Vinous - Antonio Galloni (97)

The 2020 Doisy-Daëne L'Extravagant is gracious and light on its feet. Scents of tangerine peel, mint, lemon confit, marzipan, jasmine and passionfruit are all beautifully lifted. Weightless and elegant, L'Extravagant is wonderfully subdued in 2020.

Jeb Dunnuck (95)

I was blown away by the quality of the 2020 L'Hetre, and this estate, as well as the entire Castillon region, is one to watch going forward. Based on 85% Merlot and 15% Cabernet Franc, brought up in 30% new French oak, it has a ruby/purple hue as well as a classic limestone-influenced bouquet of black raspberries, chalky minerality, white truffle, and tobacco. Perfectly balanced and incredibly elegant, with building yet fine tannins, drink this remarkable Castillon any time over the coming two decades.

The Wine Cellar Insider (97-99)

Richly-textured, sensuous and silky, the wine opens with flowers, licorice, plums, spice box, roasted nuts and black, red and blue fruits. Opulent, fresh, long and velvety, the wine is refined, complex and concentrated. The fruit coats your palate, yet retains its freshness, lift, elegance and purity. The over 50 second finish leaves you with layers of vibrant, black and red fruits, savory herbs, minerality and spicy cocoa. This remains one of the new stars of St. Emilion and is a wine to follow before prices jump. The wine blends 84% Merlot with 16% Cabernet Franc, 14.8% ABV, pH 3.52.

The Wine Cellar Insider (97-99)

Richly-textured, sensuous and silky, the wine opens with flowers, licorice, plums, spice box, roasted nuts and black, red and blue fruits. Opulent, fresh, long and velvety, the wine is refined, complex and concentrated. The fruit coats your palate, yet retains its freshness, lift, elegance and purity. The over 50 second finish leaves you with layers of vibrant, black and red fruits, savory herbs, minerality and spicy cocoa. This remains one of the new stars of St. Emilion and is a wine to follow before prices jump. The wine blends 84% Merlot with 16% Cabernet Franc, 14.8% ABV, pH 3.52.

Decanter (94)

You are immediately set at ease by the confidence and sheer easy appeal of this wine. A silky and seductive La Chapelle that rivals plenty of first wines in this vintage. The texture is rich and taut at first, then softens in the glass, with a charge of freshness that keeps the momentum and the energy high. Not many wines that rival the 2010 and 2016s, but here it very much does - exuberant with chocolate and cracked pepper but pulls back at the right moment. Harvests from 7th to 29th September. I love it.

Decanter (94)

You are immediately set at ease by the confidence and sheer easy appeal of this wine. A silky and seductive La Chapelle that rivals plenty of first wines in this vintage. The texture is rich and taut at first, then softens in the glass, with a charge of freshness that keeps the momentum and the energy high. Not many wines that rival the 2010 and 2016s, but here it very much does - exuberant with chocolate and cracked pepper but pulls back at the right moment. Harvests from 7th to 29th September. I love it.

Decanter (94)

You are immediately set at ease by the confidence and sheer easy appeal of this wine. A silky and seductive La Chapelle that rivals plenty of first wines in this vintage. The texture is rich and taut at first, then softens in the glass, with a charge of freshness that keeps the momentum and the energy high. Not many wines that rival the 2010 and 2016s, but here it very much does - exuberant with chocolate and cracked pepper but pulls back at the right moment. Harvests from 7th to 29th September. I love it.

Vinous - Antonio Galloni (92)

The 2020 La Chenade is rich, sumptuous and super-expressive right out of the gate. All of the exuberance of the year comes through loud and clear. A burst of black cherry, plum, mocha, licorice, lavender and spice infuses the Chenade with tons of complexity. Broad and creamy, with fine balance, the Chenade is showing so well today. The combination of fruit density and energy is compelling.

Vinous - Antonio Galloni (92)

The 2020 La Chenade is rich, sumptuous and super-expressive right out of the gate. All of the exuberance of the year comes through loud and clear. A burst of black cherry, plum, mocha, licorice, lavender and spice infuses the Chenade with tons of complexity. Broad and creamy, with fine balance, the Chenade is showing so well today. The combination of fruit density and energy is compelling.

The La Cloitre Prieure Lichine Margaux 2020 is an exemplar expression of the celebrated Margaux appellation. Inspired by the 12th-century legacy of the Prieuré-Lichine estate, this wine is crafted with utmost precision at every stage. Born of the ideally draining gravelly soil and favourably tempered microclimate of Bordeaux, France, it encapsulates the quintessence of Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot grape blend.

With every sip, expect a cascade of luscious blackcurrant, dark cherry, and velvety tannin notes. The 18-month maturation in oak barrels adds a delicate hint of vanilla, rounding up a sophisticated palate. This bottle epitomises the acumen of Ballarin family and winemaker Stephane Derenoncourt, whose philosophy of minimal intervention and sustainable viticulture empowers the terroir to flourish, sculpting the uniqueness of La Cloitre Prieure Lichine Margaux 2020.

Committed to remarkable quality and longevity, this wine continues to evolve in the bottle, promising a compelling journey of sensory discovery for the discerning connoisseur.

Vinous - Neal Martin (95-97)

The 2020 La Clotte was picked 14-30 September and matured in barriques for 18 months. This has a gorgeous and expressive bouquet with beautifully defined red fruit, crushed stone, wilted rose petal and a touch of sea spray. It is extremely focused with seamlessly integrated oak. The palate is medium-bodied and silky smooth. Finely tuned acidity gently builds in the mouth. Very harmonious towards the finish that fans out wonderfully. This is a superb Saint-Émilion, one of the best you will find in 2020.

Vinous - Neal Martin (95-97)

The 2020 La Clotte was picked 14-30 September and matured in barriques for 18 months. This has a gorgeous and expressive bouquet with beautifully defined red fruit, crushed stone, wilted rose petal and a touch of sea spray. It is extremely focused with seamlessly integrated oak. The palate is medium-bodied and silky smooth. Finely tuned acidity gently builds in the mouth. Very harmonious towards the finish that fans out wonderfully. This is a superb Saint-Émilion, one of the best you will find in 2020.

Vinous - Antonio Galloni (90)

The 2020 La Commanderie is packed with black fruit, cloves, licorice, menthol and chocolate. Although not especially complex, the 2020 is succulent and easy to like. It will drink well right out of the gate.

Wine Advocate (100)

One of the wines of the vintage is the 2020 La Conseillante, a blend of 86% Merlot and 14% Cabernet Franc that wafts from the glass with inviting aromas of raspberries, red cherries and mulberries mingled with exotic spices, violets and rose petals. Medium to full-bodied, satiny and vibrant, it's a beautifully elegant, sensual wine with a deep core of fruit framed by powdery tannins, concluding with a long, extravagantly floral finish. This is a Pomerol of striking purity and sophistication. Congratulations to Marielle Cazaux and her team for surpassing even what they achieved in 2016 and 2019 with this brilliant 2020!

Vinous - Antonio Galloni (89)

The 2020 La Croix de Gay is a potent, brooding wine. A blast of dark cherry fruit, dried herbs, menthol, licorice, game and smoke adds to an impression of somber, virile intensity. Powerful, sinewy tannins are pretty dominant. It will be interesting to see if this softens with time. Today, it is a brute.

Decanter (95)

So much purity and definition, this is a beautiful wine with clarity of flavour. Touches of grilled almond and rosemary, mocha, smoke and coffee bean, there is so much freshness, with juice rushing in between the muscles and a mint leaf finish. 3.78pH, 60% new oak. Yields were 25-30hl/ha. In a year where second wines in the Médoc have sometimes suffered from over-concentration, La Croix de Beaucaillou is a standout success.

Vinous - Antonio Galloni (96)

The 2020 La Dominique is every bit as impressive as it was from barrel. Dark and sumptuous in the glass, the 2020 is racy and wonderfully sleek right out of the gate. Dark cherry, gravel, spice, dried flowers and espresso lend shades of darkness to this deep, wonderfully plush La Dominique. Superb.

Vinous - Antonio Galloni (96)

The 2020 La Dominique is every bit as impressive as it was from barrel. Dark and sumptuous in the glass, the 2020 is racy and wonderfully sleek right out of the gate. Dark cherry, gravel, spice, dried flowers and espresso lend shades of darkness to this deep, wonderfully plush La Dominique. Superb.

Wine Advocate (91-93)

The 2020 La Fleur de Gay sports a deep purple-black color and notes of wild blueberries, chocolate-covered cherries and mulberries, plus fragrant suggestions of candied violets, cinnamon toast and clove oil. The medium to full-bodied palate delivers mouth-coating black and blue fruits with loads of spicy accents and a soft, velvety texture, lifted by just enough freshness, finishing long and fragrant. Impressive!

Indulge your palate with 'La Fleur Morange 2020', a compelling Saint-Emilion Grand Cru from the Bordeaux region of France. Made from 100% Merlot grapes, revered winemakers Véronique and Jean-François Despagne masterfully cultivate the La Fleur Morange vineyard's century-old vines. The couple hand-harvests the grapes, conducting an intensive and meticulous sorting process to ensure quality. Post-harvest, the grapes undergo fermentation in concrete vats, then mature in French oak barrels for 18 to 24 months for optimum flavour.

The result is a full-bodied red crafted in the traditional Bordeaux style, known for its robust structure, rich, rounded tannins, and elegant, intoxicating aroma marked by dark fruits and hints of cocoa. Reflecting the producer's commitment to terroir expression, La Fleur Morange 2020 delivers a unique balance between magnitude and elegance, making it an unforgettable testament to the art of fine winemaking.

James Suckling (100)

One of the most powerful and significant La Fleur-Petrus I have ever tasted with incredible depth and power. It’s full and so layered with fine and intense tannins. It shows very dark fruits, dark chocolate with hazelnuts, and milk chocolate with almonds. This will age for eternity.

The Wine Independent (98)

The 2020 La Gaffeliere is composed of 70% Merlot and 30% Cabernet Franc. Deep garnet-purple in color, it soars out of the glass with expressive notes of redcurrant jelly, plum preserves, and kirsch, plus nuances of dark chocolate, violets, pencil lead, and fragrant soil with a waft of crushed rocks. The medium-bodied palate is so tightly wound, featuring very fine layers of red and black fruit intertwined with floral and mineral nuances, supported by highly pixilated, super-ripe tannins and amazing tension, finishing very long and with the energy of an atomic bomb. This is stunning!

The Wine Independent (98)

The 2020 La Gaffeliere is composed of 70% Merlot and 30% Cabernet Franc. Deep garnet-purple in color, it soars out of the glass with expressive notes of redcurrant jelly, plum preserves, and kirsch, plus nuances of dark chocolate, violets, pencil lead, and fragrant soil with a waft of crushed rocks. The medium-bodied palate is so tightly wound, featuring very fine layers of red and black fruit intertwined with floral and mineral nuances, supported by highly pixilated, super-ripe tannins and amazing tension, finishing very long and with the energy of an atomic bomb. This is stunning!

The Wine Independent (98)

The 2020 La Gaffeliere is composed of 70% Merlot and 30% Cabernet Franc. Deep garnet-purple in color, it soars out of the glass with expressive notes of redcurrant jelly, plum preserves, and kirsch, plus nuances of dark chocolate, violets, pencil lead, and fragrant soil with a waft of crushed rocks. The medium-bodied palate is so tightly wound, featuring very fine layers of red and black fruit intertwined with floral and mineral nuances, supported by highly pixilated, super-ripe tannins and amazing tension, finishing very long and with the energy of an atomic bomb. This is stunning!

The Wine Independent (98)

The 2020 La Gaffeliere is composed of 70% Merlot and 30% Cabernet Franc. Deep garnet-purple in color, it soars out of the glass with expressive notes of redcurrant jelly, plum preserves, and kirsch, plus nuances of dark chocolate, violets, pencil lead, and fragrant soil with a waft of crushed rocks. The medium-bodied palate is so tightly wound, featuring very fine layers of red and black fruit intertwined with floral and mineral nuances, supported by highly pixilated, super-ripe tannins and amazing tension, finishing very long and with the energy of an atomic bomb. This is stunning!

Vinous - Antonio Galloni (95)

The 2020 Gravette de Certan is quite unusual this year in that the blend includes 15% Cabernet Sauvignon, which gives the Gravette a distinctly Left Bank-leaning profile of cassis, graphite, lavender and dried herbs. Pliant and creamy, with notable depth, the Gravette is fabulous, even if it is unlike any Gravette I have tasted before. It’s a stunning, very serious wine that is frankly better than many Grand Vins. A very pretty, exotic, blood orange-like note brightness the finish beautifully. The 2020 is an insanely great Gravette.

James Suckling (93-94)

A firm, polished red with tight, focused tannins that flow across the palate. It’s medium-to full-bodied with good length and a gorgeous finish. From organically grown grapes.

James Suckling (93-94)

A firm, polished red with tight, focused tannins that flow across the palate. It’s medium-to full-bodied with good length and a gorgeous finish. From organically grown grapes.

Vinous - Antonio Galloni (92)

The 2020 La Louvière is a gorgeous, complex wine. Sweet pipe tobacco, cedar, incense, dried herbs and gravel meld into a core of dark red berry fruit. Brambly and savory, the 2020 has a ton to offer. This mid-weight Pessac-Léognan is an absolute delight. Drink it over the next 10-15 years.

Wine Advocate (100)

The 2020 La Mission Haut-Brion is a brilliant effort that exhibits a level of balance and integration that are impressive in such a powerful young Bordeaux. Unwinding in the glass with aromas of dark berries and plums mingled with burning embers, pencil shavings, violets and smoked black tea, it's full-bodied, deep and concentrated, with a layered, elegantly muscular profile, its brooding core of fruit framed by a generous endowment of powdery tannin that tempers the ripeness of the vintage. Checking in at 14.7% alcohol, it's nonetheless more classically styled than the more flamboyant 2019 vintage or even the slowly maturing 2010 which I re-tasted alongside for context.