Type of Wines

wines

Cabernet franc makes up 60 per- cent of Magari, bolstering the blend’s structure and freshness (it no longer includes merlot). The wine’s flavors of blackcurrant and plum show a pleasant tangy edge, its earthy tannins firmly guiding the fruit tones without overwhelming them. Hints of licorice and graphite emerge with air, and the dark fruit mingles with iodine notes on the long, seamless finish.Wine & Spirits | 95 W&SThe Ca’ Marcanda 2019 Bolgheri Rosso Magari offers a surprisingly subtle side to the three very powerful grapes that make up the blend. These are Cabernet Franc, Cabernet Sauvignon and Petit Verdot. The bouquet is generous and full, with an intricate embroidery of lavender flower, garden herb, black fruit, spice and tobacco. You might even detect a hint of black olive. Magari is structured and solid but never heavy, and it offers a good sense of fresh acidity that makes for a lively and bright finish. That more acidic vein is neatly folded into ample fruity sweetness and flavor.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 94 RPThis is a firm yet velvety-textured red with blackberry, sage, pine-needle and dried-flower aromas and flavors. It’s medium-to full-bodied with a lovely mouth feel and a long finish. Drink after 2023, when everything will have come more together.James Suckling | 93 JSStarts out rich, yet underscored by vibrant acidity and a line of refined tannins, which provide the support for this red’s black currant, black cherry, wild herb and iron flavors. Finishes lean and firm. Cabernet Franc, Cabernet Sauvignon and Petit Verdot. Best from 2023 through 2030.Wine Spectator | 91 WS

Dark brambles on the nose. Great intensity and sculpted fruit here, this has some dark fruits and definite liquorice aspects to the palate but feels really precise and controlled. It’s smooth with soft tannins and good presence until the end. Also has great freshness and cooling mint cordial tang on the finish. I love it. Drinking Window 2022 - 2035.Decanter | 92 DECThis is full and plush for an Haut-Medoc with medium to full body. Lots of blackberries and fresh herbs with redcurrants, too. Chewy, but polished. Give it two or three years to soften. Best after 2024.James Suckling | 92 JSThe 2019 Beaumont, cropped at 50hL/ha, has a lovely, delineated bouquet of blackberry, briary and light tobacco notes. The palate is medium-bodied with grainy tannins, and not quite as supple as before, though I appreciate the tangy seaweed note toward the finish. Just what you want from a Cru Bourgeois Supérieur.Vinous Media | 91 VMThis estate has produced a fine, elegant wine. Black fruits and a hint of chocolate do not detract from the firm structure that is a fine passport for the future. Dense, dry but never excessive, this is a wine for medium-term.Wine Enthusiast | 91 WEThe 2019 Beaumont has turned out very well, wafting from the glass with aromas of sweet berry fruit, pencil shavings and loamy soil. Medium to full-bodied, supple and enveloping, with a fleshy core of fruit, lively acids and melting tannins, it’s charming and nicely balanced. It’s the finest wine from this large château that I can remember tasting.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 90 RPBlack cherries, plums, Asian spices, and sandalwood notes all emerge from the 2019 Château Beaumont, a nicely concentrated, medium to full-bodied Haut-Médoc with good depth of fruit and juicy acidity. This château always makes a solid wine, and the 2019 is no exception.Jeb Dunnuck | 90 JD

The fortified chateau dating to the 12th century is now the home of the Bethmann family. This latest release indicates the high quality the estate now produces. Rich in tannins and with a dense structure, the wine is full of juicy acidity. The texture and dry core promise aging. Drink from 2026.Wine Enthusiast | 95 WETobacco, blackcurrant and crushed stone. Ash, too. Full-bodied with very polished and juicy tannins that are firm, yet polished and long. Wonderful finish. Give it three or four years to come together. Try after 2025.James Suckling | 94 JSExpressive nose of bright red cherries and strawberries. Good juiciness here, this has life for sure but the fruit is still a little in high definition right now and edged with spicy oak elements that are quite dominant. Definitely lots going on and this has power, precision, good fruit and acidity but needs more time to soften and integrate. A peppery, quite savoury finish. Drinking Window: 2024 - 2039Decanter | 93 DECThe 2019 Olivier is a powerful, brooding wine. Dark cherry, tobacco, iron, game, menthol and dried herbs lend quite a bit of complexity and nuance to this hearty, earthy Pessac-Léognan. From bottle, the 2019 comes across as a bit burly, while the fruit is not quite as forward as it was en primeur.Antonio Galloni | 91 AGBlackcurrants, darker cherries, earth, and spicy oak notes all emerge from the 2019 Château Olivier, a young, unevolved, promising 2019 with medium to full body, ripe, nicely polished tannins, the vintage’s elegant style, and a great finish. Give it 2-4 years and enjoy over the following 10-15.Jeb Dunnuck | 91 JDAromas of red berries and plums, framed by hints of burning embers and a deft framing of new oak, introduce the 2019 Olivier, a medium to full-bodied, supple and charming wine that’s elegantly fleshy, with an ample core of fruit, powdery tannins and lively acids, concluding with a discreetly heady finish.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 90 RP

The 2019 Carlmagnus has a perfumed nose of ample black fruit, spicebox and light cedar aromas; the oak here is nicely integrated. The palate is medium-bodied and quite fleshy, with supple tannins and plush red cherries and wild strawberry mixed with desiccated orange peel toward the finish. This has matured nicely in barrel.Vinous Media | 92 VMAromatic and herbal on the nose, sweetly fruited with strawberries and cherries but with this edge of dried herbs - rosemary and thyme. Gorgeous clarity - precise, clean, bountiful, generous and bright. Great acidity and just clarity of fruit - feels polished and sleek with excellent juice on the mid palate and a lovely chared smokiness that gives a striking detail to the overall profile. Well-textured tannins are grippy but also softly chewy giving a dense and plentiful mouthful but with charm - nothing too much. Drink now and enjoy the youthful vibrancy but this will be good over time too. Just a touch of liquorice spice on the finish giving texture and nuance. The best grapes from the 40ha under vine go into this wine. Drinking Window: 2022 - 2035Decanter | 92 DECThe deep garnet-purple colored 2019 Carlmagnus bursts from the glass with ripe black and blue fruit notions of plums preserves, blueberry compote and blackberry pie with hints of hoisin, licorice and clove oil plus a touch of dark chocolate. The full-bodied, rich, seductive palate is laden with spicy black fruits and a beautifully velvety texture, finishing with a peppery lift.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 90-92 RPDark cherries, mulberries, licorice, olives and mushrooms on the nose. Medium-to full-bodied with fine tannins. Soft and fruity with a supple finish. Drink in 2022.James Suckling | 90 JS

The 2019 La Fleur de Boüard is gorgeous. Sweet floral and spice top notes meld into a core of red/purplish fruit, blood orange, menthol, spice and cedar. Creamy and open-knit, with lovely perfume and fine balance, the 2019 Le Plus is impressive, not to mention a real charmer. In a second tasting it was even more exotic and sexy.Antonio Galloni | 93 AGSweet-berry aromas with hints of chocolate and hazelnut follow through to a medium body with firm, fine tannins and a juicy, polished and fruity finish. Nicely integrated all the way through. Try after 2024.James Suckling | 93 JSLots of bright berry fruits, flowers, cedary herbs, and spicy notes emerge from the 2019 Château La Fleur De Boüard, a medium to full-bodied, pure, elegant, balanced 2019 with supple tannins and a great finish. It’s impeccably made and shows the fresher, pure, elegant style of the vintage.Jeb Dunnuck | 92 JDStrawberry, sweet cherry, almost smells like cherry sweets on the nose. Dark fruit on the palate though, quite plummy which I like. Good density and smooth, gently caressing tannins. There’s clearly power and structure but it’s well presented with drive. Touch of perfume to the fruit on the palate too. Chewy tannins give a good mouthful with plenty of interest and cooling mint on the finish. Drinking Window: 2023 - 2034Decanter | 92 DECThe 2019 La Fleur de Boüard sports a deep garnet-purple color and offers bold scents of baked blackberries, crushed black cherries and warm black plums with hints of lavender, dark chocolate, aniseed and incense. Medium-bodied, the palate is chock-full of crunchy black fruit with a plush texture and loads of freshness, finishing with a spicy kick.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 89-91 RP

Aromas of ripe berries and fresh herbs with hints of wet earth and pine, too. Full-bodied with lots of ripe and round fruit. Lots of redcurrants in the palate. Soft and fine-textured. Slightly tight at the end. Dense. Better in two or three years, but already very attractive.James Suckling | 94 JSThe 2019 Il Pino di Biserno is gracious and elegant. The style is much fresher and understated than before. Silky tannins wrap around a core of dark fruit, mocha, spice, licorice and incense. Dark and vibrant in the glass, the 2019 is another winner from Lodovico Antinori.Antonio Galloni | 92 AGThis red delivers a mix of dark fruit and herbal flavors, with black currant, blackberry, rosemary and licorice notes. The finish is a touch compact now, yet this is complex and long overall. Merlot, Cabernet Franc, Cabernet Sauvignon and Petit Verdot. Best from 2024 through 2036.Wine Spectator | 91 WS

Very attractive aromas of currants, spices and sweet tobacco with some graphite and slate. Full-bodied with a rich and rather dense mouth feel, plenty of fruit and a spicy, dark-chocolate aftertaste. A solid and sturdy second wine from Masseto. Try in 2023.James Suckling | 95 JSNo written review provided | 95 W&SThe 2019 Massetino is fabulous once again in 2019. The estate has really hit on to something with their second wine. Inky dark fruit, mocha, chocolate, lavender, pencil shavings, licorice and espresso all meld together in the glass. Massetino has all the richness of the Grand Vin, but less heft, which makes it more approachable. The 2019 is a rich wine, with 15.5% alcohol, but that is not especially evident.Antonio Galloni | 94 AGThis is only the third vintage of Masseto’s second wine, which shares the same pedigree as its sibling, and the second time it is being released on the Place after the 2018 debuted last year. The first time Cabernet Franc is used in the blend, which is completed by 94% Merlot, this has a lovely ripe quality to it with florality coming from the Cabernet. There are some serious tannins on the palate, with a touch of heat, spicy new oak and liquorice coming through the blackcurrant and berry fruit. Opulent and rich but balanced with fresh acidity. Malolactic fermentation takes place in barrel, with 50% new oak. After the first 12 month of aging the wine is blended and put back into barrels for a further three months before bottling. Drinking Window 2025 - 2038.Decanter | 94 DECTasted before bottling, the 2019 Massetino is shaping up beautifully. This is the third vintage made of the Merlot-based wine enhanced with a small part of Cabernet Franc. The Cabernet Franc is what distinguishes this euphemistically diminutive expression of Masseto, and it is its distinctive vinous signature. The 2019 vintage is soft and pliant but also incredibly rich and layered. It offers generous black fruit with ripe cherry and blackberry. Spice, tobacco and campfire ash fill in the rear and build the aromatic profile of this wine that is already stacked tall and proud. We still need to see how the 2019 plays out in the bottle, and I am especially interested to gauge how the thick and rich fruit concentration works against the less pronounced acidity of the vintage.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 94-96 RPHere's a plush, opulent, in-your-face kind of red, without being over the top. Toasty blackberry, black cherry and plum aromas and flavors ply the center, graced by leather, earth and tobacco accents. Dense, yet finishes long and light on its feet. Merlot and Cabernet Franc. Best from 2023 through 2033. 100 cases imported.Wine Spectator | 93 WS

So aromatic with banana-cream pie, smoke and lemon curd. Always subtle and complex. Full-bodied and very tight, offering a crushed-stone and cooked-apple finish with an intense dried-lemon undertone. 60% sauvignon blanc and 40% semillon. Drink after 2024, but already gorgeous.James Suckling | 94 JSThe 2019 Domaine de la Solitude Blanc offers a striking interplay of tension and power. Bright citrus, white flower and mineral nuances appear first, followed by hints of almond, crushed flowers and mint that add shades of complexity. It is one of the more vibrant 2019s I tasted. As such, I expect it will need at least a few years in bottle to be at its best.Antonio Galloni | 93-95 AGThe 2019 Domaine De La Solitude (Pessac-Léognan) Blanc has a clean, classy nose of tart pineapple, honeyed guava, and sappy flowers to go with a medium to full-bodied, rich, fleshy, impressively textured style on the palate. Coming from the team at Domaine de Chevalier, it has nicely integrated acidity, plenty of mid-palate depth, and a great finish. It’s already drinking nicely yet should evolve for a solid decade.Jeb Dunnuck | 93 JDFresh nose filled with lemongrass, elderflower, peach and lychee giving that exotic yet floral tone to the nose. Generous on the palate with lots going on - definite spice from the wood with toast, vanilla and cinnamon alongside peach, apricot and pear. Such clarity to the palate, fruit feels precise and well worked - excellent quality here. Needs more time to fully settle and expand so buy and hold on to. Drinking Window: 2023 - 2033Decanter | 92 DECFrom the estate owned by the religious community of the Holy Family, this white wine is produced by the team of Domaine de Chevalier. The wine is rich with a dense texture and already balanced. A tangy edge from Sauvignon Blanc gives the wine a mineral edge and tight aftertaste. It should be drunk from 2023. Wine Enthusiast | 92 WEThe 2019 Blanc features bright, fresh citrus notes of grapefruit and yuzu over a core of warm peaches and poached pears with pepper and spice sparks. Medium-bodied, the palate bursts with juicy stone fruit and zesty flavors, framed by crisp acidity and a silken texture, finishing with a white pepper kick.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 90-92 RPDelivers a lemony zip that pierces a core of white peach, jicama and fleur de sel flavors, ending with lively energy and a lingering savory echo. Sémillon and Sauvignon Blanc. Drink now through 2024. 1,500 cases made.Wine Spectator | 90 WS

The 2019 Laforge has really filled out nicely. Black cherry, plum, chocolate, tobacco, licorice and lavender build beautifully with some aeration. The 2019 is sumptuous, bold and racy, Laforge is an absolute joy to taste today. This flamboyant, racy Saint-Émilion will be a jewel to drink now and over the next few years.Vinous Media | 93 VMThe 2019 Château Laforge is more up-front and charming, with medium-bodied aromas and flavors of savory red and black fruits, leafy herbs, iron, and tobacco. It has good acidity, ripe tannins, and, as with all of the releases from Malthus, is beautifully balanced. Drink this already complex, layered, seamless 2019 over the coming 15+ years.Jeb Dunnuck | 93 JDLots of lovely fruit and freshness in this red with blackberry and cherry character, medium body and a round, juicy finish. Very attractive already. Drink after 2023.James Suckling | 92 JSThis is a fine wine with great black fruits and an impressive density. Spice and ripe tannins make for a wine for aging. Drink from 2025. Wine Enthusiast | 92 WEMedium to deep garnet-purple colored, the 2019 Laforge opens with notions of pencil shavings, rose hip tea, crushed rocks and cedar chest over a core of warm black and red plums, boysenberries and spice cake. The medium to full-bodied palate is charged with freshness and energy, offering finely grained tannins to support the red and black fruit layers, finishing long and fragrant.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 90-92 RP

A well-rounded, easily enjoyable sparkling rosé, this offers a persistent fine-bubbled mousse structure, resulting in an overall smooth drinking experience. You will find nuanced aromas and flavors of citrus blossom, grapefruit, watermelon, white strawberries, dewy morning grass, and a wet stone minerality, with just a hint of those autolytic toasty notes. The finish lingers with additional florals of pink roses and fresh daisies.Wine Enthusiast | 93 WEMore savory than sweet and wonderfully complex, the 2019 Brut Rosé North Coast bursts from the glass with toasty notes of fresh baguette and almonds, giving way to crushed apples and gingery spice. This rushes the palate with an elegant bead of silken bubbles. It is creamy yet energetic, and mineral-tinged orchard fruits add further tension. The 2019 leaves the senses wonderfully refreshed through the long, crunchy finale, as white strawberry and spice cookie notes fade. The Brut Rosé is a pleasure bomb, yet it’s wonderfully balanced throughout. - Eric GuidoVinous Media | 92 VMOffers pretty peach and strawberry flavors and a luscious, lingering texture as this takes on spice and orange peel accents on the crisp yet plush finish. Drink now. 19,350 cases made.Wine Spectator | 92 WS

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

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

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

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

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

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

Fresh citrus and tropical fruit aromas with sweet spices. Good delineation of tangy citrus and fleshy peach on the palate. (Drink between 2021-2026)Decanter | 91 DECLime, sliced-apple and stone aromas and flavors. Medium-bodied. Attractive fruit and freshness at the end.James Suckling | 91-92 JSThe 2020 Ferran Blanc is a blend of 70% Sauvignon Blanc and 30% Sémillon, weighing in at around 13% alcohol. It skips out of the glass with cheery notes of fresh pineapple, white peaches and lemon tart, plus touches of lime leaves and grapefruit peel. The light to medium-bodied palate is elegantly styled and refreshing, delivery bags of bright citrusy flavors and a chalky finish.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 90-92 RP

The Ornellaia 2020 Bolgheri Rosso Le Serre Nuove dell’Ornellaia (a proprietary blend of Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc and Petit Verdot) is a generous and darkly toned red blend that has the extra fruit fiber, sweetness and generous plumpness of a warm vintage. The fullness of the fruit is on full display, but in a very relaxed and natural manner. The wine never feels like too much. The tannins are yielding and velvety, and this purebred Tuscan red wraps thickly over the palate. It’s poised for near- and medium-term drinking.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 93 RPProduced from 44% Merlot, 30% Cabernet Sauvignon, and the rest Cabernet Franc and Petit Verdot, the 2020 Le Serra Nuove Dell’Ornellaia is expressive with floral notes as well as dried lavender, sage, and black cherry. The oak (30% of which was new) is present but not out of balance and will benefit from another 6-12 months in bottle to integrate. The palate is full bodied, with fine tannins and refreshing acidity. It is long on the palate and cleans up with a soft texture, and there is ripe fruit through the mid-palate. This wine offers tremendous value packed in dollar-for-dollar. Drink 2024-2034.Jeb Dunnuck | 93+ JDThis muscular red is saturated with cherry, plum, vanilla and earth flavors. As solid and sinewy as the tannic structure is, the fruit matches it step by step on the long finish. Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Cabernet Franc and Petit Verdot. Best from 2025 through 2043. 3,000 cases imported.Wine Spectator | 92 WS

The house red 2020 Tinto showed superbly. It’s a blend of Tempranillo from the Obarenes Mountains (Sajazarra and Fonzaleche) with 20% Garnacha from Cárdenas on clay and some 5% white that has 14.2% alcohol but feels perfectly balanced and integrated. It has a serious, harmonious nose with complexity and depth but also youth. It has a soft and juicy texture with focused and clean flavors, finishing with an almost salty twist. Super tasty and easy to drink! Great value too. It matured in a mixture of 1,000- and 3,000-liter oak foudres and 225- and 500-liter barrels. 22,000 bottles produced. It was bottled in February 2022.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 93+ RP

A traditional red blend of 80% Tempranillo with 10% each Garnacha and Graciano, the 2020 Horizonte de Exopto combines grapes from Ábalos and, since 2016, also San Vicente de la Sonsierra, as he cannot produce village wines from there as his winery is in Laguardia! This year he also added the new plots from Baños de Ebro that represent 15% of the blend and which he feels add fresh red fruit notes and silky tannins. It showcases the Sonsierra zone with fresher Tempranillo with balance, length and the chalky sensation from the limestone soils. It fermented in concrete vats with indigenous yeasts and matured 50/50 in 600-liter demi-muids and 225-liter barriques for 12 months. It follows the path of the 2019 with a little more freshness. 12,000 bottles were filled in November 2021.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 93 RPHibiscus, blackberries and some cherry compote and spiced dark fruit. A full-bodied Rioja, loaded with juicy yet resolved tannins that seal off the palate, before a delicious, peppery finish. Tempranillo, graciano and garnacha. Drink now.James Suckling | 93 JS

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

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

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

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

Even if already sold out, I also tasted the white 2020 Cullerot because it’s probably their finest vintage for this wine. The nose is very expressive, with notes of flowers, talcum powder, fennel and aniseed, pollen and herbs, with a soft texture combining volume with freshness in a year when the grapes ripened properly. It’s been settled by some time in bottle and feels very harmonious and ready. It has 13.2% alcohol with a pH of 3.23 (the white does not go through malolactic) and feels very balanced, tasty and supple. 40,000 bottles produced. It was bottled in February 2021.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 92+ RP(Cullerot Blanco- Celler del Roure) Celler del Roure is blessed with ancient cellars carved into the bedrock below the winery, where past generations fermented and aged the wines in amphorae dug into the stone. They were not used for several decades, but recently the winery decided it would be interesting to see how these amphora wines would taste and started to produce a lineup of bottlings made from these ancient vessels. The Cullerot Blanco bottling is composed of a blend that includes Pedro Ximénez, Macabeo and Malvasia, among other varieties co-planted in the vineyards. The wine starts out fermentation in stainless steel tanks and then is transferred to the amphorae embedded in the rock for six months of aging. The 2020 Cullerot comes in at thirteen percent alcohol and offers up a complex nose of tart orange, breadfruit, lemongrass, lovely soil tones, citrus peel and a touch of honeysuckle in the upper register. On the palate the wine is deep, full-bodied, nicely ripe and complex, with a fine core, excellent soil signature, zesty acids and a long, complex and very well balanced finish. This is most impressive! (Drink between 2022 - 2028)John Gilman | 92 JG