Bordeaux 2020: best value reds
There's always value to be found in Bordeaux if you know where to look. Here Jane Anson recommends her good-value picks from the Bordeaux 2020 vintage.
Decanter’s Bordeaux expert Jane Anson tasted more than 800 wines for her exclusive Bordeaux 2020 en primeur report with around 10% of wines tasted receiving a score of 95+ points, including five scoring 98-100 points – but it’s not all about points.
For each appellation, Anson selected her ‘value picks’, essentially wines where there is a magical balance between quality and price.
Best-value Bordeaux reds 2020
St-Estephe
Margaux
St Julien
Pauillac
Médoc & Haut-Médoc, Moulis & Listrac
- Château La Tour Carnet,
- Château Potensac,
- Château Branas Grand Poujeaux,
- Château Escurac,
- Château Laujac,
- Château La Cardonne,
- Château Caronne Ste-Gemme,
- Château Saint Paul,
- Château Sénéjac
- Château Mauvesin Barton.
Pessac-Leognan
Graves
- Grand Enclos du Château du Cerons,
- Château Roquetaillade la Grange,
- Clos Floridene,
- Château de Cerons,
- Château Cazebonne,
- Château de Rolland,
- Château Beauregard Ducasse, Cuvée Albert Duran
St Emilion
- Château Pontet Labrie,
- Château Haut Simard,
- Château Angélus, No. 3 d’Angélus,
- Château Fonbel,
- Château Tour de Pressac
Pomerol
Lalande de Pomerol
- Château des Annereaux,
- Château Siaurac,
- Château Tournefeuille,
- Château Les Cruzelles,
- Château La Sergue.
Côtes de Bordeaux 2020
- Château Améplia,
- Domaine de L’Aurage,
- Château Robin,
- Château Alcée Castillon,
- Domaine de L’A,
- Château le Rey, Les Rocheuses,
- Château d’Aiguilhe,
- Clos Puy Arnuad,
- Château Montlandrie
Fronsac 2020
Bordeaux 2020
- Les Perrières de Lafleur,
- Château Grand Village [/breakout]
Prices
In her report Anson is keen to stress that’s it not just the 95+ scoring wines that should grab the spotlight, those scoring 90 points and lower often find that sweet spot between quality and price. ‘The best way to interpret an 89 point wine, in my scoring, is by price,’ writes Anson. ‘If these are great value wines, it’s a signpost score that means unfussy, easy to drink, super enjoyable.’
Using prices for wines already released during this year’s campaign, and comparison data from recent vintages for those not yet out, we’ve compiled a list of wines all scoring 89 points or more and priced under £22/$31 per bottle in bond.
The 27 wines listed below range in score with four at 93 points, 11 at 92 points, seven at 91 points, two at 90 points and three at 89 points, and cover the entire Bordeaux region including St-Estèphe, Margaux, St-Julien, St-Émilion (Grand Cru), Pomerol and Pessac-Léognan.
Within the list are eight wines that are priced less than £11/$15.50 and 14 wines that are less than £15/$21 offreing plenty of wallet friendly options for en primeur 2020 purchases.
93 points
Château Meyney, St-Estèphe – £18.66 / $26
Château Branas Grand Poujeaux, Moulis – £21 / $29
Château Les Carmes Haut-Brion ‘C de Carmes’, Pessac-Léognan – £15.67 / $22
Château Alcée, Castillon Côtes de Bordeaux – £11 / $15
92 points
Château de Pez, St-Estèphe – £20.83 / $29
Château la Croix de Pez, St-Estèphe – £15.90 / $22
Château Moutte Blanc, Margaux – £21.28 / $29
Château Ducru-Beaucaillou ‘Le Petit Ducru de Ducru Beaucaillou’, St-Julien – £19.83 / $28
Château Potensac, Médoc -£13.83 / $19
Château Smith Haut Lafitte ‘Les Hauts de Smith’, Pessac-Léognan – £19.92 / $28
Château Caronne-Ste-Gemme, Haut-Médoc – £9.00 / $12
Château Bonalgue, Pomerol – £20.00 / $28
Château Mauvesin Barton, Moulis-en-Médoc – £10.75 / $15
Château Ampélia, Castillon Côtes de Bordeaux – £9.20 / $12
Château Robin, Castillon Côtes de Bordeaux -£9.00 / $12
91 points
Château Haut Simard, St-Émilion Grand Cru – £14.42 / $20
Château La Bridane, St-Julien – £13.25 / $18
Château Laujac, Médoc – £13.95 / $18
Château La Tour Carnet, Haut-Médoc 4ème Cru Classé – £20.00 / $29
Château d’Escurac, Médoc – £9.00 / $12
Château Sénéjac, Haut-Médoc – £9.92 / $14
Clos René, Pomerol – £20.00 / $28
90 points
Château d’Alix, Pessac-Léognan – £13 / $18
Château Beau Site, St-Estèphe – £15.75 / $22
89 points
Château Fonbel, St-Émilion Grand Cru – £13.25 / $18
Château Tour de Pressac, St-Émilion Grand Cru – £21 / $29
Château Saint-Paul, Haut-Médoc – £9.00 / $12
All GBP prices correct at the time of publishing. Dollar prices are based on the current exchange rate of the GBP rate showed. Actual prices for wines not yet released may vary.
See the best-value en primeur 2020 red wine tasting notes and scores
See also
Search all Bordeaux 2020 en primeur ratings published so farRead Jane Anson’s full Bordeaux 2020 en primeur verdictBest Bordeaux 2020 wines: top-scorers
Château Meyney, St-Estèphe, Bordeaux, France, 2020
Lovely aromatic expression, floral and richly scented with ripe black cherry and salty blueberry. Cool and charming, this makes an impact straight away with a...
2020
Château MeyneySt-Estèphe
Château Branas Grand Poujeaux, Moulis, Bordeaux, France, 2020
Firm but vibrant tannins, this has the softest smokey oak notes that really line the palate and give the plump black fruits a cushion as...
2020
Château Branas Grand PoujeauxMoulis
Château Les Carmes Haut-Brion, C de Carmes, Pessac-Léognan, Bordeaux, France, 2020
Smells rich with perfumed blackcurrants. Clean and crisp on the palate, a smooth and silky texture but with crunchy and bright, almost sharp fruit -...
2020
Château Les Carmes Haut-BrionPessac-Léognan
Château Alcée, Castillon Côtes de Bordeaux, Bordeaux, France, 2020
Extremely juicy, this has grip and power, subtlety and nuance, with a limestone-induced pumice stone texture. Touch of reduction on the nose, but as the...
2020
Château AlcéeCastillon Côtes de Bordeaux
Château de Pez, St-Estèphe, Bordeaux, France, 2020
Needs time to open. Marvellous mineral aspects and salinity with superior tannic grain. Time in glass reveals cigar box from the Cabernet, plus high-toned raspberry, ripe...
2020
Château de PezSt-Estèphe
Château la Croix de Pez, St-Estèphe, Bordeaux, France, 2020
Succulent and so appealing, a really juicy core of red and black fruits. Tannins are well integrated and not as marked or as present as...
2020
Château la Croix de PezSt-Estèphe
Château Moutte Blanc, Margaux, Bordeaux, France, 2020
A micro-cuvée, this opens with welcoming brambled fruit, and really stands out in a line-up of lesser known Margaux wines (this is part of a...
2020
Château Moutte BlancMargaux
Château Ducru-Beaucaillou, Le Petit Ducru de Ducru Beaucaillou, St-Julien, Bordeaux, France, 2020
Gorgeous milk chocolate on the perfumed nose which also shows roses and blackcurrants. Supple and agile, this flows nicely in the mouth. Grainy texture, the...
2020
Château Ducru-BeaucaillouSt-Julien
Château Potensac, Médoc, Bordeaux, France, 2020
This kicks off at a high intensity and manages to deliver both concentration and freshness. Juicy and easy to approach and will easily last 10...
2020
Château PotensacMédoc
Château Smith Haut Lafitte, Les Hauts de Smith, Pessac-Léognan, Bordeaux, France, 2020
The sappy but firm tannic frame that is a mark of the vintage is fully in play, along with plenty of black cherry fruits and...
2020
Château Smith Haut LafittePessac-Léognan
Château Caronne-Ste-Gemme, Haut-Médoc, Bordeaux, France, 2020
Raspberry, tobacco leaf and curling woodsmoke notes on the nose, a little severe right now but well constructed and the tannins will soften further over...
2020
Château Caronne-Ste-GemmeHaut-Médoc
Château Bonalgue, Pomerol, Bordeaux, France, 2020
Silky yet crunchy and chewy, this is smooth and supple with a lovely immediate brightness to the fruits, a crystalline aspect and almost sharp/sour tang...
2020
Château BonalguePomerol
Château Mauvesin Barton, Moulis-en-Médoc, Bordeaux, France, 2020
Melanie Barton has now been in charge at Mauvesin-Barton for 10 years, and there is a real feeling of the wine having found its voice...
2020
Château Mauvesin BartonMoulis-en-Médoc
Château Ampélia, Castillon Côtes de Bordeaux, Bordeaux, France, 2020
This is intense but extremely juicy on the finish, feels signature Castillon, there is a ton of enjoyable berry fruit here. A reliable value name...
2020
Château AmpéliaCastillon Côtes de Bordeaux
Château Robin, Castillon Côtes de Bordeaux, Bordeaux, France, 2020
Subdued, carefully extracted, this has firm and lively black fruits, and is a definite value pick in the vintage. iI will take a few years...
2020
Château RobinCastillon Côtes de Bordeaux
Château Haut Simard, St-Émilion, Grand Cru, Bordeaux, France, 2020
A little more juice and brightness than its sibling estate. The tannins still are pretty austere and present, but there is a lot of lively...
2020
Château Haut SimardSt-Émilion
Château La Bridane, St-Julien, Bordeaux, France, 2020
Chewy tannins and an enjoyable grip and depth through the palate. Intense blackberry and bilberry fruits, not a huge amount of polish to the tannins...
2020
Château La BridaneSt-Julien
Château Laujac, Médoc, Bordeaux, France, 2020
Combines plenty of signature Médoc elements - broad shoulders, tannic frame, chewy tannins and plenty of liquorice and cassis fruits. After a couple of years...
2020
Château LaujacMédoc
Château La Tour Carnet, Haut-Médoc, 4ème Cru Classé, Bordeaux, France, 2020
They have done a good job of carefully working the extraction so that the tannins are abundant but not bitter, and the fruit is savoury,...
2020
Château La Tour CarnetHaut-Médoc
Château d'Escurac, Médoc, Bordeaux, France, 2020
A good quality Escurac, well-finessed tannins and plenty of dark fruit energy. Not an exuberant vintage here, but a balanced one with a sappy green...
2020
Château d'EscuracMédoc
Château Sénéjac, Haut-Médoc, Bordeaux, France, 2020
Gentle coffee smoke on the nose and spiced waves of flavour that add interest and complexity. This is a good wine with gentle acidities and...
2020
Château SénéjacHaut-Médoc
Clos René, Pomerol, Bordeaux, France, 2020
Pretty big tannins, old school as is so often the case with Clos René. Plenty of freshness, enjoyable and easy to approach, this is a...
2020
Clos RenéPomerol
Château d'Alix, Pessac-Léognan, Bordeaux, France, 2020
Intense, bright berry fruits. Clear tannic hold, this has uplift and clarity, a good wine with poise. Owned by Joen-Noel and Muriel Belloc, consultant Stéphane...
2020
Château d'AlixPessac-Léognan
Château Beau Site, St-Estèphe, Bordeaux, France, 2020
I love the bright attack leading to somewhat raw tannic power of mostly Cabernet Sauvignon, well ripened by high-elevation, (for the Médoc) gravel-dominated terroir. Harmonious cassis...
2020
Château Beau SiteSt-Estèphe
Château Fonbel, St-Émilion, Grand Cru, Bordeaux, France, 2020
This is a little tight on the opening, bright fruit running underneath but clear austerity to the tannins, and touches of tobacco leaf and redcurrant...
2020
Château FonbelSt-Émilion
Château Tour de Pressac, St-Émilion, Grand Cru, Bordeaux, France, 2020
Powerful tannins balanced by fingers of honeysuckle, juicy redcurrant and raspberry fruit. A sense of uplift through the finish, this has delicacy despite the firm...
2020
Château Tour de PressacSt-Émilion
Château Saint-Paul, Haut-Médoc, Bordeaux, France, 2020
A touch of smoked oak toasting, not overly intrusive and in fact gives a little extra seduction to the firm tannins that are constantly having...
2020
Château Saint-PaulHaut-Médoc
