Last week, Antonio Galloni (Vinous Media) released his report on the 2020 Bordeaux vintage: “Bordeaux 2020: Saving the Best for Last”. Our offer below features 14 wines that were highlighted in his report. The third wine on the list deserves a stand-alone offer. It is the best deal of the bunch, but there were so many exciting wines that we had to build a bigger offer. The wines are ranked from the least to the most expensive, with the last wine on the list flaunting a perfect 100 point score! There are so many wines here that are classified as “Superb” and “Magnificent”. You can’t go wrong.
Galloni’s conclusion: “Two thousand-twenty is an incredibly exciting vintage for Bordeaux. After having tasted more than 800 wines for this report, my conclusion is that 2020 is by far the most consistent of the three vintages in Bordeaux’s so-called trilogy spanning 2018 through 2020. It is a year brimming with phenomenal wines at all levels, from the big names down to bottles the average consumer can still afford to purchase by the case.“
“In short, 2020 is a great modern-day Bordeaux vintage. From the standpoint of both peaks and overall consistency, it surpasses 2018 and 2019. Time will tell how it ultimately stacks up to 2016 and 2015. Seen through the lens of other relatively recent important vintages such as 2010, 2009 and 2005, 2020 is far more interesting. The wines are less extracted, more vibrant and, frankly, much more fun to drink.”
Note: The prices listed are as of March 6th, 2023 and are subject to change. Wines are expected to start shipping June 2023.
2020 Chateau Montlandrie, Cotes De Castillon, $25 per bottle
94 Points, Vinous Media: The 2020 Montlandrie, the Durantou family’s Côtes de Castillon, is fabulous. It is another very serious wine in this range. A core of dark Merlot fruit gradually opens, releasing complicating notes of spice, leather, incense and licorice. There’s real depth and gravitas. A few years in the cellar seem prudent, as there is a lot of wine here. The purity of the flavors is just striking. Drink: 2025 – 2035. – Antonio Galloni
2020 Chateau Meyney, Saint Estephe, $32 per bottle
94 Points, Vinous Media: The 2020 Meyney turned out beautifully. Fresh, vibrant and full of character, the 2020 impresses with its energy and delineation. Dark cherry, rose petal, blood orange, sage, mint and white pepper all race out of the glass. The 2020 is bold and yet refined. There is certainly plenty to admire. Drink: 2027 – 2040. – Antonio Galloni
2020 Chateau Franc Mayne, Saint-Emilion Grand Cru, $33 per bottle
96 Points, Vinous Media: The 2020 Franc Mayne is dense, resonant and beautifully explosive in the glass. Sumptuous dark red/purplish fruit, rose petals, mint and lavender all saturate the palate. This heady Saint-Émilion really delivers the goods. There’s plenty of energy and tension to balance the more forward nature of the Merlot. Superb. Drink: 2028 – 2050. – Antonio Galloni
Our 2020 Bordeaux pick!
2020 Chateau Carbonnieux Rouge, Pessac Leognan, $37 per bottle
94 Points, Vinous Media: The 2020 Carbonnieux is a dark, brooding beauty. Black cherry, gravel, incense, tobacco, smoke, mocha and cured meats build as this deep, layered Pessac-Léognan shows off its considerable personality. I would give the tannins a few years to soften. The mix of fruit richness and energy is compelling. Drink: 2026 – 2040. – Antonio Galloni
2020 Clos De L’Oratoire, Saint-Emilion Grand Cru, $38 per bottle
94 Points, Vinous Media: The 2020 Montlandrie, the Durantou family’s Côtes de Castillon, is fabulous. It is another very serious wine in this range. A core of dark Merlot fruit gradually opens, releasing complicating notes of spice, leather, incense and licorice. There’s real depth and gravitas. A few years in the cellar seem prudent, as there is a lot of wine here. The purity of the flavors is just striking. Drink: 2025 – 2035. – Antonio Galloni
2020 Chateau Haut-Bages Libéral, Pauillac, $48 per bottle
96 Points, Vinous Media: The 2020 Haut-Bages Libéral is exceptionally beautiful and vivid. Hard candy, kirsch, rose petal, cinnamon and blood orange are some of the many notes that race across the palate. A wine of magnificent purity and silkiness, the Haut-Bages Libéral is simply captivating in its intensity. Bright acids punctuate the articulate, persistent finish. Magnificent. Drink: 2028 – 2050. – Antonio Galloni
2020 Chateau Rouget, Pomerol, $48 per bottle
96 Points, Vinous Media: The 2020 Haut-Bages Libéral is exceptionally beautiful and vivid. Hard candy, kirsch, rose petal, cinnamon and blood orange are some of the many notes that race across the palate. A wine of magnificent purity and silkiness, the Haut-Bages Libéral is simply captivating in its intensity. Bright acids punctuate the articulate, persistent finish. Magnificent. Drink: 2028 – 2050. – Antonio Galloni
2020 Chateau Lafon Rochet, Saint-Estephe, $49 per bottle
96 Points, Vinous Media: The 2020 Lafon-Rochet represents the essence of classicism in Bordeaux. Medium in body and finely-cut, Lafon-Rochet is one of the classiest, more refined Saint-Estèphes readers will come across. Dark fruit, earthiness, lavender, licorice, menthol and cloves add nuance, but it is the wine‘s balance and vibrancy that impress most. Give the tannins a few years to melt away. Superb. Drink: 2030-2050. – Antonio Galloni
2020 Chateau Malartic Lagravière, Pessac-Leognan, $49 per bottle
95 Points, Vinous Media: The 2020 Malartic Lagravière is fabulous. Dark, ample and explosive, the 2020 offers an exciting mélange of dark fruit, lavender, spice and licorice. Even with all of its obvious size, the 2020 retains terrific freshness and plenty of delineation. Drink: 2030-2045. – Antonio Galloni
2020 Chateau Durfort-Vivens, Margaux, $69 per bottle
96 Points, Vinous Media: The 2020 Durfort-Vivens is a dense, concentrated wine, just as it was en primeur. Blackberry jam, grilled herbs, lavender, menthol and chocolate are some of the many notes that build as the 2020 shows off its breadth and sheer power. Striking inner perfume and sweet aromatics lend an exotic flair that is so distinctive. Superb. Drink: 2028-2050. – Antonio Galloni
2020 La Gravette De Certan, Pomerol, $77 per bottle
Second wine of the cult wine Vieux Chateau Certan.
95 Points, Vinous Media: 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. Drink: 2028 – 2040. – Antonio Galloni
2020 Chateau Pape Clément Rouge, Pessac-Leognan, $95 per bottle
98 Points, Vinous Media: The 2020 Pape Clément is outrageously beautiful. Dark, virile and imposing, the 2020 is a rare vintage of Pape Clément that is vertical and statuesque in feel. Dark fruit, chocolate, new leather, licorice and cloves infuse the palate with tremendous depth. In a word: magnificent. Drink: 2030 – 2050. – Antonio Galloni
2020 Chateau Troplong-Mondot, Saint-Emilion, Premier Grand Cru Classe B, $120 per bottle
98 Points, Vinous Media: The 2020 Troplong Mondot is fabulous. Rich, dark and expansive, the 2020 is wonderfully exuberant right out of the gate. Black cherry, plum, gravel, incense and licorice are all dialed up. There’s tremendous breadth and power, but without the excess weight of the past. Even so, the 2020 is a big, big wine that needs the better part of a decade to soften. All the classic Troplong structure is there, but buffered by vibrant acids and tons of supporting minerality. Harvest started on September 5 and finished on October 8, a very wide window for the Right Bank, and a reminder of how different the parcels are. The 2020 was done in 60% new oak, 12% foudres 28% once-used barrels. Drink: 2030 – 2050. – Antonio Galloni
2020 Chateau Les Carmes Haut-Brion, Pessac-Leognan, $196 per bottle
A MASTERPIECE from Guillaume Pouthier.
100 Points, Vinous Media: The 2020 Les Carmes Haut-Brion is a total stunner. For the first time I can remember, Les Carmes Haut-Brion marries all of its elements so well that nothing stands out. In the past, the high percentage of Franc and/or the whole clusters were evident. The 2020 is the first modern vintage in which all the elements are so well balanced. Dark red/purplish fruit, rose petal, mint, lavender, dried herbs and incense all build in a ravishing Pessac-Léognan that will take your breath away…The 2020 is a masterpiece from Technical Director Guillaume Pouthier and his team. Don’t miss it! Drink: 2030 – 2070. – Antonio Galloni
Shop the selection of exclusive offers from the 2020 Bordeaux release!
For personalized 2020 Bordeaux recommendations and more, get in touch with one of our fine wine experts. Please note, wine from this release will begin to ship in June 2023.
$48.00 3 Available
$32.00 3 Available
$38.00 1 Available
$33.00 34 Available
$120.00 5 Available
