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Bordeaux 2020 - 10 red & 1 sweet wine |  (453 page views) | | | - 2020 Château Léoville Barton - France, Bordeaux, Médoc, St. Julien
Arrivage tasting by a merchant. Be aware, the sample size is quite small but here are a few observations: 1) Overall quality: This is another good vintage in Bordeaux but clearly not on the same level as 2016 or 2019. 2) Ripeness: What I tasted showed less ripe than 2015/18/19. Most wine show fresh dark and blue fruit, the two right banks showed well behaved too. None of the wines showed alcohol heat (a problem in many 18s and some 15s). Overall, I expected more ripeness but maybe the wineries I sampled all just got the picking date right. 3) Complexity: 2020 will not reach the heights of 2016 and for me is also a step or two behind 2015/18/19. 4) Precision: The precision was quite good, although not on the level of the 2016s. 5) Structural frame: The tannins are ripe but have more edges than in 16/18/19 and will need time to soften, the acidity is high and well-integrated, the texture is not as airy as in 2016 but a step above 15/18 and maybe even 19. Overall, the wines showed quite harmonious but without the magical balance of the 2016s (and the best 15/18/19s I had).
TN: Brief impressions only. This was quite perplexing: while it showed great, it didn’t seem like a classic Leoville Barton. There was this strong black fruit core which showed more dominant and riper than you usually would expect for this wine. While it is in no way overripe, it’s probably still not something Barton lovers would expect and appreciate. Other than that, the wine showed impressive minerality. This will need time to soften as the tannins showed a tiny bit grippy but not something bottle age shouldn’t be able to solve. Good freshness as always. A good vintage for Barton and among the best wines today. 94+pts today, some upside in the future. (94 pts.)
- 2020 Château Lynch-Bages - France, Bordeaux, Médoc, Pauillac
Arrivage tasting by a merchant. Be aware, the sample size is quite small but here are a few observations: 1) Overall quality: This is another good vintage in Bordeaux but clearly not on the same level as 2016 or 2019. 2) Ripeness: What I tasted showed less ripe than 2015/18/19. Most wine show fresh dark and blue fruit, the two right banks showed well behaved too. None of the wines showed alcohol heat (a problem in many 18s and some 15s). Overall, I expected more ripeness but maybe the wineries I sampled all just got the picking date right. 3) Complexity: 2020 will not reach the heights of 2016 and for me is also a step or two behind 2015/18/19. 4) Precision: The precision was quite good, although not on the level of the 2016s. 5) Structural frame: The tannins are ripe but have more edges than in 16/18/19 and will need time to soften, the acidity is high and well-integrated, the texture is not as airy as in 2016 but a step above 15/18 and maybe even 19. Overall, the wines showed quite harmonious but without the magical balance of the 2016s (and the best 15/18/19s I had).
TN: Brief impressions only. Not much on the nose. The highlight is the superb freshness, reminiscent of the 2016. The fruit is firmly in the blue and black spectrum, super pure and fresh. A strong minerality layer. The wine overall shows slightly grainy tannins and at this stage is not as elegant as the 2016 or the 2019 were. Nevertheless, this is a good wine with 93pts today and some more upside in the future. (93 pts.)
- 2020 Château Pontet-Canet - France, Bordeaux, Médoc, Pauillac
Arrivage tasting by a merchant. Be aware, the sample size is quite small but here are a few observations: 1) Overall quality: This is another good vintage in Bordeaux but clearly not on the same level as 2016 or 2019. 2) Ripeness: What I tasted showed less ripe than 2015/18/19. Most wine show fresh dark and blue fruit, the two right banks showed well behaved too. None of the wines showed alcohol heat (a problem in many 18s and some 15s). Overall, I expected more ripeness but maybe the wineries I sampled all just got the picking date right. 3) Complexity: 2020 will not reach the heights of 2016 and for me is also a step or two behind 2015/18/19. 4) Precision: The precision was quite good, although not on the level of the 2016s. 5) Structural frame: The tannins are ripe but have more edges than in 16/18/19 and will need time to soften, the acidity is high and well-integrated, the texture is not as airy as in 2016 but a step above 15/18 and maybe even 19. Overall, the wines showed quite harmonious but without the magical balance of the 2016s (and the best 15/18/19s I had)..
TN: Wow, what happened here? This was bitter and even slightly green, without much fruit and to be honest, hardly drinkable. I went back later thinking that my palate wasn’t ready or I got a bad bottle but it showed equally weak. Later I met two wine friends who had the same negative experience. I really hope that this is not reflective of what the wine can be (but then again, somebody from the winery was there and presented the wine, if the bottles wouldn’t have been correct, she would have said something). Kelley recently wrote of an erratic performance over the past few years for this crowd favorite but I wouldn’t have expected it to be this bad. (84 pts.)
- 2020 Château Pichon Longueville Comtesse de Lalande - France, Bordeaux, Médoc, Pauillac
Arrivage tasting by a merchant. Be aware, the sample size is quite small but here are a few observations: 1) Overall quality: This is another good vintage in Bordeaux but clearly not on the same level as 2016 or 2019. 2) Ripeness: What I tasted showed less ripe than 2015/18/19. Most wine show fresh dark and blue fruit, the two right banks showed well behaved too. None of the wines showed alcohol heat (a problem in many 18s and some 15s). Overall, I expected more ripeness but maybe the wineries I sampled all just got the picking date right. 3) Complexity: 2020 will not reach the heights of 2016 and for me is also a step or two behind 2015/18/19. 4) Precision: The precision was quite good, although not on the level of the 2016s. 5) Structural frame: The tannins are ripe but have more edges than in 16/18/19 and will need time to soften, the acidity is high and well-integrated, the texture is not as airy as in 2016 but a step above 15/18 and maybe even 19. Overall, the wines showed quite harmonious but without the magical balance of the 2016s (and the best 15/18/19s I had).
TN: Clearly one of the winners of the tasting. Medium expressive on the very elegant and quite layered nose displaying blue and black fruit, tobacco, and soil. Probably the best, most inviting and luxurious nose today. On the palate this is wonderful with fine dark fruit, herbs, minerality, tobacco. While it probably doesn’t have the complexity of the best vintages (16/19?), it is great, complex and with good precision. The tannins are still a tad grainer than in recent years and hence the wine will need a few years to get to an even higher score. 94+pts. (94 pts.)
- 2020 Château Canon-la-Gaffelière - France, Bordeaux, Libournais, St. Émilion Grand Cru
Arrivage tasting by a merchant. Be aware, the sample size is quite small but here are a few observations: 1) Overall quality: This is another good vintage in Bordeaux but clearly not on the same level as 2016 or 2019. 2) Ripeness: What I tasted showed less ripe than 2015/18/19. Most wine show fresh dark and blue fruit, the two right banks showed well behaved too. None of the wines showed alcohol heat (a problem in many 18s and some 15s). Overall, I expected more ripeness but maybe the wineries I sampled all just got the picking date right. 3) Complexity: 2020 will not reach the heights of 2016 and for me is also a step or two behind 2015/18/19. 4) Precision: The precision was quite good, although not on the level of the 2016s. 5) Structural frame: The tannins are ripe but have more edges than in 16/18/19 and will need time to soften, the acidity is high and well-integrated, the texture is not as airy as in 2016 but a step above 15/18 and maybe even 19. Overall, the wines showed quite harmonious but without the magical balance of the 2016s (and the best 15/18/19s I had).
TN: Brief impressions only. This had a nice, not too ripe fruit core with dark red berries at the core. Additional layers of minerality and herbs. This was a bit tannic and not as elegant as I hoped for but maybe time will help here to bring it all together. 91pts. (91 pts.)
- 2020 Château Léoville Poyferré - France, Bordeaux, Médoc, St. Julien
Arrivage tasting by a merchant. Be aware, the sample size is quite small but here are a few observations: 1) Overall quality: This is another good vintage in Bordeaux but clearly not on the same level as 2016 or 2019. 2) Ripeness: What I tasted showed less ripe than 2015/18/19. Most wine show fresh dark and blue fruit, the two right banks showed well behaved too. None of the wines showed alcohol heat (a problem in many 18s and some 15s). Overall, I expected more ripeness but maybe the wineries I sampled all just got the picking date right. 3) Complexity: 2020 will not reach the heights of 2016 and for me is also a step or two behind 2015/18/19. 4) Precision: The precision was quite good, although not on the level of the 2016s. 5) Structural frame: The tannins are ripe but have more edges than in 16/18/19 and will need time to soften, the acidity is high and well-integrated, the texture is not as airy as in 2016 but a step above 15/18 and maybe even 19. Overall, the wines showed quite harmonious but without the magical balance of the 2016s (and the best 15/18/19s I had).
TN: Brief impressions only. The Poyferre showed a beautiful expressive dark fruit core, good concentration and sweetness, a bit of minerality but a tad less layered than other wines today. The tannins are a bit grippy but it still has a good balance (92 pts.)
- 2020 La Mondotte - France, Bordeaux, Libournais, St. Émilion Grand Cru
Arrivage tasting by a merchant. Be aware, the sample size is quite small but here are a few observations: 1) Overall quality: This is another good vintage in Bordeaux but clearly not on the same level as 2016 or 2019. 2) Ripeness: What I tasted showed less ripe than 2015/18/19. Most wine show fresh dark and blue fruit, the two right banks showed well behaved too. None of the wines showed alcohol heat (a problem in many 18s and some 15s). Overall, I expected more ripeness but maybe the wineries I sampled all just got the picking date right. 3) Complexity: 2020 will not reach the heights of 2016 and for me is also a step or two behind 2015/18/19. 4) Precision: The precision was quite good, although not on the level of the 2016s. 5) Structural frame: The tannins are ripe but have more edges than in 16/18/19 and will need time to soften, the acidity is high and well-integrated, the texture is not as airy as in 2016 but a step above 15/18 and maybe even 19. Overall, the wines showed quite harmonious but without the magical balance of the 2016s (and the best 15/18/19s I had).
TN: Brief impressions. While it was not the most layered wine tonight, this vintage of La Mondotte is better than what they produced in many post 2000 vintages. There is no shred of overripeness but the fruit is pure and fresh (all circling around dark cherries). One of the more elegant wines today with less grippy tannins than most others and a good freshness and very good balance. If age will bring a few more layers forward, this could become great. (93 pts.)
- 2020 Domaine de Chevalier - France, Bordeaux, Graves, Pessac-Léognan
Arrivage tasting by a merchant. Be aware, the sample size is quite small but here are a few observations: 1) Overall quality: This is another good vintage in Bordeaux but clearly not on the same level as 2016 or 2019. 2) Ripeness: What I tasted showed less ripe than 2015/18/19. Most wine show fresh dark and blue fruit, the two right banks showed well behaved too. None of the wines showed alcohol heat (a problem in many 18s and some 15s). Overall, I expected more ripeness but maybe the wineries I sampled all just got the picking date right. 3) Complexity: 2020 will not reach the heights of 2016 and for me is also a step or two behind 2015/18/19. 4) Precision: The precision was quite good, although not on the level of the 2016s. 5) Structural frame: The tannins are ripe but have more edges than in 16/18/19 and will need time to soften, the acidity is high and well-integrated, the texture is not as airy as in 2016 but a step above 15/18 and maybe even 19. Overall, the wines showed quite harmonious but without the magical balance of the 2016s (and the best 15/18/19s I had).
TN: Brief impressions. This was ok. There is a good freshness and the tannins are of good quality. This was one of the more elegant wines. What is missing today is a bit of sweetness. There is a bit of fruit but not enough and the wine seems a bit simple today. I guess age will help to bring the score up but today this was only around 91pts. (91 pts.)
- 2020 Château Grand-Puy-Lacoste - France, Bordeaux, Médoc, Pauillac
Arrivage tasting by a merchant. Be aware, the sample size is quite small but here are a few observations: 1) Overall quality: This is another good vintage in Bordeaux but clearly not on the same level as 2016 or 2019. 2) Ripeness: What I tasted showed less ripe than 2015/18/19. Most wine show fresh dark and blue fruit, the two right banks showed well behaved too. None of the wines showed alcohol heat (a problem in many 18s and some 15s). Overall, I expected more ripeness but maybe the wineries I sampled all just got the picking date right. 3) Complexity: 2020 will not reach the heights of 2016 and for me is also a step or two behind 2015/18/19. 4) Precision: The precision was quite good, although not on the level of the 2016s. 5) Structural frame: The tannins are ripe but have more edges than in 16/18/19 and will need time to soften, the acidity is high and well-integrated, the texture is not as airy as in 2016 but a step above 15/18 and maybe even 19. Overall, the wines showed quite harmonious but without the magical balance of the 2016s (and the best 15/18/19s I had).
TN: Brief impressions. One of the winners today, this had a beautiful, classic, elegant Pauillac note with a fresh dark fruit core, minerality and cedar notes. Light and airy and one of the more balanced wines. It may be not highly complex but very complete. (93 pts.)
- 2020 Château Montrose - France, Bordeaux, Médoc, St. Estèphe
Arrivage tasting by a merchant. Be aware, the sample size is quite small but here are a few observations: 1) Overall quality: This is another good vintage in Bordeaux but clearly not on the same level as 2016 or 2019. 2) Ripeness: What I tasted showed less ripe than 2015/18/19. Most wine show fresh dark and blue fruit, the two right banks showed well behaved too. None of the wines showed alcohol heat (a problem in many 18s and some 15s). Overall, I expected more ripeness but maybe the wineries I sampled all just got the picking date right. 3) Complexity: 2020 will not reach the heights of 2016 and for me is also a step or two behind 2015/18/19. 4) Precision: The precision was quite good, although not on the level of the 2016s. 5) Structural frame: The tannins are ripe but have more edges than in 16/18/19 and will need time to soften, the acidity is high and well-integrated, the texture is not as airy as in 2016 but a step above 15/18 and maybe even 19. Overall, the wines showed quite harmonious but without the magical balance of the 2016s (and the best 15/18/19s I had).
TN: This was, without doubt, the best wine today: Expressive, layered dark fruit nose with soil, crushed rocks and tobacco. Luxurious and inviting. The palate shows the same elegance and layerdness with the same aroma profile with additional notes of herbs and even more minerality. This wine seems clearly less ripe than the 15/18/19 Montrose but is again a highly elegant creature and should be quite spectacular for a long time. No hard edges, lots of ultra-fine tannins, high but perfectly integrated acidity, light and airy texture and feel, seamless from start to the long finish. 95/96pts in this tasting but with a lot of potential. (96 pts.)
- 2020 Château La Tour Blanche Sauternes - France, Bordeaux, Sauternais, Sauternes
Arrivage tasting by a merchant. Be aware, the sample size is quite small but here are a few observations: 1) Overall quality: This is another good vintage in Bordeaux but clearly not on the same level as 2016 or 2019. 2) Ripeness: What I tasted showed less ripe than 2015/18/19. Most wine show fresh dark and blue fruit, the two right banks showed well behaved too. None of the wines showed alcohol heat (a problem in many 18s and some 15s). Overall, I expected more ripeness but maybe the wineries I sampled all just got the picking date right. 3) Complexity: 2020 will not reach the heights of 2016 and for me is also a step or two behind 2015/18/19. 4) Precision: The precision was quite good, although not on the level of the 2016s. 5) Structural frame: The tannins are ripe but have more edges than in 16/18/19 and will need time to soften, the acidity is high and well-integrated, the texture is not as airy as in 2016 but a step above 15/18 and maybe even 19. Overall, the wines showed quite harmonious but without the magical balance of the 2016s (and the best 15/18/19s I had).
TN: The only sweet wine I tasted, and it showed quite good. Light and airy, with an acidity to cut through the rich orchard and citrus fruit core. Lots of beautiful saffron aroma. This doesn’t feel much like a sweet wine which says a lot about the balance (and acditiy). It doesn’t have the complexity of the greatest Sauternes but is darn delicious to drink. (93 pts.)
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