Union Grands Crus Bordeaux (UGC) 2020 Tasting

Hangar 14, Bordeaux
Tasted Saturday, June 10, 2023 by PlanetX with 473 views

Introduction

Fabulous walkaround tasting with more than 100 estates pouring their 2020s as well as a back vintage. Tasted over 60 wines and only had a chance for brief notes.

Flight 1 - Pessac-Leognan (8 Notes)

  • 2020 Domaine de Chevalier

    France, Bordeaux, Graves, Pessac-Léognan

    Very young with tannins hiding the muted fruit with good acidity. Could not really get a reading on this so no score.

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  • 2000 Domaine de Chevalier 91 Points

    France, Bordeaux, Graves, Pessac-Léognan

    Entry is slight and underwhelming but builds nicely with a long, juicy finish tinged with spice.

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  • 2020 Château Smith Haut Lafitte 95 Points

    France, Bordeaux, Graves, Pessac-Léognan

    Initial sexy, creamy, deliciousness on the entry with good complexity and noticeable tannins on the finish. Needs some time but has tempting exuberant appeal right now.

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  • 2016 Château Smith Haut Lafitte 95 Points

    France, Bordeaux, Graves, Pessac-Léognan

    Surprisingly tannic, this is representative of the vintage as it will take time to emerge but no doubt it will and be a classic SHL.

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  • 2020 Château Haut-Bailly 95 Points

    France, Bordeaux, Graves, Pessac-Léognan

    Layers upon layers of interest to go with the classic smoke and tar. Slightly bitter outer layer followed by a ripe, round layer and finishing with a subtle tannic core. Loads of potential when this integrates.

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  • 2017 Château Haut-Bailly 92 Points

    France, Bordeaux, Graves, Pessac-Léognan

    Cool entry, with mid-weight mid-palate and good round juicy, spicy finish. Fine for the vintage

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  • 2020 Château Les Carmes Haut-Brion 96 Points

    France, Bordeaux, Graves, Pessac-Léognan

    Extraordinary balance with everything in its place. Not intense but persistent. Fruit, tannins and acid are all there with each one in check.

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  • 2017 Château Les Carmes Haut-Brion 94 Points

    France, Bordeaux, Graves, Pessac-Léognan

    Youthful, deep ruby red with a slight purple tinge at the rim. Fresh, high-toned floral, stemmy and black charred fruit nose. Cab franc and whole bunch evident as there is an initial green freshness on the entry. Well defined cherry core of fruit with an upward and outward thrust. Lots of unique personality.

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Flight 2 - St. Julien (13 Notes)

  • 2013 Château Beychevelle 87 Points

    France, Bordeaux, Médoc, St. Julien

    Nice entry but lots of green notes, indicative of under ripeness. Tannins are gritty. Not a success, even for the vintage.

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  • 2020 Château Beychevelle 95 Points

    France, Bordeaux, Médoc, St. Julien

    A beautiful wine with great potential. Good concentration of fruit with some refined elegance. The merlot adds a lovely roundness.

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  • 2020 Château Branaire-Ducru

    France, Bordeaux, Médoc, St. Julien

    Very tight core of fruit which needs to expand. Time will tell. Perhaps the pour was from a just opened bottle given the tightness. Not fair to score based on this sample.

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  • 2014 Château Branaire-Ducru 89 Points

    France, Bordeaux, Médoc, St. Julien

    Rather subdued on the nose and in the glass. Tannins are in the forefront hiding the fruit. Has some elegance but would like more fruit. Needs food.

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  • 2020 Château Léoville Barton 94 Points

    France, Bordeaux, Médoc, St. Julien

    Not a seductive wine, quite serious with lots of tannins, but the dark fruit is there. This will need time but should be successful in the end. Score based on estimated destination.

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  • 2014 Château Léoville Barton 93 Points

    France, Bordeaux, Médoc, St. Julien

    This was really quite nice and approachable now. Good fruit for a 2014 with a good dose of tannins.

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  • 2020 Château Léoville Poyferré 96 Points

    France, Bordeaux, Médoc, St. Julien

    Huge potential for this. Great intensity with everything present for an outstanding wine with some time in bottle. The fruit is gorgeous. Merlot appears to be very successful here, with the petit verdot adding extra interest. A standout.

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  • 2016 Château Léoville Poyferré

    France, Bordeaux, Médoc, St. Julien

    As with many 2016s at the moment, this was shut down and muted. Tremendous balance but needs time to reemerge.

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  • 2012 Château Langoa Barton 89 Points

    France, Bordeaux, Médoc, St. Julien

    Nice but overall wanted more fruit and tannin. Juicy merlot is evident with good acidity.

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  • 2020 Château Gloria 94 Points

    France, Bordeaux, Médoc, St. Julien

    Masses of fruit on the entry, followed quickly by tannins. The two unite harmoniously on the long finish. Quite thrilling actually, reminding me of a horse race with photo finish. One to seek out as good value.

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  • 2015 Château Gloria 92 Points

    France, Bordeaux, Médoc, St. Julien

    Significant fruit with drying tannins on the finish.

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  • 2020 Château Saint-Pierre 93 Points

    France, Bordeaux, Médoc, St. Julien

    Tannins are at the forefront here with the fruit coming out on the finish. Tasted side by side with its stablemate Gloria which was the mirror images of this as the Gloria started with the fruit in front of the tannins. Both should be very good in time, with the edge to Gloria given its intense fruit.

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  • 2015 Château Saint-Pierre 93 Points

    France, Bordeaux, Médoc, St. Julien

    Very balanced with good integration of fruit and tannin, although some tannins are still unresolved. Needs a bit more time in the bottle.

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Flight 3 - Margaux (9 Notes)

Flight 4 - Pauillac (8 Notes)

  • 2020 Château Lynch-Bages

    France, Bordeaux, Médoc, Pauillac

    Just a wall of massive tannins. The most tannic wine of the tasting with the fruit way in the back seat. No score as did not have the time to dig into.

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  • 2011 Château Lynch-Bages 91 Points

    France, Bordeaux, Médoc, Pauillac

    Also quite tannic, although no where near the amount in the 2020. Good acidity too with fruit subdued. Overall a very classic claret which could be drunk now or down the road.

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  • 2020 Château Pichon Longueville Comtesse de Lalande 97 Points

    France, Bordeaux, Médoc, Pauillac

    Seductive from the start with creamy, ripe but well delineated fruit. The creaminess gradually decreases but still evident on the long finish. A top-notch Pauillac in every sense and would be very happy to have a case of this in my cellar.

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  • 2020 Château Pichon-Longueville Baron 97 Points

    France, Bordeaux, Médoc, Pauillac

    A wine that exudes class from start to finish. Clean, precise, concentrated but not heavy blue and black fruit wrapped in lovely tannin and acidity. A smooth ride where the finish starts at the beginning and never ends.

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  • 2016 Château d'Armailhac 93 Points

    France, Bordeaux, Médoc, Pauillac

    I really liked this and is an exception to other 2016s which appear to have shut down. This has a good balance of red fruit and tannins and worth trying one now if you have multiple bottles.

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  • 2020 Château Grand-Puy Ducasse 90 Points

    France, Bordeaux, Médoc, Pauillac

    Very concentrated graphite flavours with gritty tannins. Brooding right now this has good potential down the road.

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  • 2020 Château Clerc Milon 93 Points

    France, Bordeaux, Médoc, Pauillac

    Currently austere and tight this has good potential with some soft, fruity merlot lurking around.

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  • 2015 Château Clerc Milon 93 Points

    France, Bordeaux, Médoc, Pauillac

    Very appealing right now with tannins enveloping a lovely core of fruit.

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Flight 5 - St. Emilion (5 Notes)

  • 2020 Château Canon 99 Points

    France, Bordeaux, Libournais, St. Émilion Grand Cru

    Delicious with a capital D. Ripe fruit on entry with super soft enveloping tannins. Great mouthfeel combined with gorgeous fruit. Texturally it is oh so silky. So attractive you want to drink it now. The wine of the tasting for me without a doubt.

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  • 2015 Château La Dominique 94 Points

    France, Bordeaux, Libournais, St. Émilion Grand Cru

    Quite exuberant this was drinking surprisingly well with ripe concentrated fruit.

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  • 2020 Château La Dominique 94 Points

    France, Bordeaux, Libournais, St. Émilion Grand Cru

    Very attractive fruit, in fact maybe a bit too much - picked a little late? Never less good balance with good mouthfeel.

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  • 2020 Château La Gaffelière 94 Points

    France, Bordeaux, Libournais, St. Émilion Grand Cru

    A bit dialed back vis a vis other St. Emilion's which might pay off in the end as this has good balance. Stylistically quite different. Good tannins on the finish.

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  • 2016 Château La Gaffelière 94 Points

    France, Bordeaux, Libournais, St. Émilion Grand Cru

    Very balanced and very much in the character of the vintage. Fruit is hiding a bit right now. Expect this would have benefitted from a good decant. Consistent in style with the 2020.

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Flight 6 - Sauternes (1 Note)

Finished with Sauternes and Barsac but no time for notes other than Suduirant

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