has been quite showy, but the 2020 also has a more nuanced side that is hugely appealing.Vinous Media | 97 VMThis is really floral on the nose with violets and roses, and some black berries and dark cherries. It’s medium- to full-bodied with firm and polished tannins, and plenty of hazelnut and milk chocolate. Structured, yet so finely textured. So attractive and enticing now but needs three or four years to show what it has. Try after 2026.James Suckling | 96 JSSupple 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.Decanter | 96 DECShowy and very hard to resist, this gushes with velvety plum and boysenberry reduction flavors, along with melted black licorice and violet hints along the way. This has a very cold cast iron note buried deeply on the finish, too, to keep it grounded. A very distinctive house style. Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Cabernet Franc and Petit Verdot. Best from 2030 through 2038.Wine Spectator | 95 WSOf course, this impressive classified growth wine is young. But it’s easy to discern its promise. Black fruits and layers of sophisticated tannins are balanced with the wood aging and smoky fruit flavors. This estate in the heart of Saint-Julien has produced a very fine wine, fresh and structured at the same time. Drink from 2026.Wine Enthusiast | 95 WEA rich, powerful wine, the 2020 Léoville Poyferré offers up aromas of sweet berries, blueberry liqueur, exotic spices, incense and creamy new oak. Full-bodied, broad and layered, it’s deep and concentrated, its ample core of fruit only partially concealing a hefty payload of sweet, powdery, generously extracted tannin. Poyferré is generally the most flamboyant and demonstrative of the three Léovilles, but in 2020, it’s chunkier, broader shouldered and more brooding than usual.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 94+ RP