Kirwan's 2020 offering is an opaque crimson blend of 51% Cabernet Sauvignon, 28% Merlot, 14% Cabernet Franc and 7% Petit Verdot. From a bottle that was Vinturi-decanted and allowed three hours in carafe prior to tasting, the wine was serially sampled over the ensuing 2-3 hours. Intensely aromatic, it serves up a ripe package of blackcurrant, dark plum and blueberry fruit that is accented with notes of graphite, sage, lavender and licorice. Medium-to-full-bodied, fresh and with well-integrated alcohol (14%), it delivers flavors congruent with the aromas, wrapped with plentiful burnished tannins and a generous aliquot of toasted oak. Dense and layered in the middle, it concludes with a lengthy, silky-textured finish. If you choose to pop the cork at this early stage, give it plenty of air. It would otherwise be most prudent to lay one's bottles down for at least five years, primarily so that the wood can fully assimilate. Thereafter, this terrific version of Kirwan will provide pleasure for at least two decades. Drink 2028-2050.
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Deep colour Great purity and lift, fragrant and attractive dark fruits – cassis, black raspberry and black cherry but also plenty of vapour (!). Cool, perhaps some mint or maybe coal/tar. Super freshness and definition.
Stimulating attack, very good acidity and a spicy, almost prickly. Shows some tension, it has a bright intensity and the tannins are fine and almost supple. Black fruits, a little ink, blue notes too – all fairly tight and mineral, fresh and long. Smart. I like it. Sort of 2016 in style.
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Wet earth, cocoa, mint, flowers, and spicy red fruits open the nose. On the palate, the wine is round, soft and polished with layers of sweet, lush cherries, black currants and plums. Fresh and polished, this will drink well young, yet age for decades. Drink from 2024-2050.
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At the UGC Chicago. Pleasing strong fruit fragrance, nice moderate Cabernet flavor on the palate, no obvious faults. Moderate aftertaste of about 5 seconds, pleasant structure. I have enjoyed earlier vintages of Kirwan and I suspect this wine has sufficient acidity and tannin to fill out nicely over time.
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(51% Cabernet Sauvignon, 28% Merlot, 14% Cabernet Franc, 7% Petit Verdot, 14% Alkohol) Offene Nase, viele Blüten, Kräuter, Brombeeren, Kaffee, Cassis. Weicher Auftakt, dann rasch straff werdend, gut strukturiert, feinkörniges Tannin, mundfüllend, ohne zu überborden, würzig-fruchtiger Abgang. Ein schöner Kirwan. 2026-2045 (Verkostet am 8. November 2022 in Zürich) www.vvwine.ch
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92-94 vvPunkte (51% Cabernet Sauvignon, 28% Merlot, 14% Cabernet Franc, 7% Petit Verdot, 14% Alkohol) Feine Nase, Kräuter, florale Töne, dahinter dunkle Kirsche, Cassis, komplex. Der Gaumen ist gradlinig und gut strukturiert, wirkt kräftig, zeigt Druck, baut aus und entwickelt eine leicht cremige Textur, Frucht und Tannin duellieren sich, die Säure schwingt begleitend mit und zieht die Frucht, ein Mix aus roten und dunklen Beeren, in einen würzigen und langen Abgang. Schon der 2019er war sehr gelungen, dieser wirkt noch etwas saftiger und frischer. 2027-2045 (April/Mai 2021) vvWine.ch
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With a gorgeous depth of color, licorice, tobacco leaf, boysenberry, black plum, espresso and floral nuances come to the surface easily. Silky, refined, sweet and vibrant, the fruit lingers on the palate all the way through to the earth, spice and cocoa packed finish. This is already quite expressive and should be just great with 6 years or so of aging. 92-94
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Tasting through some 2020 EP samples with local merchants, so only short impressions. In general the vintage is ripe and plush but not excessive. The right bank examples were sometimes marked by high alcohol. Some of the lesser know Crus from Medoc on the other hand benefited nicely from the sun. TN: One of the wines I liked. Some complex Margaux aromatics emerging together with red and dark fruit. Sweet spices. Good tannins providing structure. 93-94
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Attractive nose of fragrant blue fruits, this feels ripe and fleshy with a juicy black cherry jam note. Nicely textured and showing good freshness and clarity; very good intensity and energy, with very fine tannins and lively acidity. Very smart.
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1/14/2024 - Madera16 wrote:
UGC - Ripe, plush.
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8/14/2023 - La Cave d'Argent Likes this wine: 93 Points
Kirwan's 2020 offering is an opaque crimson blend of 51% Cabernet Sauvignon, 28% Merlot, 14% Cabernet Franc and 7% Petit Verdot. From a bottle that was Vinturi-decanted and allowed three hours in carafe prior to tasting, the wine was serially sampled over the ensuing 2-3 hours. Intensely aromatic, it serves up a ripe package of blackcurrant, dark plum and blueberry fruit that is accented with notes of graphite, sage, lavender and licorice. Medium-to-full-bodied, fresh and with well-integrated alcohol (14%), it delivers flavors congruent with the aromas, wrapped with plentiful burnished tannins and a generous aliquot of toasted oak. Dense and layered in the middle, it concludes with a lengthy, silky-textured finish. If you choose to pop the cork at this early stage, give it plenty of air. It would otherwise be most prudent to lay one's bottles down for at least five years, primarily so that the wood can fully assimilate. Thereafter, this terrific version of Kirwan will provide pleasure for at least two decades. Drink 2028-2050.
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6/1/2023 - Shrewsram Likes this wine: 92 Points
Deep colour
Great purity and lift, fragrant and attractive dark fruits – cassis, black raspberry and black cherry but also plenty of vapour (!). Cool, perhaps some mint or maybe coal/tar. Super freshness and definition.
Stimulating attack, very good acidity and a spicy, almost prickly. Shows some tension, it has a bright intensity and the tannins are fine and almost supple. Black fruits, a little ink, blue notes too – all fairly tight and mineral, fresh and long. Smart. I like it. Sort of 2016 in style.
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3/21/2023 - Jeff Leve wrote: 92 Points
Wet earth, cocoa, mint, flowers, and spicy red fruits open the nose. On the palate, the wine is round, soft and polished with layers of sweet, lush cherries, black currants and plums. Fresh and polished, this will drink well young, yet age for decades. Drink from 2024-2050.
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3/6/2023 - Zweder wrote: 92 Points
UGCB tasting Bordeaux 2020 Walkaround tasting so in general just short notes (Beurs van Berlage, Amsterdam.): Red and dark berry fruits, beautifully dosed oak, good acidity and sticky tannin. Beautiful wine.
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1/26/2023 - Roger Patterson wrote: 89 Points
Bright minerality, cedar, floral overtones, but will need time to evolve. At UGC LA
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1/25/2023 - Cellarmauz Likes this wine: 90 Points
At the UGC Chicago. Pleasing strong fruit fragrance, nice moderate Cabernet flavor on the palate, no obvious faults. Moderate aftertaste of about 5 seconds, pleasant structure. I have enjoyed earlier vintages of Kirwan and I suspect this wine has sufficient acidity and tannin to fill out nicely over time.
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1/24/2023 - kevinpatrick Likes this wine:
2020 Bordeaux UGCB -- the 3rd straight great vintage? Possibly (Washington DC): 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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1/9/2023 - vvWine.ch wrote: 92 Points
(51% Cabernet Sauvignon, 28% Merlot, 14% Cabernet Franc, 7% Petit Verdot, 14% Alkohol) Offene Nase, viele Blüten, Kräuter, Brombeeren, Kaffee, Cassis. Weicher Auftakt, dann rasch straff werdend, gut strukturiert, feinkörniges Tannin, mundfüllend, ohne zu überborden, würzig-fruchtiger Abgang. Ein schöner Kirwan. 2026-2045 (Verkostet am 8. November 2022 in Zürich) www.vvwine.ch
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5/22/2021 - vvWine.ch wrote: 93 Points
92-94 vvPunkte (51% Cabernet Sauvignon, 28% Merlot, 14% Cabernet Franc, 7% Petit Verdot, 14% Alkohol) Feine Nase, Kräuter, florale Töne, dahinter dunkle Kirsche, Cassis, komplex. Der Gaumen ist gradlinig und gut strukturiert, wirkt kräftig, zeigt Druck, baut aus und entwickelt eine leicht cremige Textur, Frucht und Tannin duellieren sich, die Säure schwingt begleitend mit und zieht die Frucht, ein Mix aus roten und dunklen Beeren, in einen würzigen und langen Abgang. Schon der 2019er war sehr gelungen, dieser wirkt noch etwas saftiger und frischer. 2027-2045 (April/Mai 2021) vvWine.ch
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5/20/2021 - Jeff Leve wrote: 93 Points
With a gorgeous depth of color, licorice, tobacco leaf, boysenberry, black plum, espresso and floral nuances come to the surface easily. Silky, refined, sweet and vibrant, the fruit lingers on the palate all the way through to the earth, spice and cocoa packed finish. This is already quite expressive and should be just great with 6 years or so of aging. 92-94
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5/13/2021 - Collector1855 wrote: 93 Points
Tasting through some 2020 EP samples with local merchants, so only short impressions. In general the vintage is ripe and plush but not excessive. The right bank examples were sometimes marked by high alcohol. Some of the lesser know Crus from Medoc on the other hand benefited nicely from the sun. TN: One of the wines I liked. Some complex Margaux aromatics emerging together with red and dark fruit. Sweet spices. Good tannins providing structure. 93-94
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5/10/2021 - chatters wrote:
Airoldi - Bordeaux En Primeur 2020 (Quay Restaurant, International Passenger Terminal, Sydney): Plums, cedar, slight sweet spice, a little wetly herbaceous note. Medium plus intensity acidity is a little sharp and there is a general impression of elbows here...the tannins are chalky and drying. Nah.
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4/21/2021 - Shrewsram Likes this wine: 92 Points
Attractive nose of fragrant blue fruits, this feels ripe and fleshy with a juicy black cherry jam note.
Nicely textured and showing good freshness and clarity; very good intensity and energy, with very fine tannins and lively acidity. Very smart.
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