Bordeaux 2020 Primeurs: Primeur Picks
I conclude my Bordeaux 2020 primeurs reports with an easily digestible summary of what’s hot in the vintage; the best wines, and some that might offer value for money. The latter is always a little challenging, as we all have our own notions of what might constitute ‘value’, so maybe ‘the most enjoyable and yet not too expensive’ would be an alternative name for this latter list./>
This 2020 primeurs report is without a doubt my largest thus far. Wave after wave of samples arrived at my address in Scotland, occasionally without warning. Most courier firms provide notification by text or email of an impending delivery, but one or two do not. It was pure good fortune that I happened to be home when the very first delivery, approximately two hundred bottles sent by Michel Rolland, turned up. The delivery driver found me by my garage as I was just about to head out (I forget where).
“Hiya mate. You Chris Kissack? Yeah? Well, I got forty boxes for ya”.
The driver seemed relieved to have the right address – I can’t help thinking he was expecting commercial premises – and the boxes were quickly unloaded into my garage, which was repurposed as a temporary storage unit for the next couple of months, for samples and then for empty bottles and recyclable materials. Having totted up I see I have published 853 tasting notes in this report, all (except for two from Bergerac, and two from Corsica – Bordeaux’s boundaries extending ever-eastwards) on 2020 Bordeaux.
châteaux, from négociants, consultants, associations and PR bodies, some duplication was inevitable. Thus, some wines I tasted two, three or even four times.
As a consequence I think I have probably tasted more than a thousand samples from Bordeaux over the past couple of months. I have enjoyed it – there was some truly fabulous wines among my samples – but I am also glad to see the end of it!
Before my favourite wines, just a couple of comments on style and quality in order to sum up. The style of the 2020 vintage is one of ripe fruit with more classic tannic structure than some other warm vintages. It is a vintage to buy if the region and its wines interest you. It has more density and substance than 2019 (which in turn had more freshness and vitality), and a cooler tannic bite than 2018 (which was just a little more luscious in style all round, in terms of fruit and structure).
As for quality, it is a vintage in which Merlot and limestone worked best, which means the top wines from St Emilion have the most potential, and the limestone terroirs of the right bank’s lesser appellations are where the value lies. But Pomerol (especially from higher clay terroirs), Pessac-Léognan and the leading left bank appellations also made good wines. Where the quality tails off quite dramatically is with the lesser properties of the Haut-Médoc appellation, and the more peripheral Médoc and Graves appellations, which clearly struggled to capitalise on the more benevolent aspects of what was, ultimately, a difficult growing season.
If we focus on the successes rather than the failures though, this is yet another excellent vintage for the region. Everyone in the region agrees it is the third good vintage in a triumvirate of 2018, 2019 and 2020. The 2017 vintage was blighted by frost, nevertheless those estates not affected still made excellent wines, so some in the region have enjoyed an unprecedented run of six high-quality vintages, beginning in 2015. Some people (excusing myself, I have to say) also rate 2014. Whichever way you look at it, there is a lot of good wine coming through the system at the moment.
With that in mind, if you are keen to buy, the following Top Twelve lists indicate where my money would go. Please bear in mind, especially when looking for the highest-scoring wines, that I have not tasted a handful of big names such as Château Ausone, Le Pin and Château Lafleur. Any wine I think particularly exciting in its category I have marked with an asterisk.
Money no object? If Elon Musk were a subscriber (and who knows, he might be) then this is the list for him, a pretty straightforward rundown of the very best twelve wines, regardless of price.
- Château Haut-Bailly 2020: Pessac-Léognan turned out some great wines in 2020, this is but one of them.
- Château Haut-Brion* 2020: One of the vintage’s superstars, a must-have for any wealthy Bordeaux-drinker’s cellar.
- Château La Mission Haut-Brion 2020: Not much to say here, other than ‘ditto’, perhaps.
- Château Figeac 2020: Yet another fine example of this wine from Frédéric Faye and team.
- Château Pavie* 2020: Another of the vintage’s star performers, a must-have for the cellar.
- Château Troplong-Mondot 2020: Aymeric de Gironde’s efforts to turn this estate around are paying dividends.
- Château Angélus 2020: The style here is shifting a little more towards elegant restraint, with a touch less oak.
- Clos Fourtet* 2020: A wine from Matthieu Cuvelier and team, showing very well in this vintage.
- Château Tertre-Roteboeuf 2020: François Mitjavile’s wines always deserve attention, the 2020 is no exception.
- Château L’Église-Clinet 2020: The first vintage with Noëmie and Constance Durantou at the helm – and they have done a good job.
- Vieux Château Certan 2020: Who needs limestone? The Thienponts have made a great wine from gravelly soils.
- Château Mouton-Rothschild 2020: Sneaking in from the left bank, a high-quality wine from this estate.
A selection of less exotically priced wines here. I acknowledge that one or two here are quite pricy, nudging their way towards ‘Dreams’, but I have included those wines based on the exceptional quality offered.
- Château Lafon-Rochet* 2020: Basile Tesseron is pushing quality higher and higher here, and the prices remains fair.
- Château Calon-Ségur 2020: The quality of the wine made by Vincent Millet seems higher than ever.
- Château Lynch-Bages 2020: Just a brilliant wine, probably one of the best on the left bank.
- Château Léoville-Barton* 2020: Proof that it is not just about the right bank, the Barton family have turned out a giant-killer in 2020.
- Château Giscours* 2020: This is the most convincing young Giscours I have ever tasted.
- Château Trotte Vieille 2020: Yes, a bit pricy, and high alcohol, but if you like Cabernet Franc….
- Château Pavie-Macquin 2020: For the quality offered, the price here seems very down-to-earth.
- Château Larcis Ducasse 2020: From the same team as Pavie-Macquin, and the same quality-price-ration too.
- Arômes de Pavie* 2020: I don’t normally entertain second wines in my lists, but an exception has to be made here.
- Château Pavie Decesse 2020: The Perse style has been reined in a little; this works well as a result.
- Clos Saint Martin 2020: From a tiny property close to Château Canon which aims high and often succeeds.
- Château Clos de Sarpe 2020: An organic and not particularly well known estate which has done well in 2020.
A selection of more affordable wines, but not necessarily bargain basement styles. For a few hints on those wines, look a little further down the page.
- Château Meyney* 2020: An estate on a roll in recent years, tasted blind this could hold its own against highly classified neighbours.
- Château Phélan-Ségur* 2020: This is a property consistently punching above its weight.
- Château Branas Grand Poujeaux 2020: I was taken aback by this wine’s rich density and delineation.
- Château Poujeaux 2020: All the wines from Matthieu Cuvelier and family have merit this year, this is their sole outpost on the left bank.
- Château Malartic-Lagravière 2020: The Bonnie family punch above their weight in the Pessac-Léognan appellation.
- Château Faugères* 2020: I was really impressed by this barrel sample, a great buy in this vintage.
- Château La Tour-Figeac* 2020: A really smart effort this year, with a polished texture and quiet confidence.
- Château Villemaurine 2020: One of many good performances in St Emilion this year.
- Château Fleur-Cardinale 2020: The Decoster family are pushing for quality and sustainability here, to good effect.
- Château Grand Mayne 2020: A very stylish effort from the Nony family in this vintage.
- Château Moulin Haut-Laroque 2020: The wines of Jean-Noël Hervé deserve more attention.
- Château de La Dauphine 2020: Biodynamic and increasingly brilliant wines from Fronsac.
Bargain hunters, for whom the above remain a touch pricy, should probably consider whether buying en primeur is really a wise choice. Those who insist it is should probably look to the 2020 Château La Vieille Cure, 2020 Château Montlandrie, 2020 L’Infini de Château de Francs, 2020 Château Tour Saint Christophe, 2020 Château Tour Baladoz and any number of other well-reviewed and affordable wines in this vintage.
This concludes my primeur reports for the 2020 vintage. I will be taking a break from Winedoctor over the next couple of weeks, and will resume with updates after the first week in June. (24/5/21)[/am4show]
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