THE 2020 Bordeaux RELEASE T he 2020 vintage from Bordeaux is arriving in British Columbia and will be released for sale in BC LIQUOR on September 23 rd 2023. In addition, the opportunity to reserve some of the most sought after wines will be available online September 7 th through 9 th at www.bcliquorstores.com. The 2020 vintage wines have been maturing for more than two years in their Châteaux and we are excited to see how they have evolved. Barrel aging brings depth and complexity to Bordeaux and is one of the hallmarks of the region. For many wines, this is just the beginning of the story as they will continue to improve in bottle for years to come. Our 2020 offering includes many wines that will require further aging to show their best potential, others that will improve with short term cellaring and even some that you can choose whether to drink now or hold a year or two. A recommended drinking window follows the review of each product in this brochure. The greatest red wines of Bordeaux are built to age. Components of terroir (slope, soil type, climate), grape variety blend (based on either Cabernet Sauvignon or Merlot), and winemaking combine to make wines that are intense and tannic in their youth. With bottle age, tannins soften, oak flavours integrate and bold fruit flavours are joined by secondary notes of earth, coffee, licorice and spice. A bonus for wine collectors is that the value of the top Châteaux may increase the older they become. If you have the patience, look for Classed Growth Châteaux from the left bank like Mouton-Rothschild or Lynch-Bages or top wines from the right back like Château Figeac or Vieux Château Certan. For medium and short term drinking, a ripe vintage like 2020 has lots to choose from. Time in the cellar will bring more of the secondary notes described above and help to integrate structural elements like tannins. I recommend buying a few bottles of a wine like Château Lilian Ladouys or Château de la Dauphine so you can taste and track the wine’s progress
2020 BORDEAUX
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