Best Pauillac 2020 wines tasted en primeur
Jane Anson presents an overview of the 2020 vintage in Pauillac revealing her highest-scoring wines and top-value picks.
Pauillac 2020
Average yield: 37hl/ha
- 41hl/ha at Château Croizet Bages,
- 33hl/ha at Château Lynch-Bages,
- 31hl/ha at Château Pichon Longueville Comtesse de Lalande,
- 31hl/ha at Château Grand Puy Lacoste.
- 55hl/ha at Château Fonbadet which must be one of the highest
What you find
As with St-Julien, 2020 is not a slam dunk in Pauillac, but there are some brilliantly concentrated, super impressive wines.
Notably low alcohols at Lafite Rothschild, 12.8%, and about the highest I saw were at Les Tourelles de Longueville at 14.1% and 14% at Les Hauts de Lynch Moussas – meaning overall you are going to find classic balances that should age well.
Pauillac 2020 vintage characteristics:
The first wines of the main estates are almost uniformly successful – with a particular shout out to Pontet-Canet.
But there can be over concentration from the small yields, meaning big tannins that will need to be carefully handed over ageing. Jean Charles Cazes at Lynch-Bages said they were expecting up to 40hl/ha at the beginning of September, but the concentration happened very quickly with the mid-September heatwave which meant the Cabernet berries were particularly small – this despite rain in August with up to 120mm in Pauillac.
In September rainfall was similar across Margaux, Pauillac and St-Julien – around 65mm on average, falling mainly in the second half, before becoming more abundant in early October.
What’s new
New team at Mouton under Jean-Emmanuel Danjoy after retirement of Philippe Dhalluin (which also means the arrival of Caroline Artaud as technical director at Clerc Milon).
Changes also over the road at Pontet Canet with Jean-Michel Comme replaced by Mathieu Bessonnet as technical director.
New winery at Lynch Bages and Duhart Milon.
Quick links for Bordeaux 2020 en primeur ratings
Search Bordeaux 2020 tasting notes published so far
Bordeaux 2020 vintage: our en primeur verdict
Top-scoring Bordeaux 2020 wines
Top Pauillac 2020 picks:
- Château Mouton Rothschild,
- Château Latour
Value picks:
See the top-scoring Pauillac 2020 en primeur wines
Search all Bordeaux 2020 en primeur ratings published so far
Back to the main Bordeaux en primeur page
Château Mouton Rothschild, Pauillac, 1er Cru Classé, Bordeaux, France, 2020
Dark fruits on the nose, blackcurrants and cherries with savoury nuances of dark chocolate and tobacco. Fresh and forward on the palate, this hits you...
2020
Château Mouton RothschildPauillac
Château Latour, Pauillac, 1er Cru Classé, Bordeaux, France, 2020
Smooth, round and bright, there is a controlled sense to this, quiet and contemplative with aromas of coffee, tobacco, dried cherries, floral scents and liquorice...
2020
Château LatourPauillac
Château Lafite Rothschild, Pauillac, 1er Cru Classé, Bordeaux, France, 2020
An utterly brilliant Lafite - a sense of understated charm, it’s certainly not shouting but delivers a bright, sharp, joyous sensation. Almost subtle in its...
2020
Château Lafite RothschildPauillac
Château Pontet-Canet, Pauillac, 5ème Cru Classé, Bordeaux, France, 2020
Dark chocolate, bramble tones, not overly floral or fruity with some cedar and cinnamon notes. Lovely high acidity straight away, forward, bright and energetic...
2020
Château Pontet-CanetPauillac
Château Pichon Longueville Comtesse de Lalande, Pauillac, 2ème Cru Classé, Bordeaux, France, 2020
Smooth, seductive and finely textured, this is both sleek and strict, with a savoury, crushed stone saline tang alongside tobacco, tar, ripe black cherries and...
2020
Château Pichon Longueville Comtesse de LalandePauillac
Château Pichon Baron, Pauillac, 2ème Cru Classé, Bordeaux, France, 2020
Gentle and delicately aromatic but rich too, full of coffee, mocha, dark chocolate, caramel and medicinal herbs - mint and aniseed with a combination of...
2020
Château Pichon BaronPauillac
Château Lynch-Bages, Pauillac, 5ème Cru Classé, Bordeaux, France, 2020
One of my favourite wines of the vintage, this is a wonderful example of high definition winemaking but still offering plenty of Pauillac swagger. Smells...
2020
Château Lynch-BagesPauillac
Château Duhart-Milon, Pauillac, 4ème Cru Classé, Bordeaux, France, 2020
Suave, elegant and calmly confident. A masterclass in high-definition winemaking where all the elements are presented harmoniously with structure, freshness, complexity and a wide expansive...
2020
Château Duhart-MilonPauillac
Château Grand-Puy-Lacoste, Pauillac, 5ème Cru Classé, Bordeaux, France, 2020
Enjoyable, powerful, concentrated, not the most generous of GPLs but they have captured the essence of Pauillac, and it's hard to resist. Sappy juicy finish,...
2020
Château Grand-Puy-LacostePauillac
Château Batailley, Pauillac, 5ème Cru Classé, Bordeaux, France, 2020
Really quite fragrant, lots of purple flowers and purple fruits, ripe blackcurrants, pencil shavings - deep and brooding. Supple and succulent, immediately just so balanced...
2020
Château BatailleyPauillac
Château Clerc Milon, Pauillac, 5ème Cru Classé, Bordeaux, France, 2020
Subtle, delicate, not shouting but delivering a really nuanced glass of wine with lots of fresh acidity and soft sweetness but also a herbal element...
2020
Château Clerc MilonPauillac
Château d'Armailhac, Pauillac, 5ème Cru Classé, Bordeaux, France, 2020
Dried flowers, lots of pot pourri scents on the nose, very aromatic in a floral sense with some rich Cabernet blackcurrant flavours at the back....
2020
Château d'ArmailhacPauillac
Château Pédesclaux, Pauillac, 5ème Cru Classé, Bordeaux, France, 2020
Still very youthful with firm tannin and, seemingly, more evident acidity. Plump fruit notes but with a distinct mineral thread and some leafy tannin. Needs...
2020
Château PédesclauxPauillac
Château Haut-Batailley, Pauillac, 5ème Cru Classé, Bordeaux, France, 2020
Clear salinity and the fennel aniseed touch that I get in Verso de Haut-Batailley also. Gorgeous texture here, this has real balance and a sense...
2020
Château Haut-BatailleyPauillac
Château Bellegrave, Pauillac, Bordeaux, France, 2020
Plenty of grip, you are taken straight into Pauillac in the first few beats of this wine, with its cassis and bilberry fruits, hawthorn and...
2020
Château BellegravePauillac
Château Latour, Les Forts de Latour, Pauillac, Bordeaux, France, 2020
Dark fruits on the nose with purple violet floral reflections, milk chocolate and cocoa touches give hints of savoury complexity on the nose. Pumped, alive...
2020
Château LatourPauillac
Château Mouton Rothschild, Le Petit Mouton, Pauillac, Bordeaux, France, 2020
A serious Petit Mouton, with inky depths to the colour, and plenty of tannic hold and bite, with a lovely bitter chocolate brownie feel that...
2020
Château Mouton RothschildPauillac
Château Pichon Baron, Les Griffons de Pichon Baron, Pauillac, Bordeaux, France, 2020
Dark and heady on the nose, richly fruited and perfumed, smells serious and deep and totally inviting with dark chocolate, coffee and mocha notes with...
2020
Château Pichon BaronPauillac
