New 2020 Bordeaux thread
Posted: Wed Apr 26, 2023 4:23 pm
The last one ended on a very sour and unpleasant note so I propose starting afresh with a new one.
But this one starts on a somewhat controversial note. I have been reading reviews on the 2020s which have been interesting, especially this one on 2020 Pontet Canet from William Kelley:
“While Justine Tesseron declined my request to taste at the property, I was able to acquire a bottle of the 2020 Pontet-Canet for review. The wine starts strong, wafting from the glass with attractive aromas of cherries, sweet berries and plum preserve mingled with lilac and licorice, but that's followed by a medium to full-bodied, firm and extracted palate that lacks the amplitude and flesh to conceal the rather drying tannins which dominate the earthy finish. It's an open secret among Bordeaux insiders that this estate—which has benefited from such significant and laudable investments and which was on such an upward trajectory through 2011—has been a perplexingly erratic performer since 2012, intermingling successful vintages with relative failures, and the 2020 only confirms that. While the 2020 isn't by any means a flawed wine, and time may well be kind to it, it doesn't transcend this estate's fifth growth status, even if this château's terroir clearly has the potential to.” 92 pts.
Neal Martin was persona non grata at Pontet Canet for a while but has kissed and made up with Alfred, and he scored this wine 95, a pretty high score for Neal because he has not succumbed to insidious grade inflation like some of the other critics.
I have bought quite a few 2020s and I am pretty happy with what I bought:
Ausone - 5 x 3 - very high scoring too, slated as wotv
Canon - 2 x 6 WK 100
These were the first purchases with a view to flipping most of them and keep a few of each
D’Issan - 1 x 6
Pichon Lalande - 1 x 3
These were all so purchased in 2021
Then this year:
Conseillante - 2 x 3 WK 100
Troplong Mondot - 2 x 6 GH 100
Montrose 1 x 6 WK 100, NM 99
Ducru Beaucaillou 1 x 6
Duhart Milon - 1 x 6
DDC rouge - 1 x 6
Canon La Gaffeliere 1 x 6
Pretty happy with that lot, possible future purchases - but not during the BWE buying freeze - wines I tasted n loved (no hurry to buy):
Beychevelle
Branaire
Giscours
Gruaud-Larose (not tasted, but I am confident I will love it)
But this one starts on a somewhat controversial note. I have been reading reviews on the 2020s which have been interesting, especially this one on 2020 Pontet Canet from William Kelley:
“While Justine Tesseron declined my request to taste at the property, I was able to acquire a bottle of the 2020 Pontet-Canet for review. The wine starts strong, wafting from the glass with attractive aromas of cherries, sweet berries and plum preserve mingled with lilac and licorice, but that's followed by a medium to full-bodied, firm and extracted palate that lacks the amplitude and flesh to conceal the rather drying tannins which dominate the earthy finish. It's an open secret among Bordeaux insiders that this estate—which has benefited from such significant and laudable investments and which was on such an upward trajectory through 2011—has been a perplexingly erratic performer since 2012, intermingling successful vintages with relative failures, and the 2020 only confirms that. While the 2020 isn't by any means a flawed wine, and time may well be kind to it, it doesn't transcend this estate's fifth growth status, even if this château's terroir clearly has the potential to.” 92 pts.
Neal Martin was persona non grata at Pontet Canet for a while but has kissed and made up with Alfred, and he scored this wine 95, a pretty high score for Neal because he has not succumbed to insidious grade inflation like some of the other critics.
I have bought quite a few 2020s and I am pretty happy with what I bought:
Ausone - 5 x 3 - very high scoring too, slated as wotv
Canon - 2 x 6 WK 100
These were the first purchases with a view to flipping most of them and keep a few of each
D’Issan - 1 x 6
Pichon Lalande - 1 x 3
These were all so purchased in 2021
Then this year:
Conseillante - 2 x 3 WK 100
Troplong Mondot - 2 x 6 GH 100
Montrose 1 x 6 WK 100, NM 99
Ducru Beaucaillou 1 x 6
Duhart Milon - 1 x 6
DDC rouge - 1 x 6
Canon La Gaffeliere 1 x 6
Pretty happy with that lot, possible future purchases - but not during the BWE buying freeze - wines I tasted n loved (no hurry to buy):
Beychevelle
Branaire
Giscours
Gruaud-Larose (not tasted, but I am confident I will love it)