Best St-Julien 2020 wines tasted en primeur
Jane Anson presents an overview of the 2020 vintage in St-Julien revealing her highest-scoring wines and top-value picks.
St-Julien 2020
Average yield: 34hl/ha
- 47hl/ha at Château Beychevelle
- 34hl/ha at Château Léoville Las Cases,
- 35hl/ha at Château Léoville Poyferré
What you find:
Whisper it, but is this the first year for ages when you might not be able to blanket buy St Julien? You’re not going to go far wrong with the main estate wines, but there are some strong tannins in the second wines that will need careful handling over ageing.
St-Julien 2020 vintage characteristics:
As with Pauillac, there were unusually small Cabernet Sauvignon berries that led to small yields. After the extremely dry July, August saw around 85mm of rain on average.
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
The biggest changes are at Ducru Beaucaillou, with some name changes and new wines – Lalande-Borie becomes Le Petit Ducru and the new Madame de Beaucaillou AOC Haut-Medoc has arrived, using all the non St-Julien grapes owned by Bruno Borie, meaning there are no more Borie wines bottled under the Listrac or Moulis appellation (something that must smart at the Cru Bourgeois board, because Château Foucas-Borie had just been named CB Supérieur).
Château Gruaud Larose is in organic certification, expected in 2021.
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 St-Julien 2020 picks:
- Château La Croix Beaucaillou (with the first wine also, both standout wines in the appellation this year),
- Château Léoville Las Cases,
- Château Léoville Barton.
Value picks:
See the top-scoring St-Julien 2020 en primeur wines
Search all Bordeaux 2020 en primeur ratings published so far
Back to the main Bordeaux en primeur page
Château Ducru-Beaucaillou, St-Julien, 2ème Cru Classé, Bordeaux, France, 2020
Evocative and moreish, a Ducru that beguiles and delights from the start with a scented nose full of cedar, rose, violets, cherries and damsons -...
2020
Château Ducru-BeaucaillouSt-Julien
Château Léoville Las Cases, St-Julien, 2ème Cru Classé, Bordeaux, France, 2020
Perfumed touches on the nose, quite high toned, blackcurrant but almost liqueur with rose petal and candy floss nuances. On the point of ripeness, still...
2020
Château Léoville Las CasesSt-Julien
Château Léoville Poyferré, St-Julien, 2ème Cru Classé, Bordeaux, France, 2020
Supple and generous with mouthwatering acidity, though really quite tannic at this point which does cover up some of the nuance. I like the texture,...
2020
Château Léoville PoyferréSt-Julien
Château Gruaud-Larose, St-Julien, 2ème Cru Classé, Bordeaux, France, 2020
Detailed and delicate, this has a seductive charm to it, slowly displaying scented blueberries and raspberries, before layers of salty minerality, liquorice, and cooling blue...
2020
Château Gruaud-LaroseSt-Julien
Château Talbot, St-Julien, 4ème Cru Classé, Bordeaux, France, 2020
The long and polished 2020 Talbot leads with great fragrance followed by black fruit notes and even a hint of tar. Overall, it is less...
2020
Château TalbotSt-Julien
Château Ducru-Beaucaillou, La Croix Ducru Beaucaillou, St-Julien, Bordeaux, France, 2020
Really perfumed, lovely rose and violet notes on the nose, floral, aromatic and expressive. Supple, round and quite tense, this has a buzzy energy to...
2020
Château Ducru-BeaucaillouSt-Julien
Château Léoville Barton, St-Julien, 2ème Cru Classé, Bordeaux, France, 2020
Liquorice on the nose with blue fruit aromas - cool and expressive. Quite tight on the palate, the tannins making the impact right now and...
2020
Château Léoville BartonSt-Julien
Château Beychevelle, St-Julien, 4ème Cru Classé, Bordeaux, France, 2020
Scented and perfumed - violet tones, almost a touch of liqueur fruit to the nose, aromatic with dark chocolate touches too. Bright and shining, this...
2020
Château BeychevelleSt-Julien
Château Saint-Pierre, St-Julien, 4ème Cru Classé, Bordeaux, France, 2020
This is excellent, really the most gorgeous balance of power, with dark blueberry juicy fruits and lots of liquorice. Excellent balance and a seductive overall...
2020
Château Saint-PierreSt-Julien
Château Lagrange, St-Julien, 3ème Cru Classé, Bordeaux, France, 2020
Aromatically very expressive on the nose. Perfumed with ripe fruits and floral characters. Supple and juicy, a lovely lifeforce and bounce. Tannins are plush yet...
2020
Château LagrangeSt-Julien
Château Branaire-Ducru, St-Julien, 4ème Cru Classé, Bordeaux, France, 2020
Sleek and seductive, quite highly charged with such a potent perfume and black bramble fruit aroma on both the nose and palate. Silky, smooth, suave...
2020
Château Branaire-DucruSt-Julien
Château Léoville Las Cases, Le Petit Lion, St-Julien, Bordeaux, France, 2020
Powerful and concentrated, this is just so tasty with plenty of fine grained tannins, but also the depth and width of a lovely Petit Lion....
2020
Château Léoville Las CasesSt-Julien
