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A succulent, open-knit white marked by an alluring mix of peach fruit and stony mineral flavors, with yellow plum and citrus notes adding depth as this lingers on the finish. A fresh and focused, sunny version. Drink now through 2028. 50 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

The 2020 Montrachet Marquis de Laguiche Grand Cru is consistent with my previous tasting in January. Exquisite definition on the nose, real mineralité here. The palate is intense and penetrating, touches of orange zest and spice building wonderfully towards the finish. Excellent.Vinous Media | 97 VM

A blend of 45% Syrah, 40% Cabernet Sauvignon and 15% Petit Verdot, the 2020 Estate Cuvée is another outstanding wine from L’Aventure in the challenging 2020 vintage, offering singular concentration and elegance. Deep ruby-purple, it has a pure core of cassis and slowly unfolding accents of licorice, cured meats, tobacco leaves, cedar and truffle. Full-bodied, juicy and alluring, it floods the mouth with layers of blue fruit, floral perfume and spice. It is supported by powdery tannins and boasts a tremendously long, detailed finish.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 99 RPA beguiling blend of dusty violets, crushed stone, musky black currants and grilled herbs makes the 2020 Estate Cuvée impossible to ignore. Racy yet supple, this soothes with its ripe red and black fruits while also exciting the palate through a core of zesty acidity. A staining of minerality lingers as the 2020 finishes with epic length and potency. Grippy tannins tug at the perimeters of the palate, leaving nuances of black licorice and clove to resonate. This radiant beauty has a very bright future. It’s a blend of 45% Syrah, 40% Cabernet Sauvignon and 15% Petit Verdot.Vinous Media | 97 VMDark chocolate, a bit animalistic, so brooding and dark. Sumptuous texture, rich and deep yet vibrant too, this is plush and opulent but there is refinement here, you can feel the sculpting of the fruit and the tannins, there is nuance and detail to the different aspects. It’s still quite massy and bold, it’s a big style, lots going on with plenty of power and punch but a deliciously bright and lifted understone with acidity to keep it from being too heavy. Strawberry touches, blackberries, cinnamon, pepper, toast, tobacco and cocoa, all melding together with a lingering piquancy that lasts and lasts. A classic and memorable wine. Ageing 15 months in French oak (80% new, 20% one year old).Decanter | 97 DECThe 2020 Estate Cuvee is the flagship and checks in as 45% Syrah, 40% Cabernet Sauvignon, and 15% Petit Verdot. It has a big, black-fruited bouquet with lots of graphite, smoky oak, chocolate, and chalky minerality. This carries to a full-bodied wine revealing the more savory tannins of the vintage, plenty of mid-palate flesh, sweet tannins, and a great finish. It picks up a beautiful sense of salinity with time in the glass and is unquestionably one of the top wines in this vintage.Jeb Dunnuck | 96+ JDReally impressive depth here. Violets, blueberries, blackberries, graphite, ink and chalk to the nose. Rich, voluptuous and flavorful with firm, but silky tannins. Concentrated, restrainedly plush and muscular with a lingering finish that goes on and on. 45% syrah, 40% cabernet sauvignon and 15% petit verdot.James Suckling | 96 JS

Wonderfully bright, floral aromas with so much violet character. Such purity and focus. Ethereal on the nose already. Full-bodied, but very polished and deep with finesse and beauty. Incredible structure that fills the mouth.James Suckling | 98-99 JSThe 2020 L’Eglise Clinet is a blend of 90% Merlot and 10% Cabernet Franc. The Merlot was picked between the 11th and the 14th of September, and the Cabernet Franc was picked on the 16th of September. It has an alcohol of 14.4% and is aging in French oak barrels, 80% new. Displaying and opaque purple-black color, it needs a bit of swirling to reveal a fascinating array of earthy notes—black truffles, charcoal, mossy tree bark and fallen leaves—over a profound core of preserved plums, blackberry preserves and violets, with a waft of tapenade. The medium to full-bodied palate has exquisitely ripe tannins and bold freshness supporting the seductively ripe, black fruit layers, finishing on a lingering fragrant earth note.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 97-99 RPThe 2020 L’Eglise-Clinet is a towering wine. I am not sure what else to say. After having tasted hundreds of 2020s, L’Eglise-Clinet very clearly claims a stake for itself among the wines of the vintage. L’Eglise-Clinet can be a brute in its youth, but the 2020 is all finesse. Sweet red/purplish fruit, rose petal, blood orange and pomegranate are some of the nuances that emerge over time. Perhaps keeping the temperatures a bit cooler in fermentation explains the extraordinary finesse here. The 2020 simply can’t be denied.Vinous Media | 96-98 VMAlways up with the crème de la crème of the vintage, the 2020 Château L’Eglise Clinet is no exception. It boasts a rich, powerful, opulent style that packs loads of ripe black cherries as well as notes of chocolate, earth, tobacco, and graphite. Possessing the pure, elegant, more focused style of the vintage, it still has plenty of mid-palate depth, gorgeous tannins, and one heck of a great finish. This beauty is a thrill a minute and will not hit maturity for another 7-8 years, but it will be a 20-year wine.Jeb Dunnuck | 96-98 JD(Château L’Eglise-Clinet, Pomerol, Bordeaux, France, Red) Noémie Durantou has taken over from her late father Denis with this vintage, and has produced a L’Eglise Clinet that is dark ruby in colour, and needs time in the glass as it is built and muscular. You need a little patience for the cassis, bilberry and raspberry fruits to arrange, enjoy instead the silky, velvety texture that stops the tannins being too restrictive and allows the palate to slowly expand. Not as expressive as in some vintages, but still exudes quiet confidence. A yield of 42hl/ha. Harvest from September 8. (Drink between 2029-2050)Decanter | 96 DEC

(Château L’Évangile, Pomerol, Bordeaux, France, Red) The sculpting of L’Evangile that began over the past few vintages continues, and the 2020 is a gorgeous wine. Pristine fruit, silky with a whoosh of menthol. It elevates over the palate, both dense and light, with blueberry and raspberry fruits, and pulses of bitter almond and honeysuckle on the finish that gives focus and spice. Juliette Couderc joined L’Evangile (from DBR Lafite’s Long Dai winery) in September 2020 so for the harvest of this wine, working alongside technical director Olivier Tregoat. 50% first wine, with no Cabernet Sauvignon in the blend this year because it was so over-concentrated that it made too much impact. Increased selective harvesting meant going through vineyard plots six times to bring in the grapes as they ripened. A yield of 32hl/ha. In the final year of organic conversion, so this next vintage 2021 will be certified. (Drink between 2028-2050)Decanter | 98 DECThis is so floral and pure, showing crushed-grape character with some walnut and crunchy seeds. It’s full-bodied, juicy and fresh. Purity of fruit. Juicy and long. 88% merlot and 12% cabernet franc.James Suckling | 98-99 JSDeep garnet-purple colored, the 2020 L’Evangile rolls effortlessly out of the glass with notions of mulberries, black raspberries and stewed red and black plums, plus suggestions of Indian spices, dusty soil and violets with a touch of iron ore. The medium to full-bodied palate possesses compelling freshness and a fine-grained texture to support the muscular black and red fruits, finishing long and earthy.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | (96-98)+ RPThe 2020 L’Évangile is fabulous. Aromatic, deep and fleshy, with magnificent purity of fruit, L’Évangile dazzles right out of the gate. Bright Franc aromatics add striking lift as well as vibrancy that carries through to the long, delineated finish. There is an energy to the 2020 that is palpable. Harvest for the Merlot began on September 3, ahead of a heat wave that was forecast, and wrapped up on the 14th for the Merlot and the 21st for the Franc. That approach worked so well here. In the past, L’Évangile and Lafite-Rothschild were very different stylistically, but that seems to be changing now that Saskia de Rothschild is spending a great deal of her time in Pomerol with the new winemaking team. The estate, certified biodynamic as of 2021, has been pursuing a more refined approach for a few years, but 2020 is the first recent vintage where the personality of the year seems to have aligned especially well with the current thinking here. The 2020 L’Évangile is easily the most Lafite-like L’Évangile I have ever tasted. Don’t miss it!Vinous Media | 95-97 VMDescribed as a new age for l’Evangile by the estate, their 2020 Château L’Evangile showed beautifully, with the pure, elegant yet still ripe, beautifully concentrated style of the estate these days. Rocking levels of crème de cassis, black cherries, blueberries, graphite, and violets all emerge from the glass, and it’s medium to full-bodied, with a terrific sense of purity, present, ripe yet firm tannins, and a great finish. It’s a promising, elegant yet at the same time powerful 2020 that’s going to benefit from 4-5 years of bottle age and keep for 20-25 years or more. The blend is 88% Merlot and 12% Cabernet Franc, all raised in 60% new French oak.Jeb Dunnuck | (95-97)+ JDA smoky, structured wine with a fine velvet mouthfeel. This is rich and generous while showing restraint in its bold fruits. It will age well with early pleasure and then lasting for many years.Wine Enthusiast | 95 WE

You are immediately set at ease by the confidence and sheer easy appeal of this wine. A silky and seductive La Chapelle that rivals plenty of first wines in this vintage. The texture is rich and taut at first, then softens in the glass, with a charge of freshness that keeps the momentum and the energy high. Not many wines that rival the 2010 and 2016s, but here it very much does - exuberant with chocolate and cracked pepper but pulls back at the right moment. Harvests from 7th to 29th September. I love it.Decanter | 94 DECBlackberries, some crushed stones and iodine with a sandalwood undertone. It’s full and racy with firm tannins.James Suckling | 93-94 JSA blend of 44.7% Merlot and 55.3% Cabernet Sauvignon, the 2020 La Chapelle de la Mission Haut-Brion has an alcohol of 14.3%. It rolls effortlessly out of the glass with seducing notes of warm black plums, black cherry compote and blackberry pie, plus suggestions of lavender, crushed rocks and underbrush with a hint of sassafras. The medium-bodied palate is delicately played and refreshing, offering lots of soft-spoken black fruit and earthy layers with a soft texture and seamless acidity, finishing with a spicy kick.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 92-94 RPBlack cherries, currants, tobacco, and leafy herb notes all emerge from the 2020 La Chapelle De La Mission Haut-Brion. and it’s medium to full-bodied, with a round, layered mouthfeel, ripe tannins, and just a big, rich, yet concentrated vibe that’s very much in the style of the vintage. It’s going to have two decades of longevity.Jeb Dunnuck | 92-94 JDThe 2020 La Chapelle de La Mission Haut-Brion is rich, dense and so inviting, right from the very first taste. Ripe red purplish/berry fruit, rose petal, spice and gravel all meld together in the glass, but what impresses most about La Chappelle is its exceptional balance. Aromatics, fruit and structure are all so well-balanced. The 2020 is an especially fine La Chappelle.Vinous Media | 91-93 VM

Rather ethereal and so refined with finesse, focus and brightness that provides incredible energy and pedigree. It’s full-bodied with ultra fine tannins that go on and on. Superb presence with tannins that melt into the wine. This is 12.8%. I love the wine. Lots of dark fruit and fresh tobacco. Lead pencil, too. 92% cabernet sauvignon, 7% merlot and 1% petit verdot.James Suckling | 99-100 JSThis is a complete wine, with its layers of fruit and tannin in total harmony. Concentration comes easily backed by a palate that shows salinity, as well as impressive black currant fruits. The wine is certainly destined for long-term aging.Wine Enthusiast | 98 WEThe 2020 Château Lafite-Rothschild checks in as 92% Cabernet Sauvignon, 7% Merlot, and 1% Petit Verdot brought up in roughly 90% or more of new French oak. It’s a deep, inky-hued Lafite boasting incredible notes of crème de cassis, lead pencil shavings, graphite, crushed stone, and gravelly earth-like minerality. Full-bodied and beautifully balanced, with terrific purity of fruit, it has ripe tannins, a layered, seamless mouthfeel, and a great, great finish. It should surpass the 2015 and 2017 and be in the same realm as the 2018 and 2019. Despite its richness and depth, it hit just 12.8% alcohol, with an IPT of 72 and a pH of 3.5. It’s going to be just about immortal.Jeb Dunnuck | 97-99 JD(Château Lafite Rothschild, Pauillac, Bordeaux, France, Red) This is pretty much as close to entirely Cabernet Sauvignon as Bordeaux gets (92%) and yet it has an incredibly fine, gentle richness to the tannins. They build up pretty quickly though, so that by the end of the palate you start to feel the closing in and tightening, deftly underscoring how well this will age. The kaleidoscope of flavours and aromatics that Lafite does so well is fully on display, nothing trying too hard, a velvet texture to the tannins where the cassis fruit, earth, crushed stone and graphite is held in from beginning to end. Impressive that even in dry vintages like 2020 with the real concerns over global warming, the top Bordeaux estates can still produce wines of this quality. (Drink between 2028-2046)Decanter | 97 DECDisplaying a deep purple-black color, the 2020 Lafite Rothschild takes a little swirling and coaxing to unlock scents of freshly crushed blackcurrants, boysenberries and spiced plums, followed by emerging nuances of red roses, raspberry preserves, underbrush and unsmoked cigars, with a waft of cedar chest. The medium-bodied palate is an exercise in elegance and finesse, featuring tightly wound layers of red and black berries and loads of mineral sparks, framed by finely grained tannins and well-poised tension, finishing with fantastic length and the most stunning perfume. Magnificent achievement. This 2020 is a blend of 92% Cabernet Sauvignon, 7% Merlot and 1% Petit Verdot, coming in at 12.8% alcohol and a pH of 3.9.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 96-98 RPThe 2020 is a super-classic Lafite-Rothschild of grace and finesse. A reticent introvert, Lafite impresses with its vertical lift and palpable energy. It is a wine of regal bearing that does not feel the need to say much, and yet everything is very clearly there. Bright acids and strong, saline notes come alive in the glass as the long, persistent finish unfolds with remarkable grace. The 2020 is simply exquisite. It’s a fabulous showing from the team led by Technical Director Eric Kohler.Vinous Media | 95-97 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

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 VMAromatically 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 DECAttractive 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 JSThis 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

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

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

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

The 2020 Léoville Las Cases has developed into a powerhouse. Then again, that is Las Cases. En primeur, I thought the 2020 was a bit shy, but its true personality has to emerge. Blackberry jam, gravel, spice, menthol, licorice, espresso and plum all saturate the palate. Vivid and explosive, the 2020 is dizzyingly rich, with plenty of Las Cases tannins that will require patience. I am not sure when the 2020 will be ready to drink, but it won’t be anytime soon. Las Cases is one of the wines of the vintage in 2020, that much is pretty clear.Vinous Media | 98+ VMThis is incredibly classic in style with so much currant, lead pencil, crushed stone and sweet tobacco. It’s full-bodied with minerally, stoney and powerful tannins. It goes on and one. Real Las Cases here. Solid as a rock. Progresses to violet, graphite and licorice at the end.James Suckling | 98-99 JSPerfumed touches on the nose, quite high toned, blackcurrant but almost liqueur with rose petal and candy floss nuances. On the point of ripeness, still tense, not hugely expansive in the mouth or particularly weighty but juicy with a really confident energy to it - vibrant and compelling. Tannins are perfectly integrated, so fine, this has a silky overall texture with a hint of grip coming towards the mid palate. Driven and straight, not deviating from the core. Almost unfriendly, but you know this has been well made - it’s sleek, with sinewy muscles, just caged right now needing time to come around. I love the precision to the elements, there’s such a sharp attention to detail with a liquorice, slate and pencil lead tang. The flavours need coaxing a little; this is a sleeping beauty waiting to awaken, but when it does it will be delicious because of the precision. A wonderful wine that makes you really think about how it’s going to evolve.Decanter | 97 DECThe wine’s richness comes both from the dark tannins and the pure, classic black currant flavors. Acidity, yes, but surrounded by dense fruits and tannins that give the wine considerable structure and the potential to age for many years. An impressive wine.Wine Enthusiast | 97 WEThe 2020 Léoville Las Cases is a blend of 81% Cabernet Sauvignon, 11% Cabernet Franc and 8% Merlot, aging in 80% new French oak barriques, weighing in with an alcohol of 13.68%, a pH of 3.8 and an IPT (tannins index) of 79. The Cabernet Sauvignon was harvested from the 21st to the 27th of September, the Merlot from the 12th to the 15th of September and the Cabernet Franc on the 18th and 19th of September. With an opaque purple-black color, it slowly unfurls to reveal beguiling notes of fresh blackcurrants, Morello cherries, candied violets and dark chocolate, giving way to an undercurrent of crushed rocks, unsmoked cigars, clove oil and fragrant earth. The medium-bodied palate is a powerhouse of energy, delivering tightly wound red and black fruits, mineral and floral layers, supported by fantastic tension and incredibly ripe, silt-like tannins. The finish has jaw-dropping fragrance and depth.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 96-98 RPSleek and slightly austere in feel, with a cold cast iron note framing a core of tightly compressed cassis, plum and blackberry fruit flavors. Shows subtle flashes of tobacco and smoldering charcoal, as the finish lingers with verve. A stoic red. Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc and Merlot. Best from 2030 through 2045.Wine Spectator | 96 WSThe flagship 2020 Château Léoville Las Cases checks in as 81% Cabernet Sauvignon, 11% Cabernet Franc, and 8% Merlot, raised in 80% new French oak. Hitting 13.68% in alcohol with a Ph of 3.8 and an IPT of 79, it shows the dense, concentrated, focused style of the vintage and it’s going to be one of the longer-lived wines of the vintage. Deep purple-hued, with an incredible sense of minerality in its blackcurrant and black cherry fruits, it’s full-bodied, has a rich, layered mid-palate, lots of tannins, and a great finish. It’s a beautiful wine and holds onto the more inward, concentrated style of the vintage while still showing serious depth of fruit. It’s going to take a decade (or more) of bottle age to get anywhere close to the early stages of maturity but will keep for 30-40 years.Jeb Dunnuck | 95-97+ JD

Exotic fruit aromas of blackberry, blueberry, peach and orange peel. It’s full-bodied with a vertical flow of layered, chewy tannins that are integrated and intense. Extremely polished and focused. Crushed stone to the fruit in the aftertaste. Some bark and forest flowers, too. Great potential.James Suckling | 97-98 JSOn another level, the flagship 2020 Château Les Carmes Haut-Brion is one heck of a dense, backward, concentrated wine that’s going to require bottle age. Coming in with the same technical analysis (acidity and alcohol) as the 2018, this full-bodied beauty offers a thrilling nose of blackcurrants, smoked tobacco, charcoal, and gravelly earth. Full-bodied on the palate, with a terrific mid-palate and wonderful purity, it holds things close to its vest yet has flawless balance, impeccable purity, and just a great, lengthy finish. Nevertheless, this is one big bruiser of a wine that’s going to demand bottle age. Do your best to hide bottles for 7-8 years, count yourself lucky, and enjoy over the following three to four decades.Jeb Dunnuck | 96-98 JD(Château Les Carmes Haut-Brion, Pessac-Léognan, Bordeaux, France, Red) Clear violet edging to the colour, vibrant and enticing. This is elegant and full of personality, with high floral aromatics, a ton of dark fruits, and a blueberry dominance that gives a classic Carmes Haut Brion feel. Slightly austere, slightly bitter, both in the best possible expression of those terms, where it is mouthwatering and moreish. A juicy salinity ensures this is a wine that doesn’t overpower, its flavours are revealed slowly and carefully, tugging backwards, with a texture that heads towards linen rather than silk - meaning that you don’t glide through, you carefully step through well-placed tannins and fruits. There is clear delicacy here, and with 55% whole bunch fermentation - the highest level that they have done to date. 3.62pH (they harvested this at almost 1% ABV higher), fermented with their own natural yeasts. Highest percentage of the two Cabernets on recent record (before 2010 Carmes was regularly at 50% Merlot). Strong candidate for the score moving upwards when in bottle. (Drink between 2028-2048)Decanter | 96 DECDeep garnet-purple colored, the 2020 Les Carmes Haut-Brion issues forth a beguiling array of savory scents—black olives, charcuterie, bouquet garni and Sichuan pepper—over a core of bright redcurrant jelly, black cherries and cassis scents, plus fragrant hints of rose petals and preserved mandarin peel. The medium-bodied palate is refreshing and elegantly styled yet with a rock-solid backbone of firm, finely grained tannins and bags of freshness, finishing long and perfumed. This is a stunning expression of the vintage that should be long lived and age with fantastic grace.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | (95-97)+ RPThe 2020 Les Carmes Haut-Brion is dazzling, but it is also a wine of reserve and understatement. I image it will be some years, at the very least, be fore the 2020 is ready to show all it has to offer. Today, it is not particularly expressive. The aromatics, which are usually so penetrating are quite shy, although the significant presence of Cabernet Franc that distinguishes this wine comes through in its energy and sense of drive. I can’t wait to taste the 2020 from bottle, and won’t be at all surprised if it turns out even better than this note suggests.Vinous Media | (95-97)+ VM

Pale lemon colour. Very little nose as yet, too early perhaps for a wine of this potential power – which it certainly has on the palate, and very good acidity as well. The immense square of fruit in the mouth doesn’t yet show specific flavours but everything hangs together impressively for what will be an imposing Bâtard. Tasted: November 2021.Jasper Morris | 97-99 JMIt is classic Bâtard, rich and almost honeyed. The wine avoids heaviness, however, and simply tends toward the richer side of the spectrum. This is made from fruit purchased from the Puligny side, most of it from very old vines. It is done in large, double-sized casks to reduce the influence of the wood.Decanter | 94 DECAromas of buttery orchard fruit, citrus zest and stone fruit mingle with hints of white flowers and freshly baked bread to introduce the 2020 Bâtard-Montrachet Grand Cru (Maison Louis Jadot), a full-bodied, ample and layered wine that’s taut and structured, with racy acids and fine depth at the core. This, too, shows plenty of promise.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 93-95 RPHere too there is a subtle application of wood framing the beautifully layered nose of white peach, carnation, citrus confit and a plethora of spice wisps. There is a bit more size, weight and volume to the solid concentrated flavors that brim with dry extract on the palate staining, powerful and impressively persistent finish. This is also quite tightly wound and packed with development potential. (Drink starting 2032)Burghound | 92-95 BHThe 2020 Bâtard-Montrachet Grand Cru has more attack and penetration compared to the Bienvenue, greater mineralité and terroir expression. The palate is finely balanced with plenty of ripe citrus fruit laced with stem ginger and dried orange rind. Perhaps it just cuts away a little swiftly on the finish, but otherwise this is a decent 2020 white. Closure: DiamVinous Media | 91-93 VM

The 2020 Bonnes-Mares Grand Cru is very pure and harmonious on the nose with plush black cherry and cassis fruit, well-integrated oak and a floral aspect that becomes more prominent with time. The palate is well balanced with a fine bead of acidity, taut and fresh, lightly spiced with quite a vivacious, mineral-driven finish that retains superb definition. This is very impressive and bloomin’ delicious (already!)Vinous Media | 96-98 VMThe wine is massive, with grippy tannins, full body and an interminable finish. ’A great vintage to taste in 20 years,’ according to winemaker Frédéric Barnier. The 0.27ha Jadot parcel (owned by the house itself) is in a strip that goes from the top of the vineyard to the bottom, and thus includes both terres blanches (white marl) and terres rouges (red clay). The fruit character is black plum and cassis, with a firm, mineral and earthy element. Drinking Window 2025 - 2040.Decanter | 96 DECA wine with huge potential is the 2020 Bonnes-Mares Grand Cru (Domaine Louis Jadot). Unwinding in the glass with notes of raspberries, red cherries, vanilla pod, exotic spices and raw cocoa, it’s full-bodied, deep and multidimensional, with an immensely concentrated core, powdery tannins and a tightly wound profile. This will be among the slowest to evolve of all the wines in the cellar, and also among the most long-lived.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 94-96+ RP(Maison Louis Jadot Bonnes Mares Grand Cru Red) Very generous wood and menthol nuances still allow the liqueur-like aromas of red currant, violet and range of spice elements to be appreciated. There is first-rate power and punch to the moderately dense and beautifully textured flavors that display superb length on the sappy finish where the only nit is a hint of warmth. (Drink starting 2037)Burghound | 93-96 BH

The 2020 Musigny Grand Cru has a well-defined bouquet with red cherries, blackcurrant, touches of animal fur and black truffle - very complex and intense. The palate is medium-bodied with supple tannins, wonderful depth and cohesion, the acidity perfectly judged. The 30-40% stems here lends a discrete peppery note on the finish to what is one of the best Musigny that I have tasted from Jadot in recent years. Stunning.Vinous Media | 97-99 VMThere are two barrels of the magical 2020 Musigny Grand Cru (Domaine Louis Jadot), a striking wine that soars from the glass with scents of blood orange, rose petals, wild berries, sweet soil tones and musk. Full-bodied, ample and enveloping, it’s vibrant and multidimensional, with a deep, layered core and a long, resonant finish.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 95-97 RP(Maison Louis Jadot Musigny Grand Cru Red) Much like the Amoureuses, the dazzling nose of plum, black raspberry and floral scents is super-spicy with its combination of anise, sandalwood, clove, hoisin and dried orange peel nuances. There is both outstanding volume and even better intensity to the more mineral-driven, concentrated and focused flavors that exude a touch of bitter pit fruit character on the hugely long, balanced and highly complex finale. This is very classy juice that should age gracefully for the better part of two decades. (Drink starting 2037)Burghound | 93-96 BH

Aromas of menthol, black spice, leather, rose hip and citrus lead the nose on the stunning 2020 Baudana from Luigi Baudana. It’s smooth and delicious, delivering wild raspberry, strawberry compote, blood orange, tobacco and star anise alongside a backbone of polished tannins. Crushed mint lingers on the close while fresh acidity keeps it beautifully balanced. Drink 2027–2035. Abv: 14% Kerin O’Keefe | 97 KOThe deep ruby-hued 2020 Barolo Baudana offers a sweet perfume of candied raspberries, cherry lozenge, crushed flowers, and sweet sage. Medium to full-bodied, it’s ripe and expansive with sweet tannins, it has a fantastic and weightless feel with a buoyant nature, and it’s floral and long on the palate, with a great apricot-noted finish. While it has a wide drinking window, it’s deserving of cellaring. Drink 2026-2040.Jeb Dunnuck | 96 JDSubtle notes of cherries in their prime, thyme, star anise, incense, and warmed earth gradually emerge, over time, yielding a wine work the wait. On the palate, it is plush at first, but the tannins soon make their presence known, shaping the wine into a honed and chiseled example of classic Nebbiolo. The savory elements work in perfect harmony with the deep core of fruit and mouthwatering acidity, creating a Barolo that can be enjoyed now or cellared for decades. Drink Now - 2045Wine Enthusiast | 95 WEWith fruit from Serralunga d’Alba, the Luigi Baudana 2020 Barolo Baudana is a bold and ripe expression with dark currant, black cherry, sweet orange peel and crushed red rose. Soft, earthy layers appear on the mid-palate with hints of spicy licorice. All of that intensity, with soil, fruit and spice, swells over the palate, giving this wine an impactful character. It is almost ready to drink straight out of the gate.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 94 RPPacked with fruit, this red exudes cherry, strawberry, rose and iron notes, with a hint of wild herbs. Vibrant acidity and fine-grained tannins lend well-meshed support. Harmonious and surprisingly approachable already, but this will improve over the next two decades. Best from 2027 through 2045.Wine Spectator | 94 WSThe 2020 Barolo Baudana opens with a burst of plump, juicy, red-toned fruit. Bright acids and persistent tannins are a reminder we’re in Serralunga. The 2020 is going to need a few years to come together, but it is a relatively accessible wine for this part of the appellation. The purity of the fruit here is lovely. Pretty floral and spice overtones lift the finish effortlessly.Vinous Media | 93 VMAttractive notes of cherries, peaches, red plums and violets on the nose. Juicy and bright, with a medium body and delicious red berry fruit accompanied by fine-grained tannins. Drink after 2026.James Suckling | 92 JS

The wine displays a super beautiful color, with a translucent ruby hue. Aromas of very pretty wild red berries, licorice and sweet and savory spice captivate the senses. The palate is truly delightful, with the fruit shining through initially, followed by earthy notes, such as truffle. Superfine tannins contribute to its overall elegance. Enjoy from now–2040.Wine Enthusiast | 94 WEAttractive aromas of raspberries and cherries with savory herbs, orange peel and forest wood undertones. Juicy and savory with medium body and crunchy tannins and a velvety mouthfeel. Attractive and lightly chewy at the end. Better from 2025.James Suckling | 93 JSHailing from the Bric Micca cru in Neive, the elegant, structured Poderi Einaudi 2020 Barbaresco has alluring aromas of eucalyptus, ground clove and violet. On the full-bodied palate, taut, refined tannins support juicy red cherry, blood orange, star anise and blood orange. Drink 2025–2035. Abv: 14.5% Kerin O’Keefe | 93 KO

One of the gems in the vintage is the 2020 Châteauneuf Du Pape Barbe Rac, a 100% Grenache that was destemmed and brought up all in concrete tanks. Darker berries, ground pepper, graphite, and savory garrigue are just some of its nuances, and this beauty is full-bodied, has a layered, seamless mouthfeel, ripe tannins, and an awesome finish. It’s a brilliant bottle of wine that readers will love. It deserves 3-4 years of bottle age and will shine over the following two decades. Bravo.Jeb Dunnuck | 98+ JDA seductive 100% grenache with cherries, mixed berries, licorice and sweet spices on the nose. Full body with creamy tannins. Round and velvety with a caressing touch of strawberries and raspberries at the center. It has volume and texture with a succulent and precise long finish. From biodynamically grown grapes with Demeter certification. Drink or hold.James Suckling | 94 JSThere’s an appealing high-toned spice over the very ripe blackberry fruit here, like star anise. Very rounded and generous, but with some good intensity and freshness at its core. Concentrated and ripe but with good acidity. The alcohol is warming on the finish, but it’s not overly unbalanced. A fruity and immediate style of Barbe Rac.Decanter | 93 DEC

In the same qualitative ballpark as the Pavillon, the 2020 Ermitage L’Ermite is even tighter and more chiseled. It too is perfectly proportioned and insanely pure, with notes of crème de cassis, burning embers, blueberries, camphor, charcoal, and crushed stone. While the soils here are less granitic than from the Bessards, this cuvée always seems to show even more minerality in every vintage I’ve tasted. Incredibly concentrated, full-bodied, and yet still flawlessly balanced and elegant, it needs to be hidden in the back of the cellar for 10-15 years and should have 50 years of overall longevity.Jeb Dunnuck | 100 JDIf you ever wondered why Hermitage had such a special reputation then you need to taste this towering masterpiece of this appellation. Spectacular mountain freshness as well as enormous concentration and underplayed tannic power. The spicy complexity of this wine needs some time to unfold, but that is the best invested time I can imagine. Fabulous mineral freshness at the finish that you don’t ever want to let go of. From biodynamically grown grapes with Demeter certification. Drinkable now, but best from 2026.James Suckling | 100 JSCompelling scents of roasted meat, espresso and blueberries roar from the glass, joined by a hint of vanilla on the nose of the 2020 Ermitage l’Ermite. A huge behemoth of a wine in the mouth, it’s nevertheless an elegant beast that should easily be tamed by a few years in the cellar. Fans of all-out power might prefer this to the Le Pavillon in 2020, but for me, it’s a just a neck behind, nipped at the wire.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 98+ RPThis densely packed red has it all, from a brooding base of smoked blackberry, ganache, plum puree and fig paste flavors to textural intrigue and a long finish. Offers muscular tannins that are nicely burnished to give this a substantial yet not too grippy frame, while notes of dark chocolate, black licorice and generous grilled garrigue cruise alongside a steely ballast of iron. Hints of dried flowers and savory orange peel acidity perk up the concentrated core. Best from 2025 through 2045. 317 cases made, 8 cases imported.Wine Spectator | 98 WSFresh, flinty aroma with blackcurrant underneath - an enlivening nose. Great harmony, incisive freshness and remarkable drive, the fruit is fresh, pure and concentrated. Totally seamless on the palate, with incredible textural finesse and length. A profound Hermitage in the making, perhaps not one of great weight and authority, but one of incredible tension, freshness and precision. If 2019 was Thor, 2020 is Loki. Like all of the 2020 reds, its fruitiness and approachable structure will make many want to drink this young. You can, but this has serious ageing potential.Decanter | 98 DECGlass-staining violet color. Intensely perfumed ripe black and blue fruits, exotic spices, potpourri, olive and incense aromas are sharpened by a smoky mineral flourish. Juicy and expansive in the mouth, displaying alluringly sweet blueberry, cherry preserve, fruitcake and mocha flavors, along with hints of licorice and candied flowers. The floral and spice notes reverberate on a fabulously long, penetrating finish that features mounting tannins and an insistent mineral note. For me, this looks to be the best (ever so slightly!) of a truly stellar group of single-site Hermitages here in this vintage. The 2011 version of this wine is showing exceptionally well right now, with eerily Burgundy-esque finesse and intense blue fruit, floral, spice and mineral character. I wish that I had some, or even just one!Vinous Media | 97-99 VM

Crushed stone, mint, blackberries and cassis all appear upon the nose of the 2020 Ermitage le Pavillon. The great vintages of these wines soak up the oak, like this one has. Full-bodied, concentrated and massive in scale, it’s a mouthful of dark fruit flavors that gradually morph into something more savory on the long, silky-firm finish, adding notes of black olives and espresso. It’s really impressive, as it maintains a sense of elegance all along its path.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 100 RPThe 2020 Ermitage Le Pavillon is pure gold, and Hermitage doesn’t get any better. Incredible aromatics of cassis, graphite, burning embers, and crushed stone all emerge from this beauty. Stunningly proportioned and incredibly pure, it’s full-bodied, concentrated, and powerful, but as with all great vintages of this cuvée, it’s going to demand bottle age. While Les Greffieux and Le Méal bring much more opulence, this is the powerhouse, long-distance candidate in the lineup. It’s an incredible effort. Give bottles upwards of a decade in the cellar, and it should evolve effortlessly over the following 30-40 years.Jeb Dunnuck | 100 JDThis has that tell-tale touch of soy to the plum and blackcurrant fruit so reminiscent of this cuvée. Fluid and juicy on the palate, this has great intensity and salinity without feeling heavy or overripe. Plenty of sweet, ripe tannin and balanced acidity. Only medium-bodied, there’s a touch of pepperiness on the finish, great freshness, harmony and balance. Sometimes a wine seems a bit too easy, a bit too effortless, and it can lull you into a sense that it lacks seriousness; this wine tries to do that, but I’m not inclined to underestimate it.Decanter | 99 DECPatience, please, but in return for that you will be given the keys to Hermitage heaven. This is extremely concentrated, but also extremely refined. Incredible finesse for this level of power with extraordinary density of ripe black fruits. Somehow this manages to smell and taste unbelievably fresh. And that freshness just doesn’t want to stop at the finish. From biodynamically grown grapes with Demeter certification. Drinkable now, but best from 2026.James Suckling | 98 JSMassive and full-throttled, with beautiful delicacy to the tannins, which gives this a sleek, velvety feel. Packs generous fig, plum and mulled cherry fruit flavors, with great tension and mineral intensity, while a graphite edge drives the length. The subtly chewy, nicely defined close is graced with warm earth accents, harnessing ample energy in reserve. Drink now through 2040.Wine Spectator | 97 WSDark purple. Potent dark berry preserve, cherry-cola, exotic spice, potpourri and mineral aromas convey impressive energy and acquire smoked bacon and licorice nuances with air. Sappy, deeply concentrated blackberry, bitter cherry, fruitcake and salty olive paste flavors stain the palate and show almost shocking energy for their heft. Closes with superb, floral- and mineral-dominated persistence and chewy tannins adding final grip. I also had the chance to drink the still-youthful and mineral-driven 2011 rendition of this wine, made entirely from fruit grown in Bessards, and was blown away by its balance and freshness.Vinous Media | 96-98 VM

The 2020 Sylvaner is wickedly fresh and floral with crushed stone, yellow flowers and pretty young peach forming its bouquet. It’s silky upon entry, yet quickly builds in salty, savory tension with a rich mix of green apple and nectarine. There’s so much complexity and depth here, yet it’s still youthfully inward, finishing long and lightly-structured. The 2020 Sylvaner has energy to burn.Vinous Media | 92 VM

Deep garnet-purple colored, the 2020 Marjosse comes barreling out of the glass with rambunctious scents of cassis, crushed blackberries and black plum preserves, followed by hints of dark chocolate, anise and tar, plus a fragrant waft of lavender. The medium-bodied palate is soft, juicy and wonderfully refreshing, delivering wonderful poise and expression with a fun burst of pure black fruit on the finish. Delicious!Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 91-93 RPA touch of reduction on the nose which clears as it relaxes in the glass. This is well put together, has definition and finesse, and is punching above its weight in the appellation. Ambitious, well managed tannins and juicy red fruits; 2% Malbec completes the plantings. I don’t have the 2020 blend.Decanter | 91 DECThis shows notes of ripe berries, vanilla, licorice, crushed walnut and cocoa. Medium-bodied with ripe, supple tannins and a creamy texture. Fruit-forward and flavorful. Drink now, but better give a year or two.James Suckling | 90 JSThe 2020 Marjosse sports a nicely defined nose of blackberry, undergrowth and light mushroom-like aromas. The palate is medium-bodied with fine tannins, a crisp line of acidity and a precise, focused finish. There is pleasing salinity here, and it feels tender from start to finish. Promising.Vinous Media | 89-91 VM