Langtons Bordeaux 2020 Arrival Tasting

Sydney, Australia
Tasted Saturday, November 18, 2023 by nwebstar with 177 views

Introduction

Generally not the most esteemed chateau but a good cross section. Overall I was a little disappointed. A VERY heterogenous experience across the estates. A small number of standouts but many showed quite poorly relative to vintage expectations. The standouts made you realise the averageness of other wines. Interestingly many of the wines presented surprising light in colour and the subsequent taste was often somewhat reflective. I felt many wines were missing a certain something through the tasting experience. The few Right Banks (all St Emilions) were particularly average with a certain surprising thin greenness. I didn’t make detailed formal notes and my comments are more general and relative impressions and rankings - but I definitely knew what I liked and didn’t.

Despite light colour I found the 2020’s to generally be a bit more dark fruited than the ultra fresh red fruited 2019 tasting of a year ago.

One genuine caveat is that many wines were opened and immediately poured. I think there was often quite some difference between being the first pour and that last from a bottle. Perhaps this is worth a point or two to a number of wines.

Flight 1 (17 Notes)

Closing

This is now two concurrent Bordeaux tastings from supposedly great vintages which has left me a bit flat. I did note this tasting only included 3 (out of 14) wines which I selected from en primeur (not including 1st growths) favouritism so I still hold my judgment in reserve about the vintage. Loved/own the Pontet. Buying some Brane (and maybe a bottle or two of Baron for early quaffing). Happy to already own Leo Barton. Reserving some hopeful judgement on the Haut Bailly. Pondering the Chevalier. The Lafon-Rochet, Beychevelle & Pedesclaux were neatly classical. Forgetting the rest.

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