Best Pessac-Léognan 2020 wines tasted en primeur
Jane Anson presents an overview of the 2020 vintage in Pessac-Léognan revealing her highest-scoring wines and top-value picks.
Pessac-Léognan 2020
Average yield: 35hl/ha
- 42hl/ha at Château Carbonnieux (red),
- 30hl/ha at Château Smith Haut Lafitte red (29hl/ha for the whites),
- 37hl/ha at Domaine de Chevalier,
- 37hl/ha at Château Haut-Bailly
- 26hl/ha at Château Malartic Lagraviere (compared to 46hl/ha in 2019).
What you find
A vintage with high tannins, high colours giving many successful wines.
Pessac-Léognan 2020 vintage characteristics
A mild and humid winter with bud break early March then heavy rains on May 10 that triggered mildew (there was twice as much rain as normal during April).
Complete climate change happened in middle of June as the rains stopped, with just 5mm falling across the entire month of July, with colour change two weeks earlier than average.
August rain was around 60mm in most of Pessac-Léognan.
Whites grapes harvest started August 20th at Smith Haut-Lafitte, one of the earliest in the appellation, with reds starting the first and second week of September.
Rain in September saw around 80mm in Pessac, falling mainly towards the end of the month.
What’s new
Carmes Haut Brion continues to stand apart in its vinification techniques, now at 55% whole bunch in the fermentation.
New winery at Haut-Bailly (but will first be used for vinifying the 2021 harvest).
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 Pessac-Léognan 2020 picks:
- Château La Mission Haut-Brion one of the wines of the vintage,
- Château Carbonnieux Blanc,
- Château Malartic-Lagraviere,
- Château Haut-Bailly,
- Château Haut-Brion, La Chapelle de Haut-Brion,
- Château Pape Clément
Value picks:
See the top-scoring Pessac-Léognan 2020 en primeur wines
Search all Bordeaux 2020 en primeur ratings published so far
Back to the main Bordeaux en primeur page
Château La Mission Haut-Brion, Pessac-Léognan, Cru Classé de Graves, Bordeaux, France, 2020
Dark chocolate, bramble fruits, some perfumed notes, exotic spices, liquorice, cedar and clove, but floral too. Supple and charming on the palate, not so lively...
2020
Château La Mission Haut-BrionPessac-Léognan
Château Smith Haut Lafitte, Pessac-Léognan, Cru Classé de Graves, Bordeaux, France, 2020
Vivid dark purple in the glass, but a remarkable clarity too. Fragrant black cherries, plums, cassis and perfumed aromas with blueberries, balsamic touches and white...
2020
Château Smith Haut LafittePessac-Léognan
Château Haut-Brion, Pessac-Léognan, 1er Cru Classé, Bordeaux, France, 2020
Concentrated and persistent. This remains quite tight overall with clear power, push and generosity of ripe blackcurrants, fragrant black cherries, blueberries, liquorice, cocoa powder, clove...
2020
Château Haut-BrionPessac-Léognan
Château Haut-Bailly, Pessac-Léognan, Cru Classé de Graves, Bordeaux, France, 2020
Almost wild on the nose, aromatic and expressive, you can tell this is a powerful, concentrated wine with dark fruits, graphite, fresh mint and medicinal...
2020
Château Haut-BaillyPessac-Léognan
Château Les Carmes Haut-Brion, Pessac-Léognan, Bordeaux, France, 2020
The best 2020s seem to be confident without showing off or shouting too loudly and this Carmes does just that. Focused and precise, this is...
2020
Château Les Carmes Haut-BrionPessac-Léognan
Château Smith Haut Lafitte, Pessac-Léognan, Bordeaux, France, 2020
Butterscotch, vanilla, a soft honeyed caramel, lemon and orange notes with green apple. Quite bitter straight away, the lemon and orange rind and grapefruit juice...
2020
Château Smith Haut LafittePessac-Léognan
Domaine de Chevalier, Pessac-Léognan, Cru Classé de Graves, Bordeaux, France, 2020
An excellent white with precision, flesh and confidence, sure to age well. A ton of white pear and some soft pepper spice keeps up the...
2020
Domaine de ChevalierPessac-Léognan
Domaine de Chevalier, Pessac-Léognan, Cru Classé de Graves, Bordeaux, France, 2020
Layered elegance and savoury tobacco and blackcurrant – the château’s hallmark. It’s a textbook expression of the appellation, and one of the best of the 2020...
2020
Domaine de ChevalierPessac-Léognan
Château La Mission Haut-Brion, La Mission Haut-Brion Blanc, Pessac-Léognan, Bordeaux, France, 2020
Fragrant white flowers, touches of lime blossom and slate-filled citrus. The acidity is fresh, but this is more about texture, and it is extremely successful....
2020
Château La Mission Haut-BrionPessac-Léognan
Château Couhins-Lurton, Pessac-Léognan, Cru Classé de Graves, Bordeaux, France, 2020
Really starting to get into its stride under the new direction of Jacques Lurton. I have always enjoyed this wine and long found it to...
2020
Château Couhins-LurtonPessac-Léognan
Château Pape Clément, Pessac-Léognan, Bordeaux, France, 2020
A delicious Pape Clément blanc, this has flesh, power, depth, character and a ton of juicy minerality with white pear, peach, and a slate-filled texture...
2020
Château Pape ClémentPessac-Léognan
Château Pape Clément, Pessac-Léognan, Cru Classé de Graves, Bordeaux, France, 2020
Powerful in colour, this has the glass staining red and purple colours that Pape Clément does so well. Touches of liquorice and cocoa beans, well...
2020
Château Pape ClémentPessac-Léognan
Château Latour-Martillac, Pessac-Léognan, Cru Classé de Graves, Bordeaux, France, 2020
Chocolate, liquorice, some bitter points that accompany the fruit from beginning to end, this is one of the best in terms of focus and precision....
2020
Château Latour-MartillacPessac-Léognan
Château Malartic-Lagravière, Pessac-Léognan, Cru Classé de Graves, Bordeaux, France, 2020
Sweet and aromatic fresh black fruits and flowers on the nose. Sensual and nicely round on the palate, this has body and nuance with crunchy...
2020
Château Malartic-LagravièrePessac-Léognan
Château Fieuzal, Pessac-Léognan, Cru Classé de Graves, Bordeaux, France, 2020
Ruby red, plenty of red fruit aromatics also, savoury redcurrant and raspberry, not as concentrated as some, this has sinew and juice, a little austere,...
2020
Château FieuzalPessac-Léognan
Château La Mission Haut-Brion, La Chapelle de la Mission, Pessac-Léognan, Bordeaux, France, 2020
You are immediately set at ease by the confidence and sheer easy appeal of this wine. A silky and seductive La Chapelle that rivals plenty...
2020
Château La Mission Haut-BrionPessac-Léognan
