Best white Bordeaux 2020 wines tasted en primeur
Jane Anson presents an overview of how well the white wines did across Bordeaux in the 2020 vintage revealing her highest-scoring wines and top-value picks.
White Bordeaux 2020
Average yield: 50hl/ha
What to expect
Some really successful whites, although things tend to be rounded and emphasizing exotic fruits rather than the bright intensity of 2019. It was a particularly early harvest, with whites starting around August 20 in Graves and Pessac-Léognan (Château Climens’ Asphodelle came in on August 24, among the first wave to pick besides the Crémant de Bordeaux around August 15).
Aile d’Argent also came in on August 24, joint earliest on record along with 2011.
Alto Cantenac Brown on 31 August, the first time grapes came in here before September.
Overall the early harvest meant the whites avoided the searing heat of September so not only are the yields good on average, but the flavours are juicy and balanced.
What’s new
Some brilliant 100% Sémillons. Look out for Clos Cantenac Blanc – 100% Sémillon, also La Sémillante, two very successful whites (along with Asphodelle from Château Climens – I haven’t tasted the 2020 myself yet but loved the 2019 and hear only good things about the second vintage).
Top white Bordeaux 2020 picks:
- Château Lynch Bages, Blanc de Lynch Bages,
- Château Cantenac Brown, Alto de Cantenac Brown,
- Château Smith Haut Lafitte, Blanc,
- Château Carbonnieux,
- Château Margaux, Pavillon Blanc,
- Château Haut-Brion, Blanc.
Value picks:
See the top-scoring white Bordeaux 2020 en primeur wines
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Château Margaux, Pavillon Blanc, Bordeaux Blanc, Bordeaux, France, 2020
Clear gunsmoke character with slate and graphite, also a ton of white peach, white pear, some sweet mango and a scrape of salinity on the...
2020
Château MargauxBordeaux Blanc
Château Haut-Brion, Haut-Brion Blanc, Pessac-Léognan, 1er Cru Classé, Bordeaux, France, 2020
Grippy fresh, green-tinged flavours, a little more evident than in the Mission Haut-Brion Blanc, here you get more angular acidities, and yet it works. Sauvignon-dominant...
2020
Château 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
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 Cos d'Estournel, Blanc de Cos d'Estournel, Bordeaux Blanc, Bordeaux, France, 2020
Touch of reduction on the nose, gunsmoke and flint, this is gastronomic and serious, the fint and citrus flavours are hidden at first. A brilliant...
2020
Château Cos d'EstournelBordeaux Blanc
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
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 Cantenac Brown, Alto de Cantenac Brown, Bordeaux Blanc, Bordeaux, France, 2020
Plenty of exotic saffron and apricot notes, but also the grippy minerality that Alto does so well. A little more flesh and less steel than...
2020
Château Cantenac BrownBordeaux Blanc
Château Lynch-Bages, Blanc de Lynch-Bages, Bordeaux Blanc, Bordeaux, France, 2020
Less of the citrus flavours of recent vintages and more apricot and nectarine stone fruits, taking its cue from Sémillon and Muscadelle. Relaxed and...
2020
Château Lynch-BagesBordeaux Blanc
Château Sigalas Rabaud, La Sémillante, Bordeaux Blanc, Bordeaux, France, 2020
100% Sémillon wines are having a moment in Bordeaux right now, with the excellent Asphodèle from Climens and Clos Cantenac's new white. This was one...
2020
Château Sigalas RabaudBordeaux Blanc
Château Mouton Rothschild, Aile d’Argent, Bordeaux Blanc, Bordeaux, France, 2020
The first year made entirely under the direction of Jean-Emmanuel Danjoy. I was expecting this to be the wine in the Mouton stable with the...
2020
Château Mouton RothschildBordeaux Blanc
Château La Louvière, Pessac-Léognan, Bordeaux, France, 2020
Bright Sauvignon Blanc aromatics on the nose, this is good quality. Power, concentration and spliced citrus and slate minerality. Maintains momentum, easy to love. A...
2020
Château La LouvièrePessac-Léognan
Château Olivier, Blanc, Pessac-Léognan, Cru Classé de Graves, Bordeaux, France, 2020
Good quality, with lilting acidities. Seems to have stepped away from the slate-heavy slightly reductive style of Olivier in recent years (I may be in...
2020
Château OlivierPessac-Léognan
Château Carbonnieux, Pessac-Léognan, Cru Classé de Graves, Bordeaux, France, 2020
One of the benchmark wines for white Pessacs, and it has succeeded here. Plenty of curling aromatics out of the glass, a lovely grip and...
2020
Château CarbonnieuxPessac-Léognan
Château Malartic-Lagravière, Pessac-Léognan, Cru Classé de Graves, Bordeaux, France, 2020
Fragrant blossom aromatics give way to more concentrated waxy lemon and juicy lemongrass attack. Barrel fermented, with careful extraction. The warm summer comes through in...
2020
Château Malartic-LagravièrePessac-Léognan
Château Latour-Martillac, Pessac-Léognan, Cru Classé de Graves, Bordeaux, France, 2020
I love this white, it has confidence and power and a sense of direction as well as a slate minerality that drags though the palate...
2020
Château Latour-MartillacPessac-Léognan
Château Cos d'Estournel, Les Pagodes de Cos, St-Estèphe, Bordeaux, France, 2020
A strong buy signal from me in this vintage, far less serious and intellectual than the main estate white, this is perky and delicious and...
2020
Château Cos d'EstournelSt-Estèphe
