2020 Pomerol

 2020 Pomerol primeur

A tiny report about one third of what I do when I can go to Bordeaux, but the best wines tasted are superb. Some are a bit larger styled, Le Bon Pasteur and Rouget, and may not be favorites for everyone. Gazin, Bourgneuf, Nenin, Petit-Village and Tour Maillet has made one of if not their best effort ever. And La Conseillante is so seductive you would not believe it. Beautiful Eglise-Clinet as well. 

2020 Château Le Bon Pasteur

MAY 21 80M 20CF Ruby. Scented, red fruits, anise, some spices, fruit driven and nuanced nose. Fresh acidity, ripe tannins, dark fruits, anise, liquorice and spices, blackberries, lots of vanilla, structured, long. 93-95

2020 Château Bourgneuf 

MAY 21 Ruby. Blackberries, anise,spices, fruit driven nose. Floral and scented, rich. Fresh acidity, ripe tannins, dark fruits, anise, juicy, spices, blackberries and spices, fruit driven, layered and nuanced, an incredible Bourgneuf! 93-95

2020 Château La Clémence

MAY 21 85M 15CF Ruby. Blackberries, anise, fruit driven, intense nose, blueberries. Medium acidity, ripe tannins, dark fruits, spices, juicy, some alcohol warmth. 89-91

2020 Clos 126

MAY 21 Ruby. Blackberries, anise, fruit driven nose, scented, blueberries and vanilla nose.medium acidity, fruit driven, smooth and rounded, some vanilla, long finish. 89-91

2020 Le Clos du Beau-Pere

MAY 21 Ruby. Blackberries, anise, fruit driven and spices nose, vanilla. Fresh acidity, ripe tannins, dark fruits, anise, spices, liquorice, detailed, juicy, lovely blueberries nerve in it, long. 90-92

2020 Clos Beauregard

MAY 21 Ruby. Blackberries, anise, fruit driven, some blueberries, floral, detailed nose. Fresh acidity, ripe tannins, dark fruits, some texture and structure to it, detailed, ling finish. 91-93

2020 Clos Grangeneuve

MAY 21 Ruby. Blueberries , floral, blackberries and anise nose. Scented and elegant. Fresh acidity, ripe tannins, red fruits, dark berries, anise and spices, juicy, long. 90-92

2020 Clos Vieux Taillefer

MAY 21 Ruby. Blackberries, anise, fruit driven nose, some spices. Fresh acidity, ripe tannins, dark fruits, anise, some spices, juicy, good length. Some sweetness in the finish. 88-90

2020 Château La Commanderie 

MAY 21 Ruby. Blackberries, anise, fruit driven nose, spices. Fresh acidity, ripe tannins, dark fruits, anise, spices, liquorice, detailed and nuanced, juicy. A very fine la Commanderie. 92-94

2020 Château La Conseillante

MAY 21 87M 13CF Ruby. Even pulling the cork on the sample and violets were popping out like butterflies. Black tea, bergamot, blueberries, nuanced, detailed, floral, seductive, so pure and ethereal nose, almost like a warm misty morning in the summer garden at some English castle. Fresh acidity, silky smooth, caressing and tender, the maturity of these tannins are unheard of, it brings tears to my eyes, in all the best ways, and goosebumps. This is beyond description. The refinement is on another level. I have always felt La Conseillante to be a hugely seductive and a feminine style, but this is the one that got away, whispering in your ears before you knew. I have never felt such emotions during a primeur sample, and I thought I went mad on Figeac...  3,67 pH and 14% alcohol. 70% new wood, 27% in one vintage old barrels and 3% amphora 98-100 

2020 Château La Croix de Gay

MAY 21 Ruby. Blackberries, anise, fruit driven, some spices, light scented high note nose. Fresh acidity, ripe tannins, juicy, fruit driven, nuanced, detailed, smooth and long. 93-95

2020 Château Croix des Rouzes

MAY 21 Ruby. Floral, dark fruits, anise, spices, blueberries nose. Fresh acidity, ripe tannins, fruit driven, structured, quite a bit of wood that needs time to polish off, long. 91-93

2020 Château L’Eglise-Clinet

MAY 21 Ruby. Blueberries, anise, fruit driven, peppery and spicy, rich nose. Fresh acidity, ripe tannins, dark fruits, anise, some spices, liquorice, detailed, intense and layered, chocolate, truffles, almost a mineral note beneath, dense with lift, incredible length. 96-98

2020 La Petite Eglise

MAY 21 Ruby. Blackberries, blueberries, anise, fruit driven, nuanced and detailed nose, scented. Fresh acidity, ripe tannins, dark fruits, red berries, elegant texture, nuanced and detailed, refined, long finish. 92-94

2020 Enclos Tourmaline

APR 20 100M 2400 bottles made. Blackberries, blueberries, anise, spices, fruit driven, nuanced, intense nose. Floral. Medium plus acidity, ripe, dark fruits, anise, spices, juicy and rounded, smooth texture, some alcohol warmth. 14,7% alcohol. 92-94

2020 Château Feytit-Clinet

APR 21 90M 10CF Ruby. Lush, fruit driven nose, blackberries and blueberries, scented nose. Fresh acidity, ripe tannins, smooth, lush, rich, fruit driven, some alcohol warmth. Long finish. 14,8% alcohol. Two consistent samples. 93-95

2020 Château La Fleur de Gay

MAY 21 100M 6400 bottles made. Ruby. Blackberries, blueberries, chocolate, truffles and vanilla nose. Fresh acidity, ripe tannins, dark fruits, anise, juicy, nuanced and detailed, intense, some alcohol warmth, long finish. 93-95

2020 Château Gazin

MAY 21 Ruby. Scented, floral, nuanced, blackberries, anise, light graphite note hiding down there somewhere on the nose. Fresh acidity, ripe tannins, blackberries and blueberries, fruit driven, layered and intense, refined and complex with structure to back it, long finish. 94-96

2020 Château Gouprie

MAY 21 Ruby. Blackberries, anise, fruit driven, liquorice nose, spices. Fresh acidity, ripe tannins, dark fruits, anise, spices, some herbs, fairly detailed, good length. 89-91

2020 Château Lécuyer

MAY 21 Ruby. Blackberries, anise, fruit driven nose, leaner. Fresh acidity, ripe tannins, dark fruits, anise, some spices, blackberries, detailed, good length. 88-90

2020 Château Maillet

MAY 21 Ruby. Blackberries, anise, spices, vanilla and mint nose. Fresh acidity, ripe tannins, dark fruits, anise, some herbs, blackberries, spicy, long finish. 90-92

2020 Château Mazeyres

MAY 21 Ruby. Blackberries, anise, fruit driven nose, some spices. Fresh acidity, ripe tannins, dark fruits, anise, spices, soft and juicy, anise, long finish. 90-92

2020 Château Nenin

MAY 21 68M 32CF About 2900 cases made. Ruby. Blackberries, anise, spices, fruit driven, intense nose, layered. Violets and cassis. And after a few hours truffles are showing up. Fresh acidity, ripe tannins, dark fruits, juicy with texture, some truffles, a mineral backbone to it that is a bit unusual in Pomerol, graphite. I normally find that more in Fronsac and Saint-Emilion. Lovely energy to it. Long finish. A superb effort from Nenin, an estate to follow these days! 14% alcohol and 40% new wood. Made from the eight hectares close to Trotanoy. 94-96

2020 Fugue de Nenin

MAY 21 90M 10CF Ruby. Blackberries, blueberries, vanilla, spices, faintly floral nose. Fresh acidity, ripe tannins, dark fruits, anise, spices, soft texture, liquorice, detailed, lovely energy behind it, fruit driven and long. A very serious Fugue. 14,1% alcohol, 20% new wood. 17 hectares for Fugue. 91-93

2020 Château La Patache

APR 21 85M 15CF Ruby. 10.000 bottles made. Ruby. Scented, dark fruits, floral, blackberries nose, light spiciness. Fresh acidity, ripe tannins, darkfruits, blueberries, detailed, bit of alcohol warmth in the finish. Long. 14% alcohol. 90-92

2020 Château Petit-Village

MAY 21 60M 32CF 8CS Ruby. Blackberries, anise, spices, fruit driven, blueberries, faintly scented, almost dense nose. Fresh acidity, ripe tannins, dark fruits, anise, juicy, spices, detailed, layered, firm and nuanced, superb texture, very fine grained tannins, long. 14,5% alcohol. 95-97

2020 Château Pierhem

MAY 21 100M Ruby. Blackberries, anise, spices, liquorice and blueberries nose, vanilla. Fresh acidity, ripe tannins, dark fruits, anise, spices, juicy with alcohol warmth, long finish. 89-91

2020 Château Rouget

MAY 21 Ruby. Blackberries, anise, fruit driven nose, some spices. Fresh acidity, ripe tannins, dark fruits, anise, spices, some vanilla, long finish. 91-93

2020 Château Tour Maillet

MAY 21 Ruby. Blackberries, anise, fruit driven, intense and layered nose. Fresh acidity, ripe tannins, smooth and rounded, blueberries and vanilla, juicy, long finish. 91-93

2020 Château Taillefer 

MAY 21 Ruby. Blackberries, anise, fruit driven nose. Fresh acidity, ripe tannins, dark fruits, blackberries and spices, juicy, some spices. Good length. 88-90

2020 Château Vieux Maillet

MAY 21 Ruby. Blackberries, anise, fruit driven nose. Fresh acidity, ripe tannins, dark fruits, spices, juicy, blackberries and anise, good length. 88-9