Bordeaux 2020 at Two Years: Appellation Bordeaux
In this instalment of my in-bottle guide to Bordeaux 2020 I throw together all the wines with the basic Bordeaux appellation, be they white or red.
As with my third St Emilion report, this makes for an intriguing mix of wines from well known and highly regarded châteaux in iconic appellations, as well as less well-known châteaux in the very peripheries of the region which have no option other than to use one of the more generic appellations. In the former group we have exalted names such as Château Margaux, Château Cos d’Estournel, Château Cheval Blanc and the like, all properties making a white wine alongside their more famous red. In the latter group there are a few familiar names such as Château de Reignac, but also relative unknowns some of which undoubtedly deserve a larger share of the limelight.
Let’s take a look at the whites first.
To be frank the 2020 vintage is not one where I would make a beeline for the white wines of Bordeaux. As noted in my report on the 2020 whites of Pessac-Léognan, the warmer vintage has engendered the majority of the wines with a softer style, the modest acidities not always matching up to the plushly texture palates. There are exceptions of course, and certainly the very best wines here achieve a sense of balance that holds appeal. I suspect many will fall for the charms of the 2020 Château Cos d’Estournel Blanc, as it possesses a vibrancy that is not commonplace within the vintage. The 2020 Pavillon Blanc du Château Margaux, a cuvée in its one-hundredth vintage (commemorated with a mention of such on the bottle, as above, but also with a wax capsule) has similar appeal, and the 2020 Les Champs Libres from Château Grand Village will also draw a crowd, as will the rather charming 2020 Clos des Lunes Lune d’Or.
