Best smaller appellation 2020 wines tasted en primeur
Jane Anson presents an overview of the 2020 vintage across Bordeaux's smaller appellations revealing her highest-scoring wines and top-value picks.
Bordeaux’s smaller appellations 2020
Yields:
- Graves 37hl/ha
- Graves white 36hl/ha
- Côtes 35hl/ha
- Castillon 30hl/ha
What you find
Some real charm in Graves this year, tones of values that I recommend looking out for (although where yields were very low things got more complicated, such as the 12hl/ha at Château Saint Robert).
In the Côtes also, as you would expect in a year where Merlot has done well, you will find some brilliant buys. Mathieu Chardronnier of Château Marsau says; ‘Merlot has reacted well when it’s planted in the right places. Merlot on gravel in this vintage has been touch, but in the right soils it has been magnificent’.
Some hail April 17 affectigng 800ha across Entre-deux-Mers, north Libourne and Dordogne, and for Entre-deux-Mers again April 25, June 1 and August 13.
Top picks/values:
Graves 2020:
- 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
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:
See the top-scoring en primeur wines from Bordeaux’s smaller appellations 2020
Search all Bordeaux 2020 en primeur ratings published so far
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Les Perrières de Lafleur, Bordeaux, Bordeaux, France, 2020
This is a wine for those who really love going deep-diving into limestone. It performs the acrobatic, trapeze artist feat of tiptoeing high above the...
2020
Les Perrières de LafleurBordeaux
Clos Puy Arnaud, Castillon Côtes de Bordeaux, Bordeaux, France, 2020
A burst of ripe berry fruit on the nose, this has the most gorgeous depth of expression. More tannic than in many years, but not...
2020
Clos Puy ArnaudCastillon Côtes de Bordeaux
Château Montlandrie, Castillon Côtes de Bordeaux, Bordeaux, France, 2020
Denis Durantou estate up on the limestone plateau of Castillon, now vinified by his daughter Noémie Durantou. Deeply coloured, ruby in colour with fleshy fruit,...
2020
Château MontlandrieCastillon Côtes de Bordeaux
Domaine de l'A, Castillon Côtes de Bordeaux, Bordeaux, France, 2020
Enjoyably slick toasting of cedar and liquorice root, black cherry, silky texture and a good bounce through the tannins. This is expertly done, sleek and...
2020
Domaine de l'ACastillon Côtes de Bordeaux
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 Le Rey, Les Rocheuses, Castillon Côtes de Bordeaux, Bordeaux, France, 2020
Bright, blueberry fruit and well-sculpted tannins to ensure vertical lift of the fruit through the glass. I love what the Vignobles K team have been...
2020
Château Le ReyCastillon Côtes de Bordeaux
Château de La Dauphine, Fronsac, Bordeaux, France, 2020
Austere in all the right ways, with blueberry and redcurrant juice flowing through coiled tannins. Pretty concentrated overall, this is sappy with a silky texture,...
2020
Château de La DauphineFronsac
Château Haut-Carles, Fronsac, Bordeaux, France, 2020
Pretty big tannins here, this has good depth to the fruits, clean and sappy, with a powerful drive through the palate. This is good stuff;...
2020
Château Haut-CarlesFronsac
Château Grand Village, Bordeaux, Bordeaux, France, 2020
Sinewy, saline, finely-boned and full of peony florals and supple raspberry fruits. You are not getting the typical Bordeaux wine, it has a serious feel...
2020
Château Grand VillageBordeaux
Hubert de Boüard, Cabernet Franc, Bordeaux, Bordeaux, France, 2020
A ton of Cabernet Franc character, offering the nuance and purity of sweet raspberry and redcurrant fruits, alongside peony florals and soft white pepper spice....
2020
Hubert de BoüardBordeaux
Château Roquetaillade La Grange, Graves, Bordeaux, France, 2020
Always a densely concentrated Graves that focuses on black fruit in a firm frame, and its suits this vintage. Just the right tug of acidity...
2020
Château Roquetaillade La GrangeGraves
Clos du Roy, Fronsac, Bordeaux, France, 2020
Limestone austerity comes through pretty strongly on the attack in the form of a slate and crushed stone texture, followed by plenty of freshly cut...
2020
Clos du RoyFronsac
Château Les Trois Croix, Fronsac, Bordeaux, France, 2020
An intense and concentrated Fronsac, this is high quality and powerful with blackberry and loganberry fruits and touches of grilled coffee bean aromatics. An excellent...
2020
Château Les Trois CroixFronsac
Château de La Rivière, Fronsac, Bordeaux, France, 2020
Cloves and black pepper abound; this is definitely high on the spicy side. Muscular tannins are shot through the high acidities and pulses of energy....
2020
Château de La RivièreFronsac
Château La Vieille Cure, Fronsac, Bordeaux, France, 2020
The wine has a vibrant fruitiness, with some chewy but delicious tannins. Somewhat austere, but in a pleasant way. Abundant, highly refreshing fruit and acidity...
2020
Château La Vieille CureFronsac
Château de Carles, Fronsac, Bordeaux, France, 2020
Cloves and toasted cedar on the attack, set against brambled fruit notes underneath. Powerful and perfumed, and it grips in the way that Fronsac is...
2020
Château de CarlesFronsac
Château George 7, Fronsac, Bordeaux, France, 2020
Slightly reductive, benefiting from some oxygen. Once opened up, the wine shows elegantly a bouquet of spring blossoms with nuanced spiciness – quite charming. On...
2020
Château George 7Fronsac
