Best St-Emilion 2020 wines tasted en primeur

St-Emilion 2020

Average yields: 38hl/ha

Wide range of individual yields

• 40hl/ha at Clos Fouret
• 30hl/ha at Couspaude,
• 19hl/ha at Clos Dubreuil,
• 23hl/ha at Fleur Cardinale,
• 35hl/ha at Fonplegade.
• Yields at Figeac 20% higher than in 2019 at 37hl/ha overall I think
• 31hl/ha at Pavie Maquin

What you find

A highly successful vintage in St-Emilion, with some of the wines of the vintage, particularly on clay-limestone soils.

In terms of alcohols, there are a few 15%-pluses such as a Quintus and Valandraud, but largely alcohols run between 14-14.5%.

St-Emilion 2020 vintage characteristics

February 3.5°C warmer than average, April and May 2.2°C warmer than average.

End of March rain was 60% higher than average of last 20 years. Local frost on nights of 26 and 27 March, localised to the cooler low-lying areas.

Budding 15 days earlier than average. Drought 20 June to 10 August with less than 10mm of rain for 50 days. Hydric deficit 60% lower than average across July and August (and here only 40mm fell in August, almost one third of the rain in Pauillac). This meant some young vines saw shrivelling of the grapes – and then a further 10% of volume was lost in September because of drought and heat.

Things were very warm until September 21 when rain returned and temperatures droped 15°C from one day to the next – St-Emilion saw around 70mm of rain in the later part of September, which meant rot pressure in some areas, although helped by cool nights.

What’s new

Worth noting that the 2020 vintage will be included in the classification of St-Emilion, which will be announced in September 2022 (meaning any new ranks will be reflected on the labels).

We are seeing more and more Cabernet Sauvignon in St-Emilion now, successfully so – certainly it is striking how often it is found in the blend, from Pressac and Faugères to Fonbel, Troplong Mondot, Clos Fourtet and Figeac, Valandraud, Trottevielle, Fleur Cardinale, Bellefont Belcier, La Croix Younan (others such as Château Fombrauge have taken out Cabernet Sauvignon that was planted 10 years ago).

Château Fonplegade has now obtained Biodynamic certification in 2020 with Biodyvin, as has Couvent des Jacobins with organic certification.

New owners at Beausejour Duffau Lagarosse, meaning that the Nicolas Thienpont team will not be making this wine as of 2021 (instead it will go to Josephine Duffau-Lagarosse).

Valandraud has taken on 50% investment from Marie Lafevre at Sansonnet.

There are changes to blends going forward – Carillon d’Angélus is more Merlot focused to be more fully distinct from the main estate wine. And also changes for Vieux Château Mazerat in the Maltus stable, again upping the Merlot to make a distinction from Le Dôme (we are also missing both Le Carré and Les Asteries from the Maltus stable, either due to mildew or because of a reworking of the plots for classification submission. I heard both things from the estate itself, so I guess we will have to wait until next year to see if they reappear).

New cellars: Le Dôme, Troplong Mondot, Figeac, Fleur Cardinale.

Look out for a few wines that highlight neatly the trends in winemaking: Château Mangot Distique 12 for example – specially selected plots, 60% Cabernet (both Franc and Sauvignon), aged in amphora, and also Luccianus Amphore – 100% Cabernet Franc aged entirely in Amphoras.

Quick links for Bordeaux 2020 en primeur ratings

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Top-scoring Bordeaux 2020 wines

Top St-Emilion 2020 picks:

• Château Larcis Ducasse,
• Château Fonplegade,
• Château Cheval Blanc,
• Château Ausone,
• Château Figeac,
• Château Canon,
• Château Clos Fourtet,
• Château Belair-Monange,
• Château Rocheyron

Value picks:

• Château Pontet Labrie,
• Château Haut Simard,
• Château Angélus, No. 3 d’Angélus,
• Château Fonbel,
• Château Tour de Pressac
  

See the top-scoring St-Emilion 2020 en primeur wines

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