32. Château Côte de Baleau, St-Émilion Grand Cru “Another killer wine in the vintage is the 2020 Chateau Cote De Baleau, which comes from a cooler, north-facing vineyard on the eastern side of the appellation. Almost all Merlot, it offers a medium to full-bodied, mouth-filling, layered style that carries plenty of ripe tannins, terrific mid-palate depth, and textbook Right Bank Merlot notes of red and black cherries, leather, dried flowers, and chalky minerality. It picks up more and more minerality with time in the glass and is a bonafide mineral bomb. Give it just a few years in the cellar and enjoy it over the coming 15-20 years. Best After 2026.” 94 pts, Jeb Dunnuck 347263 $60 33. La Dame de Montrose, St-Estèphe “The 2020 La Dame de Montrose is fabulous. Rich, dense and expansive, the 2020 offers notable vibrancy and a good bit of energy too. Bright acids cut through a core of red/purplish fruit in what is an intense, wonderfully saline Dame. The 2020 finishes with remarkable elegance and sophistication. Drinking Window: 2025 - 2035.” 94 pts, Vinous 347380, 362775 $90 34. La Croix Ducru-Beaucaillou, St‑Julien “So much purity and definition, this is a beautiful wine with clarity of flavour. Touches of grilled almond and rosemary, mocha, smoke and coffee bean, there is so much freshness, with juice rushing in between the muscles and a mint leaf finish. 3.78pH, 60% new oak. Yields were 25-30hl/ha. In a year where second wines in the Médoc have sometimes suffered from over-concentration, La Croix de Beaucaillou is a standout success. Drinking Window: 2026 - 2042.”
95 pts, Decanter 362778, 381874
$120
35. Château Dalem, Fronsac “Aromas of spiced plums and cocoa-dusted blueberries with hints of walnuts and dry earth. Medium- to full-bodied with layers of fine- grained tannins and a chalky texture. Structured and concentrated with a vivid and crunchy dark fruit palate. Pure and succulent with notes of spices and dried herbs with a lingering finish.” 94 pts, James Suckling 381880 $58
2020 BORDEAUX
46
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