2020 Bordeaux UGCB -- the 3rd straight great vintage? Possibly
Washington DC
Tasted Tuesday, January 24, 2023 by kevinpatrick with 171 views
Introduction
I attended the Total Wine Tour de Bordeaux in Washington DC in their partnership with the Union de Grands Crus des Bordeaux revealing the 2020 vintage. I am a skeptic of hype around young vintages but came away duly impressed with the 2020 vintage. For many wines I took no notes but will include them in the closing discussion as either Stellar or Mildly Disappointing. Overall I came away exceedingly impressed with the vintage for its elegance and approachability. How it will stack up in the years to come is impossible for me to predict but I left supremely optimistic.
Flight 1 - UGCB 2020 Bordeaux Tasting (11 Notes)
These were tasted in 2oz pours over several hours with ample wine and opportunity to re-taste most every wine.
Closing
Stellar (but expected):
Pichon Lalande
Pichon Baron
Leoville Poyferre
Chateau Clinet
Middle Category:
Chateau Pape Clement (a bit green and firm)
Mildly Disappointing:
Brane Cantenac
Cantenac Brown
Chateau St. Pierre (green)
Chateau Lascombes (tannic, needs time... a lot)
2020 Château Pavie Macquin
France, Bordeaux, Libournais, St. Émilion Grand Cru
UGCB Washington DC tasting:
Soft nose of lavender
Smooth on the mouthfeel. Savory. Elegant blue fruits with some cassis. Easy drinking.
Stellar wine
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2020 Château Larcis Ducasse
France, Bordeaux, Libournais, St. Émilion Grand Cru
UGCB Washington DC tasting:
Brightly aromatic
Smooth mouthfeel, raspberries and some blackberry notes, gentle grippiness
Savory finish
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2020 Château Le Gay Pomerol
France, Bordeaux, Libournais, Pomerol
UGCB Washington DC tasting:
Aromatic nose of rose petals;
rich mineral profile on the palate; great depth of flavor, raspberry, dark cherry, elegant.
Long finish
A top wine
This and Duhart Milon were my top wines on the night.
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2020 Château La Dominique
France, Bordeaux, Libournais, St. Émilion Grand Cru
UGCB Washington DC tasting:
Earthy nose, softly aromatic
Rich mouthfeel, tasty dark cherries with some spice
Savory finish
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2020 Château Clerc Milon
France, Bordeaux, Médoc, Pauillac
UGCB Washington DC tasting:
Rustic nose; barnyard
Slight grippiness on palate; currants, red fruits, graphite, iron, complex
Full bodied finish.
Really nice Bordeaux
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2020 Château Lynch-Moussas
France, Bordeaux, Médoc, Pauillac
UGCB Washington DC tasting:
Opulent nose; rustic red cherries
Gentle grippiness on the palate; rich red fruit flavors and bramble; hint of tobacco; great structure though lacking some finesse
Tasty wine
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2020 Château Duhart-Milon
France, Bordeaux, Médoc, Pauillac
UGCB Washington DC tasting:
Delicious
72% Cabernet, 28% Merlot
Yeasty nose of black currants
Elegant on the mouthfeel
Black raspberry notes balanced delicately against soft tannins.
Nice medium+ length finish.
Drank too easy
Tied with Le Gay for wine of the night.
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2020 Château Smith Haut Lafitte
France, Bordeaux, Graves, Pessac-Léognan
UGCB Washington DC tasting:
Dark inky in color
Rich, concentrated nose
Softly tannic on the palate, blackberries and dark fruits, Smoothed out once the wine settled
California Cabernet/Mike Smith (Myriad) feel but it's a Bordeaux.
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2020 Château Desmirail
France, Bordeaux, Médoc, Margaux
UGCB Washington DC tasting:
50% Cab Sauvignon/40% Merlot/10% Cabernet Franc
Gentle nose of rustic blackberries
Smooth easy drinker; soft dark fruit
Crowd pleaser while still being a Bordeaux
Tasty but simple
EMH Blackcat of Bordeaux
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2020 Château Kirwan
France, Bordeaux, Médoc, Margaux
UGCB Washington DC tasting:
More muted nose (buy it's late) picking up some dark fruits.
Velvet glove on the mouthfeel; richly fruited, red raspberries, elegant with finesse
Worthy WOTN contender
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2020 Château Langoa Barton
France, Bordeaux, Médoc, St. Julien
UGCB Washington DC tasting:
Aromatic nose of cherries and barnyard;
slightly acidic
Full bodied; dense, dark red fruits
A young Cali Cab made in a Bordeaux style
Tasty
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