2020 Bordeaux

[Jeff Leve]

For those of you interested in what's going on with 2020 Bordeaux, a vintage I really love, I just finished writing up close to 950 notes from the vintage, along with a vintage report and a look at good, and not-so-positive trends in Bordeaux today.

You can peruse over 20 articles separated by appellation, or use the tasting note, or article search.

https://www.thewinecellarinsider.com/20 ... ng-report/

[JimHow]

Thanks Jeff, looking forward to checking it out!

[Claudius2]

Jeff
Yes many thanks
I’m going to a big 2020 tasting in May so I’ll make sure I read your report soon.
Cheers
Mark

[Comte Flaneur]

Thanks for your notes Jeff
Did you try the first growths? I can’t see notes on them and a couple of others like Ducru and LLC
What would make your notes more helpful would be if you took the trouble to note the abv of each wine at the bottom of your note.
While some in the industry like Edouard Moueix and Thomas Duroux seem to regard it as an irrelevant or residual statistic, for many of us schooled in the Medocian classics of the 1980s it really does matter, and I for one find it infuriating when I see no reference to the ABV. Izak is sometimes guilty of this too.
Georgina Hindle in her excellent piece on the 2020s in the latest edition of Decanter listed the ABV on each wine, and tasted all the first growths.

[jckba]

While there is wealth of information and tasting notes on your site Jeff, I also agree with Ian in showing the AbV would be a welcomed additional data point.

[Jeff Leve]

Thanks for your notes Jeff
Did you try the first growths? I can’t see notes on them and a couple of others like Ducru and LLC
What would make your notes more helpful would be if you took the trouble to note the abv of each wine at the bottom of your note.
While some in the industry like Edouard Moueix and Thomas Duroux seem to regard it as an irrelevant or residual statistic, for many of us schooled in the Medocian classics of the 1980s it really does matter, and I for one find it infuriating when I see no reference to the ABV. Izak is sometimes guilty of this too.
Georgina Hindle in her excellent piece on the 2020s in the latest edition of Decanter listed the ABV on each wine, and tasted all the first growths.

Hi Ian

All the 2020 wines reviewed were shipped to me. The First Growths and a handful of other wines did not send samples to anyone. With 950 wines, including almost every major wine, and more petit chateaux than ever, I think I received as many if not more samples than any other taster.

As for ABV, first, noting them for every wine is a lot of work. Even at :30 seconds per bottle, that is almost a full day of my time. As you can find them on other sites, you do not need that info from me. It is honestly far too much extra work for me.

Normally, when I am in Bordeaux, when I see the tech sheets during barrel tastings, for very the top wines, I list blends, ABV, harvest dates, pH, and other specs for barrel samples. But with 2020, barrel samples, and bottles were tasted at my home office, so very few tech sheets arrived.

FYI, I will taste all the First Growths and the handful of other wines that did not ship in April.

With 950 wines to read about, I am hoping they were helpful and informative.

[Comte Flaneur]

“With 950 wines to read about, I am hoping they were helpful and informative.”

Yes they were Jeff - a huge effort on your part - well done - I have only read a few of them so far - think it is a vintage I would like more than 2019.

If you get the tech sheets I think a lot of people, like me would appreciate the abv stats - it is also a pet peeve of many of my U.K. friends

[jckba]

I too think ABV is a worthwhile data point that no one really tracks in a meaningful way. The benefit would clearly come once you’ve entered this yearly ABV value for each property you review into a database table while also backfilling prior years, as then your end user would be able to sort and arrange said values by region, or chateau, and then do so over time which IMHO, would only increase your websites value proposition.

[Comte Flaneur]

I did a speed date tour of some 2020s last night in central London - most producers brought their 2020, another vintage and some of their second wines.

I think I like 2020 as a vintage more than 2019. They are less gloopy and more focused than the 2019s, though stricter and less easy to enjoy now than the 2019s.

But clearly it is a vintage of the highest pedigree. Generally, though not in every case, the 2020 outperformed the other vintage. From what I glimpsed the dry whiles and Sauternes are very good too.

I will list each 2020 red and the accompanying vintage

Pape Clement - 95
2016 - 95 - served by Bernard Magrez’s son a dead ringer for his dad

Smith Haut Lafitte - 96
2010 - 96

Haut Bailly - 96
2015 - 95

Dufort Vivens - 95
2015 - 93

Haut-Bages Liberal - 95
2017 - 91

Leoville Poyferre - 96 - still a very glossy style
2005 - 92

Ducru Beaucaillou - 99 - my wotn - so refined - best Ducru ever?
2006 - 92

Petit Lion (LLC) - 93
2010 - 92

Leoville Lascases - 97
2007 - 92

Duhart Milon - 96
2007 - 88

Grand Puy Lacoste - 95
2017 - 93

Haut Batailley - 94
2017 - 90
2020 Verso - 90

Lynch Bages - 97
2010 - 95

Pichon Lalande - 98
2010 - 93
2014 Reserve de La Comtesse - 89

Pichon Baron - 96
2014 - 94
2020 Griffons - 90 - the Barons tasted a bit soft - style change?

Montrose - 99 - better, more focused than the 2019…….
2011 - 90 - what a difference
2015 La Dame - 92

Calon Segur - 96
2010 - 97

La Gaffeliere - 91 - 40% CF for freshness, doesn’t really work
2015 - 90
2019 Clos La Gaffeliere - 90 - good value proposition

La Fleur Petrus - 98 - gorgeous
2011 - 90 - what a difference

Belair Monange - 97
2016 - 94

Malartic-Lagraviere Blanc - 96

Pape Clement Blanc - 95

Smith Haut Lafitte Blanc - 95

Suduiraut - 96

Rieussec - 94

[JCNorthway]

Thanks for the perspective. Sounds like a very promising vintage.

[Jay Winton]

Thanks Ian and thanks for "gloopy"-a wine descriptor new to me.

[JimHow]

Damn, too bad I am not buying any more wines post-2019.

[Ognik]

Me neither. LOL.

[Blanquito]

Damn, too bad I am not buying any more wines post-2019.

Amen, brother!

[stefan]

These reviews by Jeff, Ian, and Isak are convincing me to live longer than I planned.

[Comte Flaneur]

I decided to buy a ticket for another 2020 tasting last night, same format as my last post

Brane Cantenac - 90 - I think this is over-extracted - I didn’t get on with it at the Chateau in Oct 21 - I may be wrong but a miss in the context of the vintage
2014 - 93 - a delightful, fresh 2014

Cantenac Brown - 94
2018 - 93 - an estate that has really raised its game in recent vintages

Giscours - 97 - a triumph, super silky tannins
2018 - 93

Rauzan Segla - 95
2014 - 92

D’Issan - 95 - first vintage with five varieties with the addition of Malbec served by the Elfine Princess
2018 - 93

GPL - 95 - take two, same score
2019 - 96 - yes I slightly prefer the 2019

2014 Pichon Lalande - 94

2018 - Lynch Bages - 96

2009 - Pichon Baron - 97

2006 - Montrose - 93

DDC - 97 - I asked Olivier Bernard if the style had reverted back to the pre-2003 more nuanced, elegant style. He didn’t deny it but tried to bullshit me about replanting and terroir. I looked him in the eye, and he knew that I knew he was bullshitting me.

2016 - 92 - blocky and awkward by comparison to the 2020

2020 Blanc - 95

Les Carmes Haut-Brion - 97 - quite something, but not a 100 pointer
2014 - 92

Beychevelle - 96 - reminded me of the 2016, so refined
2015 - 93

Talbot - 92 - austere and not giving much, but has the potential to evolve well
2016 - 92 - ditto and still closed

Branaire Ducru - 95 - just super
2018 - 94 - likewise, fab vfm

2015 - Leoville Poyferre - 91 - bit odd, like the 2005 tasted the previous night

Langoa Barton - 94
2019 - 94 - fruit block

Leoville Barton - 96
2017 - 94 - glorious claret without the intensity of the 2020

2012 Leoville Lascases - 96 - open for business, fabulous

Canon - 95 - definitely one to flip if you have any
2019 - 95

Troplong Mondot 2020 - 98 - Gordon Bennet
2018 - 96

Laroque - 93
2019 - 93 - vfm proposition

Pavie - 95 - diallled down these days still erring ripe and extracted
2014 - 92 - I liked this but Nick didn’t

Figeac - 96 - I expected to like this even more but seems on a par with recent vintages
2010 - 91 - clumsy

Canon-la-Gaffeliere - 96 - brilliant
2018 - 94

La Mondotte - 96 - posh ClG
2018 - 94

Gazin - 94
2018 - 92

La Conseillante - 97 - like a silk scarf fluttering from a minaret
2017 - 95 - zen-like

Beauregard - 93
2018 - 92

Petit Village - 94
2019 - 93

[JimHow]

Boy, Giscours is really bringing it on….

[Blanquito]

Damn, those are some really positive scores. I like.

Most of those were not shown at the K&L 2020 UGC, but of the same wines at both events, here are my scores:

Gazin: 93-94 sturdy, balanced, strong potential
DDC (rouge): 95+ (see Ian’s comments)
Leoville Barton: 97 killer, balanced, power and charm
Langoa Barton: 92 a little soft, not the 2016
Lynch Bages: 96 wowzers
Pichon Lalande: 93-94 fairly inscrutable
Canon: 93 a let-down, softer, riper, verging anodyne
Figeac: 94 better, but no fireworks
Giscours: 94 very good, sexy
Branaire Ducru: 94-95 tight but very promising

[Musigny 151]

Just bought a six pack of Les Carmes Haut Brion.
I hate not having the chance to taste the wines myself, but I have a couple of decent surrogates, whose palates I trust.

[Comte Flaneur]

Much as I really enjoyed the Carmes I could not bring myself to cough up £785/6 in bond when I could buy the Troplong Mondot which I marginally preferred for £450/6.

Both are likely to soar in price, so perhaps it was irrational to pass on the Carmes.

I also back filled with DDC rouge 280/6 ib, Duhart 330/6 ib and Canon La Gaffeliere 330/6 ib

I haven’t pulled the trigger on the Giscours yet … but it is only a matter of time

[Comte Flaneur]

Lillian Barton Sartorius was typically aloof, contrarian and superior even though I have probably met her 15 times. She didn’t even pretend to recognise me.

I thought I don’t need to buy any more of your wines. There are plenty of good/better/better value alternatives out there.

[Musigny 151]

Strange. I always thought of her as quite lovely.
Long story but I once turned up at Barton in tennis gear because there was back to back traffic in Bordeaux where I played (and lost) getting back to the Medoc. No time to change, arrived at Las Cases, and instead of the winemaker or Delon who I usually dealt with, the receptionist gave me a up and down French look, and promptly called an intern.

When I went to Barton, Lillian greeted me and could not stop giggling and asked me if I had come to taste or play tennis.

[JimHow]

Yeah I found her a bit much to take when we met her in 2015. If you said black she said white.

[greatbxfreak]

Ian,

It's not nice to write about Olivier Bernard that he was bulshitting you. He's imho one of the most honest and charismatic wine personalities in Bordeaux and I've known him since 1984.

Others,

Some of the posters on BWW feel free too much to do scathing attacks on several wine personalities, and I don't like the insinuations.

There's something called etiquette and rules in Bordeaux - you don't show up at the tastings in tennis shorts or half-naked.

I have a completely different opinion on Lilian Barton than you guys.

JimH

You should do some cleaning out here at BWW.

[Comte Flaneur]

That’s a bit rich coming from you Izak, especially lecturing us on etiquette.

You should get your own house in order first.

You should remove the plank out of your eye before criticising the speck in other people’s eyes.

[greatbxfreak]

Ian,

I don't understand you at all.

Btw, where is ABV on the wines from 2020 vintage you recently tasted?

[Nicklasss]

Ian,

Btw, where is ABV on the wines from 2020 vintage you recently tasted?

Sorry for both of you, but i couldn't resist!

[Musigny 151]

Ian,

It's not nice to write about Olivier Bernard that he was bulshitting you. He's imho one of the most honest and charismatic wine personalities in Bordeaux and I've known him since 1984.

Others,

Some of the posters on BWW feel free too much to do scathing attacks on several wine personalities, and I don't like the insinuations.

There's something called etiquette and rules in Bordeaux - you don't show up at the tastings in tennis shorts or half-naked.

I have a completely different opinion on Lilian Barton than you guys.

JimH

You should do some cleaning out here at BWW.

Ah! A personal attack. Thank you Izak! But of course there is a lot more to the story.

As Ian says, time to get your own house in order, as you seem to have a nasty habit of being unnecessarily belligerent. My own dealings with you in real life have not been particularly pleasant, nor have they been recently on these boards. There have been posts where you have displayed a remarkable lack of understanding of the winemaking process that made me wonder about your credentials, but then I think you are self appointed. I have never bothered with your scores, as when I was tasting at the same time as you, I found neither consistency nor alignment.

This is not the first time you have shown yourself to be a complete horse’s ass.

Strangely I agree with you about Olivier Bernard.

[Ognik]

So sad.
Strange in what form personal defamation is presented here by the two previous speakers. Quite impressive ego.
Makes me doubt whether I want to continue reading and writing here. Too bad actually.
I also miss the context of the 20s topic.