Bordeaux 2020 | High Flyers
As any en primeur campaign progresses, there is always a little extra wheeling and dealing to be done, and we often find the negociants have a few extra cases for us as time goes by.
Consequently, we are delighted to offer you, albeit in small quantities, some of the very best wines from Bordeaux 2020. But be quick, they are offered first come first served, subject to availability.
- Colour
- Red
- Producer
- Château Lynch-Bages
- Region
- Pauillac, Red Bordeaux
- Grape
- Cab. Sauvignon/ Merlot/ Cab. Franc/ Petit Verdot
- Drinking
- 2027 - 2052
- Case size
- 6x75cl category_Bordeaux EP pre-release
- Available Later
2020 CH LYNCH BAGES 5ÈME CRU PAUILLAC - 6x75cl
- Colour
- Red
- Producer
- Château Lynch-Bages
- Region
- Pauillac
- Grape
- Cab. Sauvignon/ Merlot/ Cab. Franc/ Petit Verdot
- Drinking
- 2027 - 2052
- Case size
- 6x75cl
- Available Later
- Pricing
- In Bond
- Pricing Info
Need help? Call +44 (0)20 7793 7900 or email wine@goedhuis.com.
Tasting Notes
-
Neal Martin, May 2021,
Score: 94-96The 2020 Lynch-Bages contains proportionately more Merlot in the blend this year (31%) and will be aged for 18 months in 75% new oak. It has an intriguing bouquet, quite complex and classic in style, featuring tightly wound black fruit mixed with cedar, mint and touches of the estuary. One sniff and you know that the vines are in close proximity to the sea. The palate is medium-bodied with impressive weight on the entry, the tannins almost immediately coating the mouth (the IPT is 93, fairly high). But everything remains balanced thanks to the fine acidic thread, and it begins to firm up, becoming quite structured and, dare I say, reminiscent of Latour toward the finish. This is a Lynch-Bages that clearly will deserve long-term aging because there is real substance to this wine, and that will only increase during élevage. This is a great Lynch-Bages. The Cazes family should build a new winery to celebrate. Drink 2027 - 2055
-
Wine Advocate, May 2021,
Score: 94-96The 2020 Lynch-Bages is a blend of 60% Cabernet Sauvignon, 31% Merlot, 4% Cabernet Franc and 5% Petit Verdot, aging for around 18 months in French oak barriques, 75% new. It has an alcohol of 13.41%, a pH of 3.73 and an IPT (tannin index) of 93. Opaque purple-black in color, it leaps from the glass with notes of crushed blackberries, cassis and boysenberries, plus touches of garrigue, red roses and cedar chest with hints of graphite and black olives. The medium-bodied palate has a rock-solid frame of ripe, grainy tannins and plenty of freshness supporting the tight-knit black fruit and earthy flavors, finishing long and mineral laced. Drink 2027-2050
-
Decanter, May 2021,
Score: 96The lowest amount of Cabernet Sauvignon in the blend on recent record but the signature of Lynch Bages is very much in play here - tons of liquorice, grippy and charismatic cassis and blueberry fruit with a velvety texture layered with blackcurrant pastilles and rich dark chocolate. This is easily one of the best Pauillacs that I have tasted in the vintage, totally gorgeous. The 33hl/ha yield meant I was worried that it would be too concentrated, but it pulls it off, although you've got to assume that they will need to be careful over ageing. Lower alcohol than both 2018 and 2019, a more classical balance in fact. 4% Cabernet Franc completes the blend. 3.73pH, 75% new oak, 18 months in barrel. Drink 2030-2048.
-
Antonio Galloni, June 2021,
Score: 93-95The 2020 Lynch-Bages is deep, polished and so sensual. Dark cherry fruit, lavender, spice, leather and pipe tobacco fill out the layers. In 2020, Lynch-Bages is a bit darker and more virile in feel than is typically the case. There is plenty of weight and substance, though. I can't wait to taste it from bottle. My impression is that the 2020 will be a very long-lived wine. Drink 2025 - 2050
-
Goedhuis, May 2021,
Score: 94-9660% Cabernet Sauvignon, 31% Merlot, 4% Cabernet Franc, 5% Petit Verdot This has so much deep rich brooding black fruit. Jean-Charles Cazes explained the importance of gently infusing the berries rather than heavy extraction this vintage as they had so much natural concentration. This epitomises that approach perfectly. Whilst it has true Pauillac power, in no way is the wine forced, and the energetic finish with hints of Moroccan spice provides the finishing touches to a wine with great potential.
-
Wine Cellar Insider, May 2021,
Score: 95-97The first vintage made in their brand new, state-of-the-art cellars is deep garnet in color. The wine rapidly opens with notes of Cuban cigars, cedar, creme de cassis, flowers and forest leaf aromas. On the palate the wine is full-bodied, soft, round and fresh. The elegant tannins allows the wine to gently unfurl, revealing its sweet red currants, kirsch liqueur and creamy textured, rich finish. This refined styled vintage of Lynch Bages blends 60% Cabernet Sauvignon, 31% Merlot, 5% Petit Verdot and 4% Cabernet Franc, 13.4% ABV. The yields were only 33 hectoliters per hectare.
-
Jancis Robinson, April 2021,
Score: 17++Very deep, dense blackish purple. Suave, flattering nose with good freshness and precision. Marked tannins underneath (more so than its stablemate Haut-Batailley). This is less the old, spicy, comfortable pair of slippers Lynch-Bages and seems to be heading in a deliberately purer, 'cooler' direction. Impressive undertow and persistence, but with interesting top notes such as tobacco leaf. Very ambitiously dry on the finish. 13.4%. Drink 2031 – 2049
-
Jeb Dunnuck, May 2021,
Score: 95-97+Ultra-classic notes of blackcurrants, freshly sharpened lead pencil, damp earth, and crushed stone emerge from the 2020 Château Lynch-Bages, which checks in as 60% Cabernet Sauvignon, 31% Merlot, 4% Cabernet Franc, and the rest Petit Verdot, all hitting 13.4% natural alcohol and a pH of 3.73 and a massive IPT of 93, which might be the highest in the vintage. Full-bodied and concentrated on the palate, it has brilliant purity of fruit, a layered, building sense of structure, and a great finish. While not austere or closed, this serious Lynch-Bages will need 10-15 years of bottle age to hit maturity and have 40-50 years of overall longevity.
-
Matthew Jukes, May 2021,
Score: 17.5++This is a monster of a wine in terms of the oak and the power and while it is not a big, ripe or juicy number, it still sports layers and layers of tannin and accompanying oak and this makes it a very difficult wine to taste. I can see that the fruit is huge, too, but it teeters on the precipice of unripeness and I worry that there is not quite enough generosity of flesh to achieve true balance in time. You will have to wait twenty years to find out.
- Colour
- Red
- Producer
- Château Pichon Longueville Comtesse de Lalande
- Region
- Pauillac, Red Bordeaux
- Grape
- Cab. Sauvignon/ Merlot/ Cab. Franc/ Petit Verdot
- Drinking
- 2029 - 2053
- Case size
- 6x75cl category_Bordeaux EP pre-release
- Available Later
2020 CH PICHON LONGUEVILLE COMTESSE DE LALANDE 2ÈME CRU PAUILLAC - 6x75cl
- Colour
- Red
- Producer
- Château Pichon Longueville Comtesse de Lalande
- Region
- Pauillac
- Grape
- Cab. Sauvignon/ Merlot/ Cab. Franc/ Petit Verdot
- Drinking
- 2029 - 2053
- Case size
- 6x75cl
- Available Later
- Pricing
- In Bond
- Pricing Info
Need help? Call +44 (0)20 7793 7900 or email wine@goedhuis.com.
Tasting Notes
-
Neal Martin, May 2021,
Score: 96-98The 2020 Pichon-Lalande has a backward nose similar to that of its neighbor Pichon-Baron, and so I decanted the bottle for 45 minutes. It then revealed gorgeous scents of blackberry, wild hedgerow, seaweed (Japanese nori) and wild mint. The palate is medium-bodied with sappy black fruit and gentle but insistent grip. Very intense but not ripe; there is a coolness about this Pauillac that I like, while the finish is very classically styled and leaves behind a persistent, slightly briny aftertaste. This is a magnificent, cerebral Pichon-Lalande that will deserve serious aging and the patience of anyone still waiting for The Cure's new album. Tasted three times, including directly from the château. Drink 2027 - 2055
-
Wine Advocate, May 2021,
Score: 95-97Deep purple-black in color, the 2020 Pichon Longueville Comtesse de Lalande begins on a single, well-defined, wonderfully pure note of ripe blackcurrants, opening out to a melody of redcurrant jelly, kirsch, ripe blackberries and tar, with emerging suggestions of dark chocolate, cardamom, ground cloves and violets, with a waft of black truffles. Medium-bodied, tightly wound and with loads of fantastically nuanced black fruit layers, it has a rock-solid frame of finely grained tannins and bags of freshness, finishing long and mineral laced. The blend this year is 77% Cabernet Sauvignon, 17% Merlot and 6% Cabernet Franc. Drink 2026-2050
-
Decanter, May 2021,
Score: 96Softer and silkier than many Pauillacs in the vintage, this is a clear success. Hugely silky and seductive, with grip, power and finesse. One of the best of the appellation, with finessed tobacco, heather and plump blueberry and cassis fruit, expertly managing the low 30hl/ha yield. 60% new oak. Tasted twice. Drink 2030-2048
-
Antonio Galloni, June 2021,
Score: 95-97The 2020 Pichon-Longueville Comtesse de Lalande is holding so much in reserve. Tightly wound and not fully expressive, the 2020 is going to need at least a few years to come out of its shell. Bright acids and persistent tannins give the 2020 a super classic, mid-weight feel. I very much like the wine's persistence. Readers will have to be patient with the 2020. The exuberance of some recent vintages is not present today. The blend is 77% Cabernet Sauvignon, 17% Merlot and 6% Cabernet Franc, which means a touch more Cabernet Sauvignon than in recent years, and quite a bit more than in the past. Harvest ran from September 7 to October 1, which is about ten days earlier than normal. In the cellar, Estate Manager Nicolas Glumineau opted for light extractions, with minimal pumpovers of just one volume of wine per day, at no more than 25 degrees Celsius. Time on the skins was 21 days, pretty much the norm these days. Tasted two times. Drink 2032 - 2060
-
Goedhuis, May 2021,
Score: 96-9877% Cabernet Sauvignon, 17% Merlot, 6% Cabernet Franc The notable percentage of Cabernet Sauvignon in the blend this year is representative of the direction led by Nicolas Glumineau to increase the proportion of Cabernet. His wish is to give the wine greater Pauillac expression, without distracting from the characteristic Comtesse elegance. Dense inky colour, dark berries, with a touch of tapenade and Cabernet graphite. The initial grace and poise recede as the build-up of Pauillac pedigree increases. This has great structure and then the sweetness and charming mocha and cocoa come through on the finish. Lovely.
-
James Suckling, April 2021,
Score: 96-97This is extremely structured, but with a level of polish and refinement that highlights the excellence of the terroir. Very long and expansive on the palate, showing class and beauty. Powerful.
-
Jancis Robinson, April 2021,
Score: 18Bright crimson hue. Generous, vineyard-nuanced fruit on the nose with complex cassis and graphite notes. Fruit equally generous on the palate, backed by an abundance of fine tannin. Lots of drive and persistence. Punchier and more masculine in style than 2019. Definitely one for the cellar. (JL) Drink 2028 – 2045
-
Matthew Jukes, May 2021,
Score: 18+There is a huge mass of energy in this wine and this signals a particularly long-lived vintage for Pichon Lalande. Densely packed with dark, mineral-soaked fruit there is little excess flesh here over the impressive core of muscle. The tannins are firm but not drying and while this is a powerfully built Lalande there is ample black fruit here, too. Closed and rather contemplative, there are certainly the building blocks of an impressive wine here, but it has a long way to go and don’t expect it to turn the corner any time soon.
- Colour
- Red
- Producer
- Château la Conseillante
- Region
- Pomerol, Red Bordeaux
- Grape
- Merlot / Cabernet Franc
- Drinking
- 2028 - 2059
- Case size
- 6x75cl category_Bordeaux EP pre-release
- Available Later
2020 CH LA CONSEILLANTE POMEROL - 6x75cl
- Colour
- Red
- Producer
- Château la Conseillante
- Region
- Pomerol
- Grape
- Merlot / Cabernet Franc
- Drinking
- 2028 - 2059
- Case size
- 6x75cl
- Available Later
- Pricing
- In Bond
- Pricing Info
Need help? Call +44 (0)20 7793 7900 or email wine@goedhuis.com.
Tasting Notes
-
Neal Martin, May 2021,
Score: 96-98The 2020 La Conseillante was picked September 14–17 for the Merlot and September 21–30 for the Cabernet Franc (eight picking days), the yields coming in at 37hl/ha, and matured in 70% new oak. Of the 13 parcels, four underwent vinification intégrale this year. Iridescent purple in color. The nose makes an immediate impression, delivering pure and quite precocious black currants and crushed iris flowers; subtle touches of morello cherries develop with aeration. It is beautifully defined and the oak seamlessly integrated. The palate is medium-bodied with succulent, ripe tannins that disguise the backbone of this exquisitely balanced Pomerol. A discreet crescendo leads to a pixelated finish of awe-inspiring persistency. The old "iron fist in a velvet glove" cliché rings true here. A deeply impressive and quite profound La Conseillante courtesy of Marielle Cazaux and her team. Drink 2029 - 2065
-
Decanter, May 2021,
Score: 96There are some beautifully fragrant floral aromatics here with concentration through the mid palate and effortless balance. A little more width and opulence in the 2019 perhaps, but here you get precision and purity, and a feeling of 2010 levels of concentration. An elegant 2020, bright, confident, bursting with life. 70% new oak. A yield of 39hl/ha. 3.67pH. Gravel and clay soils, and to keep freshness they left crop cover on the old vines but on the young ploughed it into the soil so as not to have too much competition for the water. Lowered canopy also but kept shade and leaves around the bunches to protect from the sun. Picked early morning from 7am to noon, harvest of Merlot September 4 to 17, and the Cabernet Franc on September 21 and 30. Drink 2030-2048
-
Antonio Galloni, June 2021,
Score: 94-97The 2020 La Conseillante is a supremely elegant, restrained wine that shows the continued move toward finesse here. Silky and gracious, it’s wonderfully classy from start to finish. Lavender, mint, spice and mocha complement the purplish berry fruit nicely, all framed by bright saline and mineral notes that lend energy. Today, the 2020 is quite reserved, with less opulence than some previous vintages. It's the sort of wine that is shy in its youth and then explodes with years in bottle. Yields were just under 40 hectoliters per hectare, very much in line with years like 2016, for example. Harvest took place September 4–19 for the Merlot and 21–30 for the Franc, more or less in line with what has become the norm of late. As usual, the malos were done in steel. Aging is 70% new oak, 27% once-used barrels and 3% amphora. It's a brilliant effort from Technical Director Marielle Cazaux and her team. Drink 2028 - 2030
-
Goedhuis, May 2021,
Score: 98-99The deep purple colour matches this great estate’s striking label: absolutely radiant! Stunningly perfumed, full of blueberries, violets, tayberries, and a sprinkling of cinnamon. This is as silky as they come: wine maker Marielle Cazaux so aptly describes the wine as having cashmere like tannins and there really can be no better description. This stunning 2020 inches towards perfection as the layers of fruit compote flavours build in the palate in total unison with the light touch of energetic freshness, all held together by fine lacy tannins giving both length and complexity to undoubtedly one of the wines of the Vintage. Sensational in every way.
-
Wine Cellar Insider, May 2021,
Score: 98-100Dark garnet in hue, the wine explodes from the glass with its showy display of lilacs, violets, spice, chocolate, truffle, espresso and black plum liqueur. On the palate the wine is incredibly sexy with its silk and velvet textured fruits. The wine is showy, ostentatious, opulent and frankly decadent. In other words, this is everything you want in a great Pomerol. Full-bodied, rich and with length, purity and energy, the wine deftly balances density with lift, remaining with you for over 60 seconds in its seamless finish. Different in style, this could be at the same level of quality found in the perfect 2016! The harvest took place September 9-September 30, making this one of the longer harvests in the history of the estate. The wine blends 87% Merlot with 13% Cabernet Franc, 14% ABV, 3.67 pH.
-
Jeb Dunnuck, May 2021,
Score: 96-98The 2020 Château La Conseillante is a blend of 87% Merlot and 13% Cabernet Franc that saw the Merlot brought in between September 4 and 17 and the Cabernet Franc from the 21st to the 30th of September. Still resting in 70% new barrels, it's a juicy, vibrant Pomerol in every sense and has a vivid purple color to go with a great nose of blueberries, cassis, spring flowers, and violets. Showing the vintage's rich, concentrated, yet also pure and straight style, this beauty is full-bodied, has flawless balance, and terrific tannins. It’s another gorgeous wine from Marielle Cazaux that will require a solid decade of bottle age, but it will see its 30th birthday in fine form.
-
Matthew Jukes, May 2021,
Score: 19.5+Winemaker Marielle Cazaux explained that she will remember 2020 as a vintage when all of her colleagues, not just the winemaking and viticultural teams, played a part in the vineyard. With the various challenges of lockdowns, kids school runs, and a desire to adhere to social distancing, while keeping the employees safe, La Conseillante operated an ‘all hands to the pump’ system which meant that they all multi-tasked and in doing so became more au fait with each other’s responsibilities. This team effort brought a new harmony and understanding to this estate and its employees and for this reason, despite some of the challenges which the weather presented, it was a very happy vintage and one in which every member of staff can genuinely say that they played a full role in making this wine taste so exquisite. Of course, a collaborative team, combined with some very happy vines is likely to make delicious wine. The clay soils at La Conseillante meant that while the summer was hot, and there was a degree of hydric stress, the vines did not suffer. They have learned a lot here over the last few warm vintages and so an adapted cover-crop, mulching as well as a careful (slightly earlier than normal) green harvest all contributed to a perfect vendange with all of the team involved. Harmony breeds harmony and 2020 La Conseillante is a quintessential creation which not only perfectly reflects the vintage but also acknowledges the human skill involved in making a wine of this elegance and distinction. Deeply perfumed at the same time as being refreshing aerial, the nose is sensational, drawing you deeper and deeper into the glass. With a luxurious black-fruited theme, the precision here is breath-taking and the balance is astonishing, too, given that the fruit is so profound. The finish is amazingly bright and alive, and the tannins are pure cashmere. This is one of the most elegant and complete wines of the vintage and I am sure it will starting drinking relatively early and then hold for three or four decades with ease. 19.5+/20
- Colour
- Red
- Producer
- Château Figeac
- Region
- St Emilion, Red Bordeaux
- Grape
- Cabernet Franc / Cabernet Sauvignon / Merlot
- Drinking
- 2029 - 2055
- Case size
- 6x75cl category_Bordeaux EP pre-release
- Available Later
2020 CH FIGEAC 1ER GRAND CRU CLASSÉ ST EMILION - 6x75cl
- Colour
- Red
- Producer
- Château Figeac
- Region
- St Emilion
- Grape
- Cabernet Franc / Cabernet Sauvignon / Merlot
- Drinking
- 2029 - 2055
- Case size
- 6x75cl
- Available Later
- Pricing
- In Bond
- Pricing Info
Need help? Call +44 (0)20 7793 7900 or email wine@goedhuis.com.
Tasting Notes
-
Neal Martin, May 2021,
Score: 96-98The 2020 Figeac was picked from September 4 to October 1 and underwent vinification free of SO2. Deep purple in color, it is initially backward and sultry on the nose, necessitating 60 minutes before it really opens. It then reveals intense scents of cranberry, raspberry and touches of cassis intermingling with white pepper. Given that the Cabernets comprise 63% of the blend, this has a typical Left Bank personality but with Right Bank precocity. The palate conveys a sense of vibrancy and vigor on the entry, a dash of black pepper and allspice mingling with the mélange of red and black fruit. The tannins are satin-like in texture, and there’s dark berry fruit and hints of pencil lead and black truffle shavings toward the Pomerol-like finish. This is a magnificent Figeac from head winemaker Frédéric Faye and his team. This sample really came into its own 2–3 hours after opening. Drink 2030 - 2065
-
Wine Advocate, May 2021,
Score: 96-98+The 2020 Figeac is a blend of 37% Merlot, 32% Cabernet Franc and 31% Cabernet Sauvignon, weighing in with an alcohol of 13.9% and a pH of 3.7. Opaque purple-black colored, it bursts from the glass with a beautifully vibrant initial wave of pure, pristine black fruits: fresh black cherries, juicy black plums and ripe blackcurrants. With swirling, a whole array of floral and spice notes is unleashed: lavender, ground cloves, cumin seed, cardamom and rose oil. The medium-bodied palate is surprisingly graceful for the intensity of aromas, featuring ethereal, perfumed black berry notes, framed by a seamless line of freshness and ripe, grainy tannins, finishing on a lingering fragrant earth note. Far more cerebral and quietly introspective than it is hedonic, this could only be Figeac. Drink 2027-2057.
-
Decanter, May 2021,
Score: 96This delivers concentration and intensity, a ton of black fruits, definitely Cabernet dominant in terms of fruit, and its slightly serious character, with a whoosh of juice on the finish. An extremely elegant and controlled wine, with savoury bilberry and loganberry, then peony and tobacco leaf as it opens. Tannins are finely layered but there are a lot of them. Not an exuberant Figeac, but this is rarely a wine that rushes out to seduce, it takes its time and has ageing potential in spades. The gravel soils in the drought of the summer meant the grapes slowed their ripening process, although only the youngest vines suffered blockages, and that combined with the high Cabernet content of Figeac means lower alcohols than the past few years, giving a classic balance and a feeling of effortless success. 75% of the production went into the first wine. Harvest September 4 to October 1, a full five weeks. Their final yield here was around 37hl/ha, (higher than in 2019 at Figeac, which was 34hl/ha). As with on the Left Bank, the Cabernet Sauvignons were the lowest yield (30hl/ha), with tiny berries so had to be careful with the extraction. First vintage in the new cellars. Drink 2029-2046 (JA)
-
Antonio Galloni, June 2021,
Score: 95-97A super-classic wine, the 2020 Figeac sizzles with vertical energy. The château has made a number of tremendous wines in recent vintages, but I don't remember a Figeac with this much saline-drenched intensity and mineral drive. The 2020 is superb, but it won't be ready to drink anytime soon. The mixture of soil types and varieties, with the high percentage of Cabernet Sauvignon, that is such a signature here, was a huge help in maintaining balance and energy in the wine. Technical Director Frédéric Faye certainly seems to have gotten the most out of the vintage. Drink 2035 - 2060
-
Goedhuis, May 2021,
Score: 97-9837% Merlot, 32% cabernet Franc, 31% Cabernet Sauvignon A classical composition of almost one third equal of the 3 classical grape varieties for this famed St Emilion with a left bank feel. Densely opaque in colour, the initial attack is full of bright Cabernet Franc fresh red berry fruits, then as the wine builds in the palate the more striking flavours of dark cassis and kirsch develop. It simultaneously combines discreet bright Cabernet energy with sweetly intense merlot richness. Tight, controlled and hugely complex, with a wonderful persistence as the dark smoky flavours linger beautifully at the end. A symphony of right bank charm and left bank distinction.
-
Wine Cellar Insider, May 2021,
Score: 97-99Roses, tobacco leaf, oak, black raspberries, spice, black currants and plum aromas are all over the place. Incredibly silky on the palate, the wine is fresh and focused on its purity and precision. Elegant, gentle and refined, the sweet, ripe cherries come in waves, building in length and intensity from the mid-palate through the finish, which lasts almost 50 seconds. The wine is effortless to drink. This should age and evolve for decades. The wine blends 37% Merlot, 32% Cabernet Franc and 31% Cabernet Sauvignon, 13.9% ABV, 3.7 pH. Picking took place September 4, October1, making it one of the longest harvests in the history of the estate.
-
Jancis Robinson, April 2021,
Score: 17.5+Gentle, juicy and pure with nothing overdone. Merlot provides the broad-brush sweetness on attack, the Cabernet the fresh, minerally notes on the finish. Fine grain of tannin and aromatic complexity on the nose and palate; the finesse is there. (JL) Drink 2028 – 2045
-
Jeb Dunnuck, May 2021,
Score: 96-98I loved the 2020 Château Figeac, and this beauty offers everything you could want from this site, revealing a dense purple/ruby color to go with gorgeous notes of cassis, tobacco, sappy herbs, and spring flowers as well as an almost Pauillac lead pencil note that develops with time in the glass. A blend of 37% Merlot, 32% Cabernet Franc, and 31% Cabernet Sauvignon, it's full-bodied and has perfect balance, ultra-fine tannins, and a great, great finish. It brings ample power yet has a weightless elegance and riveting precision reminiscent of the 2016. Don't miss it.
-
Matthew Jukes, May 2021,
Score: 19+2020 Figeac is a tour de force. Every possible variable is considered at this historic estate and the results of the painstaking work, coupled with the innate skill and experience of the team, is evident in this wine. They employed horses to plough during the heavy rains at the beginning of the year rather than tractors, which would have struggled while also compacting the soil unnecessarily. Conversely in the summer, they ploughed their cover crops in extremely gently, so as not to kick up dust. They used judicious green harvesting on younger plots while keeping an extremely close eye on each of their three varieties because they are all essential to make Figeac its own unique proposition. While this is essentially a gravelly estate, with 4-5m depth in most areas, the blue clay beneath this layer of gravel ensured that there was no undue stress on the vines during the hot summer. A touch of rain at the beginning of September completed the picture and they harvested at a leisurely pace over four weeks. Freshness in early picks of Merlot was balanced when the older vines came in and bolstered these notes with extra levels of texture and tannins. Cabernet Franc was on stunning form in 2020 making up spiciness and glorious aromatic notes of violets and exotic tea leaves. The Cabernet Sauvignon berries were tiny in 2020 and so extra gentle handling was needed to extract the luxurious fruit notes but no astringency to upset the hard work that the viti-team put in over this testing year. Figeac works very closely with their coopers to build bespoke woodwork for this estate and Frédéric Faye told me that they have a 35-page instruction document for their barrel-makers so that they are guaranteed the very finest and most suitable barrels imaginable. The sample I tasted was a ‘finished wine’ with 7% press wine already added and so it was possible for me to see deep into its soul allowing me to fully appreciate the incredible tri-varietal balance achieved here. This is a highly sophisticated Right Bank wine with hints of Left Bank grandeur and discipline and it is, most definitely, a style of its own. The Cabernets seem to sandwich the Merlot with Franc providing the aroma, Merlot the heart and Cabernet Sauvignon the impeccable finish. This is an astoundingly serious wine with so much detail coupled to so much delicacy and restraint it is incredible. I find the tannins unique at Figeac, and in 2020, they have never been fitter, nor more resplendent and they will power this wine for decades to come. While I have not as much experience of this Château as I would like, I can definitely say that this is the finest Figeac I have tasted and it has a spectacular future ahead of it.
- Colour
- Red
- Producer
- Château Palmer
- Region
- Margaux, Red Bordeaux
- Grape
- Cabernet Sauvignon / Merlot / Petit Verdot
- Drinking
- 2028 - 2047
- Case size
- 6x75cl category_Bordeaux EP pre-release
- Available Later
2020 CH PALMER 3ÈME CRU MARGAUX - 6x75cl
- Colour
- Red
- Producer
- Château Palmer
- Region
- Margaux
- Grape
- Cabernet Sauvignon / Merlot / Petit Verdot
- Drinking
- 2028 - 2047
- Case size
- 6x75cl
- Available Later
- Pricing
- In Bond
- Pricing Info
Need help? Call +44 (0)20 7793 7900 or email wine@goedhuis.com.
Tasting Notes
-
Decanter, May 2021,
Score: 97Vivid colours, and the aromatics grab hold straight away. This is intense and concentrated, elegant, balanced and classical, all about the texture which is velvety and seductive with softly-grained tannins. Moves oh so slowly through the palate with dozens of layers to get hold of. The overall feel is precise, slow and seductive, with appellation and estate signature at every turn. Sappy, hawthorn freshness, rosemary, redcurrant, tobacco, cigar box and dark chocolate shavings on the finish. 3.77pH, 78IPT, 55% of overall production, with 13% press wine. Drink 2028-2044 (JA)
-
Jancis Robinson, April 2021,
Score: 18+The Merlot provides the broad sweep and touch of sweetness on entry, the Cabernet the fine but punchy tannins that drive the wine. Lots of life and persistence, the tannins fine-grained and fresh. Clear potential. (JL) 14.1%. Drink 2028 – 2050
