The final Wine Lister partner critic to release their Bordeaux 2020 scores, Jeannie Cho Lee’s latest ratings provide further insight into the best of Bordeaux’s latest vintage.
Recap the top scores from Bettane+Desseauve, JancisRobinson.com, Neal Martin and Antonio Galloni (Vinous), or read more below.
Giving a near-perfect score of 99, Jeannie Cho Lee praises Lafite 2020, calling it a “classic Lafite with a soft, almost effortless entry” and a “long lingering finish”.
Along with La Mission Haut-Brion Rouge, First Growths Haut-Brion, Margaux, and Mouton follow shortly behind with 98 points. Haut-Brion Blanc gains 94 points, while several siblings of the Premier Crus clan also appear on the list, with Carruades de Lafite and Pavillon Rouge scoring 95.
Of the 27 wines that earn 94 and over from Jeannie Cho Lee, 13 hail from Saint-Emilion – once again suggesting the success of the appellation in 2020. Angélus, Monbousquet, and Pavie lead the pack with a score of 98, while Pavie’s second wine, Arômes de Pavie also makes an appearance.
Further top-scoring Bordeaux 2020 from Jeannie Cho Lee are: Pichon Baron, Bellevue-Mondotte, Canon, l’Evangile, Laroze, Pavie-Decesse, Rauzan-Ségla, Smith Haut Lafitte Rouge, Clos des Jacobins, Bellevue, Cos d’Estournel, Destieux, Duhart-Milon, Fleur Cardinale, Arômes de Pavie, and Quintus.
Watch this space for Wine Lister’s latest Wine Leagues on the new vintage – examining which Bordeaux 2020s rank best for WL score in each major appellation.
The majority of Bordeaux 2020 en primeur scores have now been published by Wine Lister partner critic, Antonio Galloni (Vinous), who notes in his latest tasting report that the vintage impresses “for a combination of energy and vibrancy”.
Explore all Bordeaux 2020 scores here, or read more below.
Antonio Galloni awards his top score of 97-99 to Pavie, Haut-Brion, and fellow First Growth, Margaux, which he describes as having “magnificent balance” in 2020. Mouton and Lafite are also featured on the list, having received 96-98 and 95-97, respectively.
Stating in his report that “Pessac-Léognan is the most successful appellation as a whole” in 2020, Antonio Galloni’s top Pessac picks alongside Haut-Brion include La Mission Haut-Brion Rouge (96-98), Les Carmes Haut-Brion (95-97+), Pape Clément, Smith Haut Lafitte Rouge, Haut-Bailly, and Domaine de Chevalier Rouge (all 95-97).
A significant 21 out of the 37 wines earning 95-97 and over from Antonio Galloni hail from the Right Bank, suggesting once again that it coped well with fluctuating water tables in 2020.
Further top-scoring Bordeaux 2020 from Antonio Galloni are: Angélus, Clos Fourtet, Vieux Château Certan, Trotanoy, L’Eglise-Clinet, Pichon Baron, Léoville Las Cases, Pavie Macquin, Beauséjour Héritiers Duffau-Lagarrosse, Léoville-Poyferré, Bélair-Monange, Valandraud, Le Prieuré, Bellevue Mondotte, Larcis Ducasse, La Mondotte, Figeac, Canon, Tertre-Rôteboeuf, L’If, L’Évangile, Feytit-Clinet, Clos L’Eglise, Pontet-Canet, Pichon Comtesse, and Rauzan-Ségla.
Explore the top Bordeaux 2020 scores from Bettane+Desseauve, JancisRobinson.com, Neal Martin (Vinous), and Jeannie Cho Lee.
Wine Lister analyses Bordeaux 2020 scores from our partner critic, Neal Martin (Vinous).
Bordeaux 2020 wines earning 95-97 and over from Neal Martin (Vinous)
Which were Neal Martin’s (Vinous) top-scoring wines from Bordeaux’s 2020 vintage?
In his latest tasting report for Vinous, “Vingt-vingts Vins”, Wine Lister partner critic, Neal Martin, awards no perfect scores for Bordeaux 2020 en primeur (he gave two potential 100-point scores to the 2019 vintage – La Mission Haut-Brion and Pichon Comtesse).
His top 33 wines below nonetheless sport three potential 99-point wines, for First Growth Margaux, Moueix-owned Trotanoy, and Pessac powerhouse La Mission Haut-Brion Rouge.
The Right Bank fares well, earning 15 of the top spots (nine Saint-Émilion, and six Pomerol).
Of Left Bank appellations, Pessac-Léognan fares the best, if entirely from reds, with Haut-Brion, Pape Clément, Haut-Bailly, and Smith Haut Lafitte Rouge joining La Mission for the top offerings in 2020. Pauillac also (perhaps unsurprisingly) performs well, with the two Pichons joining first growths Mouton and Lafite as the appellation’s top scores.
Further top scorers are otherwise scattered across the remaining appellations, including three sweet wines from Sauternes – both cuvées from Doisy-Daëne, and Lur-Saluces-owned de Fargues.
Some of the remaining top-scoring Bordeaux 2020 from Neal Martin are: Léoville Las Cases, l’Eglise Clinet, La Gaffelière, Figeac, Canon, La Conseillante, Vieux Château Certan, Angélus, Pape Clément, Léoville Poyferré, Haut-Bailly, Hosanna, Pavie, Le Gay, La Mondotte, Belair-Monange, Clos Fourtet, Cos d’Estournel, Valandraud, Brane-Cantenac, and Rauzan-Ségla.
The majority of Bordeaux 2020 en primeur scores have now been published by Wine Lister partner critic, Bettane+Desseauve, offering further insight into some of the best bottles from the latest vintage.
Explore all Bordeaux 2020 WL scores here, or read more below.
Note that this year Bettane+Desseauve’s scores are officially ranked on a 100-point scale, as shown above. For consistent and comparable analysis with previous vintages, Bettane+Desseauve have provided 20-point scores to be displayed on individual Wine Lister wine pages during the transition into their new system.
Five of the six wines that receive a score of 98 from Bettane+ Desseauve this year hail from the Right Bank, with Cheval Blanc, Pavie, Ausone, Petrus, and Lafleur leading the list. This adheres to initial indications that it is a Right Bank year, with earlier-ripening Merlot, partnered with the soil’s increased water-holding capacity, helping it handle the drought during the summer.
Indeed, a further five wines on the list come from Saint-Emilion, whose limestone terroirs encouraged a steady water table for the vines in 2020. Figeac, Angélus, Canon, Clos Fourtet, and Belair-Monange all score an impressive 97.5 with their latest vintages.
Pomerol also provides a further four picks, with La Fleur-Pétrus, Trotanoy, and La Conseillante gaining 97.5, followed by micro-production La Violette (releasing 4,800 bottles in 2020) with 97 points.
Also featured on the list of Bordeaux 2020s earning 97 and over from Wine Lister partner critic, Bettane+Desseauve are: Mouton Rothschild, La Fleur-Pétrus, Haut-Brion, Margaux, Palmer, Ducru-Beaucaillou, La Mission Haut-Brion, Pontet-Canet, and Léoville Poyferré.
Explore the top Bordeaux 2020 scores from JancisRobinson.com, Neal Martin and Antonio Galloni (Vinous), and Jeannie Cho Lee.
As we approach the end of May, the Bordeaux 2020 en primeur campaign is still yet to kick off in full force. The past week has seen a slight lull in en primeur activity, with a selection of mid-level wines trickling onto the market.
Following Pentecost Monday, releases commenced on Tuesday (25th May), with Berliquet 2020 entering the market at £36.25. In the expert hands of Canon and Rauzan-Ségla‘s Nicolas Audebert since 2017, Berliquet is fast becoming a true Saint-Émilion gem to watch. Wine Lister CEO, Ella Lister, notes that she was “totally wowed by this wine – Berliquet’s best yet, on a vertiginous ascent”, detecting “flower pollen, verveine, fennel, and chamomile” on the nose, and a “grounded but melting” texture on the palate.
Nicolas Audebert – Winemaker at Rauzan Segla, Canon, and Berliquet (who released its 2020 vintage on Tuesday 25th May)
A trio of Margaux properties released their latest vintages on Wednesday morning (26th May), with Kirwan, Prieuré-Lichine, and Marquis de Terme 2020 entering the market in quick succession. At £25.37, Prieuré-Lichine’s latest release falls under the price of all recent back vintages in the market, while a score of 17 from Julia Harding for JancisRobinson.com places it in line with the well-regarded 2019 vintage. Offering good value for quality, the 2020 is described by Julia as “fragrant with the intense aromas of cassis and spicy black plum”, with a full palate that remains “nicely dry and fresh on the finish”.
Added to the mid-week haul is another Margaux estate, du Tertre, who this year received its highest ever score from Julia Harding for JancisRobinson.com (17+). Ella was also impressed by the latest release, which entered the market yesterday (Thursday 27th May), describing “charming, meandering fruit on the palate”. Having been sold by AJ Domaines (owners of fellow Margaux property, Giscours) this year, du Tertre is now under the helm of the Helfrich family, who have hired Cynthia Capelaere (formerly of Villemaurine) as the new Estate Director. As we often see following the sale and acquisition of an estate, this may be one to watch for future investment as it is revitalised by its new owners.
Also released yesterday, Quinault l’Enclos 2020 was described by Ella as “the culmination of the Cheval Blanc team’s work at this property since its acquisition in 2008”. Tasting in Bordeaux, she notes that “the trademark smoked notes have been relegated to the merest hint”, with “rich, dapper fruit” on the nose, and a palate with an “exceptional light-tough and melting mouthfeel”.
Also released this week are: Cantemerle, Chasse-Spleen, Château Les Cruzelles, Grand Corbin-Despagne, Larrivet Haut-Brion, Kirwan, and La Lagune.
With Bordeaux en primeur releases trickling through, the fine wine trade continues to speculate behind the scenes on which properties will provide the top picks from the 2020 vintage. To shine some light on the perennial châteaux to watch, we are looking back on the results of our latest in-depth trade survey, showing results of properties receiving the highest number of mentions in response to the following question:
Which Bordeaux properties do you think have the most potential in the near- to mid-term to see the highest increase in demand?
As answered by the 49 CEOs, MDs, and wine department heads from across the globe, wines from properties mentioned below are likely to see high demand again in this year’s en primeur campaign, thanks to their astute marketing and storytelling, usually coupled with a real step-up in quality.
The survey results and graph above are extracted from Wine Lister’s latest Bordeaux Study
But how have they gained the confidence of the trade? Storytelling, backed up by real quality, thanks to serious investment:
Canon and sister property, Rauzan-Ségla have benefitted from investment by their owner, Chanel, as well as painstaking and perfectly judged branding efforts, accompanied by impeccable winemaking – with Managing Director, Nicolas Audebert front and centre of both undertakings. Calon-Ségur has been on a similar trajectory, reviving a sleeping beauty of a property with irresistible branding, excellent communication with the trade, and grand events. Pichon Comtesse has likewise benefitted from a perfect combination of exceptional wines, management and investment by its owners, Group Roederer.
If any one château were to serve as a masterclass in storytelling around a single event – in this case the 2018 vintage – it is Palmer, who turned the loss of the majority of its crop due to mildew into a silver lining, and turned the remaining production into something of a myth.
Figeac has made incredible wines the last three years with Managing Director, Frédéric Faye at the helm, returning it to the great quality of the last century – and better – and showing the true potential of its terroir. Significant investment by the Manoncourt family has also played a crucial role.
A rising star in recent years, Les Carmes Haut-Brion ties for joint-first alongside Canon. Small production levels, rising demand, and attractive en primeur pricing for the last few years has made Les Carmes Haut-Brion a top buy.
Lafite is the sole first growth to make an appearance, with three respondents mentioning it in their list of top properties likely to see the highest increase in demand, no doubt thanks to a raft of initiatives and modernisation thanks to a new generation of management in the form of Saskia de Rothschild and Jean-Guillaume Prats.
Also featuring are cult Pomerol pick Vieux Château Certan, Margaux staple Giscours, and from Saint-Emilion, up and coming La Gaffelière and newly fresh Troplong-Mondot.
Results are extracted from Part I of Wine Lister’s annual Bordeaux Study. You can download the study digest in English here: Wine Lister 2021 Bordeaux Study – Digest or French here: Wine Lister 2021 Bordeaux Résumé d’étude. The full report can be purchased on our Analysis page, while Pro subscribers can access their free copy here.
As another week of Bordeaux 2020 en primeur releases draws to a close, the campaign has begun to show signs of speeding up, with some compelling releases entering the market over the past three days.
Below we examine releases from Laroque (Wednesday 19th), Lafon-Rochet (Thursday 20th), and Branaire-Ducru and Batailley (Friday 21st).
Lafon-Rochet’s latest release is a “very successful 2020”, according to Wine Lister partner critic, Jancis Robinson
Released at £18.95 per bottle (in-bond), Laroque was described by Wine Lister CEO, Ella Lister as having an “ebullient, classy, very cassis nose”, developing into a “serious, structured wine on the palate”. The estate has seen recent improvements and investments to achieve a higher quality, starting with the hiring of David Suire in 2015, and the 2020 is no exception in the recent pattern of excellent value for money.
Lafon-Rochet’s latest vintage also illustrates the property’s upward quality trajectory. Having been awarded 17 points from Wine Lister partner critic, Jancis Robinson, (up from 16.5+ for the 2019) she describes it as a “very successful 2020” and congratulates owner, Basile Tesseron, for “producing something so appetising and groundbreaking”. Entering the market yesterday at c.£27.10 per bottle (in-bond), the vintage marks a year of development at Lafon-Rochet. As well as embarking on an agroforestry scheme in 2020 to enrich its environment, the latest release marks the inaugural collaboration of Jean-Claude Berrouet and Eric Boissenot, who worked together on its blending (recap our blog here). The price positioning of this top-quality vintage 10% below the 2019 market price has reportedly been very well-received.
Cru Classés Branaire-Ducru and Batailley were released this morning. Having made a name for itself as offering exceptionally good value within the Saint-Julien appellation, Branaire-Ducru’s latest release (at £31 per bottle in-bond) enters the market at an average 11% and 22% below than current availability of the 2019 and 2018 respectively.
Writing for JancisRobinson.com, James Lawther awards Batailley 2020 17 points, describing it as “Solid, subdued and distinctly Pauillac”. At c.£28 per bottle (in-bond), it enters the market under current average market prices of the last six vintages.
Keep track of en primeur releases on Wine Lister’s dedicated En Primeur Page here.
The Bordeaux en primeur 2020 campaign began in earnest last week, with Cheval Blanc the first of the major releases out of the gate. Its latest vintage was offered at a small, 3% increase on the 2019 release price, which itself came to market with a generous discount of c.30% on the previous year.
UGCB Tasting at The Intercontinental Hotel Bordeaux, attended by Wine Lister CEO, Ella Lister
Absence makes the heart grow fonder
Much of the international trade has entered into a second consecutive year without the normal en primeur tasting week in situ. Instead, the bordelais have generally come up trumps with sending samples this year (only a very small handful of châteaux have declined to send any at all), and in many cases, one-on-one video calls have replaced the fleeting group tasting slots at the estates. Edouard Moueix, Managing Director of Etablissements Jean-Pierre Moueix observes how this has actually been a help, rather than a hindrance, in telling the story of the vintage to clients: “we can take time to explain things like we did some years ago”, he says. With a much wider range of tastings this year (albeit remotely for most) and a slightly less condensed campaign schedule, this should allow room for lesser-known wines that have excelled in the vintage to shine, where last year the sale of 2019s at lightning speed favoured well-known and trusted brands in the main.
While pricing is more often than not the hot topic for many participants in en primeur campaigns, sales of 2020 have the potential for focus on the great stories of each individual Bordeaux estate, given that the price equation this year is perhaps simpler than it has been in recent years.
Following a broadly successful “price reset” through the 2019 campaign, Bordeaux is holding all the cards that should ensure en primeur sales of 2020 work just as well (if not better), riding the wave of renewed interest in Bordeaux created last year. If 2019 prices set the precedent, then all that need happen now is to follow suit – matching last year’s release price, since the quality of 2020 for the majority of wines does the same. A healthier GBP-Euro exchange rate than existed last year should also help to keep price tags attractive, and choices for top-quality, excellent-value wines will hopefully be available in spades.
Follow Wine Lister’s en primeur analysis here on our blog, where we will be highlighting top picks from the 2020 vintage as they are released.
Recap Part I of our Bordeaux Study here for further analysis of en primeur pricing.
Cheval Blanc 2020 was one of the first key releases out of the gate for this year’s Bordeaux en primeur campaign yesterday.
Having tasted in Bordeaux last week, Wine Lister’s CEO, Ella Lister, hails the wine “restrained and profound” on the nose, with “dark, hypnotic fruit”. The palate, she says, is “straight-lined, mineral, mouth-watering and fresh”, with an “incredibly long, saline finish”. As one of her favourite wines of the vintage, she would potentially give it a perfect score.
Technical Director, Pierre-Olivier Clouet notes that 2020 is cut quite differently from recent years at the estate. He characterises the vintage at Cheval Blanc in “three major waves”. First, the humid spring encouraged the vines to grow calmly and homogenously, accumulating water and nutrients much needed later in the season. The second wave was one of drought, which Clouet explains gives Cheval Blanc 2020 “a deep, tannic structure – dense but not hard, firm but not dry, ripe but not cooked”. Balancing this is Clouet’s “third wave” – a period of intense heat towards the end of the summer. With temperatures during harvest reaching 38-39 degrees Celsius, the hot spell translates into a very “expressive, intense, crisp, and aromatic nose”, and a freshness on the palate thanks to quick picking, within 20 days (half the usual duration).
Cheval Blanc 2020 was being offered by UK merchants at around £380 per bottle in-bond – 3% above the 2019 release price, but well under the price of any small remaining quantities of 2019 currently available on the British secondary market. Last year’s gesture on pricing was exceptionally well-received, and the 2020 will likely be no exception.
Following a successful campaign for Brunello 2015s in 2020, this year’s releases of Brunello 2016 will surely take one of Italy’s prominent winemaking appellations to new heights. Below we take a closer look at a handful of Brunello producers to look out for, as the region as a whole continues to rise in fine wine spheres.
Il Poggione
With a family history dating back to the 1800s (and beginning with Lavinio Franceschi), Il Poggione’s multi-generational winemaking experiences have given its wines quite the reputation. As the number one most popular Brunello (as measured by Wine Lister’s search rank, based on monthly searches conducted on the world’s most-visited wine website, Wine-Searcher), is it most certainly deserved – indeed, for the 2016 vintage, Il Poggione achieves a Wine Lister score of 97 – it’s best ever. Writing for Vinous, Eric Guido names it “a classic in the making”.
Il Marroneto
A comparatively young project, Il Marroneto was born from the purchase of vines by lawyer, Giuseppe Mori in 1974, and the ensuing passion for winemaking held by one of his sons, Alessandro. Strict commitment to quality has since seen the estate rise to become a quiet reference for the region, fetching high prices to match. Small availability from the latest vintage (2016) of the flagship wine, Madonna delle Grazie impressive is still available, at c.£263 per bottle in-bond).
Conti Costanti
Stemming from one of the most influential Sienese families of the 15th century, Costanti is another Brunello estate with wealthy history, and strong family traditions. As one of the first producers to present a wine under the name we know as “Brunello” today, its style has evolved beautifully under the watchful eye of winemaker, Andrea Costanti (indeed two recent vintages, the 2013 and 2010 achieve Wine Lister MUST BUY status). Awarding the 2015 vintage 17.5 points, Walter Speller writing for JancisRobinson.com notes, “True precision but definitely ‘sexy’ and sheer pleasure”.
Castello di Romitorio
Romitorio’s impressive castle possesses a rich history dating back to the Etruscans, while both its interior and the vines it overlooks benefit from the modern influence of its current ownership. Purchased by artist, Sandro Chia in 1984, his son, Filippo now runs the estate and makes its wine. Having attended a virtual tasting with him recently, organised by Honest Grapes, the wines appear to reflect their estate’s history in their timelessness, balancing a traditional style with contemporary energy and elegance. Some availability of the 2016 Brunello di Montalcino and single-vineyard offering, Filo di Seta, remains.
Castelgiocondo
A few kilometres southwest, lies “the castle of Giocondo” – another imposing Tuscan structure, originally constructed in the 12th century (AD) to guard the road leading from Siena to the sea, and owned since by one of the most famous families in Tuscany – the Frescobaldis. Joining Il Poggione’s Franceschi family in being one of the very first to produce Brunello in the 1800s, Castelgiocondo’s straight Brunello offering is also among the top-ranking wines of its kind in popularity. Those wishing to snap up the latest vintage offering may need to give it some time – writing for Vinous, Antonio Galloni notes the 2016 “needs some time to come together […] yet it has all the balance necessary to mature into a real beauty”.
Explore more top-scoring Brunello here.