Collection 14

Collection 'Les 14 Exceptionnels' 2020 - Collection 14              

Kist met 14 flessen, van elk château 1 fles In 2020 werd de nieuwste classificatie van de Crus Bourgeois gepresenteerd met wijnhuizen die niet in de oorspronkelijke Grands Crus Classées-classificatie van 1855 werden opgenomen. Deze nieuwste classificatie is geldig vanaf de 2019-oogst. De Crus Bourgeois-classificatie (met in totaal 249 châteaux) is ingedeeld in drie categorieën, met Cru Bourgeois Exceptionnel als allerhoogste categorie, waarin slechts 14 châteaux zijn opgenomen. De Crus Bourgeois Exceptionnels staan bekend als uitstekende wijnhuizen met een uitermate gunstige prijs-kwaliteitsverhouding. Nu is er een speciale, gelimiteerde kist met daarin één fles elk van deze 14 châteaux, allen uit het goede oogstjaar 2020:

Château Arnauld Haut-Médoc - 91 points - Delivers clear grip and poise, with an alluring depth of damson and blackberry fruit; tannins are firm but not drying, and it doesn’t feel overdone. Definite potential here.

Château Belle-Vue - Haut-Médoc - 89 points - Château Belle-Vue is a wine estate in the Haut-Médoc appellation, north of Bordeaux city, on the left bank of the Gironde estuary. The estate lies just south of the Margaux appellation, opposite Château Giscours in the commune of Macau. It was named a Cru Bourgeois Exceptionnel in the 2020 iteration of the revived Cru Bourgeois classification.

Château Cambon La Pelouse Haut-Médoc - 90 points - Attractive cherry red, this has cedar edging, toasty oak with attractive raspberry and redcurrant through the mid palate. Enjoyable but doesn't quite maintain the momentum. Now owned by Treasury Wine Estates.

Château Charmail - Haut-Médoc - 88 points - Owner Bernard d’Halluin is delivering an easy-going, unfussy wine that is easy to recommend. Nothing is overplayed here, with balance to the brambled fruits and friendly tannins. Enjoyable, no need to wait to open after bottling.

Château d'Agassac - Haut-Médoc - 92 points - Fragrant berry fruit aromatics with charred toast that gives edge to the black fruit, as does the liquorice, black chocolate and rosemary spice through the palate. A fairly modern take overall, but well balanced and it has managed the tannins well. One of the new band of Cru Bourgeois Exceptionnels.

Château d'Arsac - Margaux - 90 points - Firm tannins, redcurrant and raspberry, touches of hawthorn, another Margaux where you feel the muscles to the tannins. There is juice and salinity running in between the frame of the wine, but the finish is a little abrupt, brought up by a bitter point of charred rosemary.

Château de Malleret - Haut-Médoc - 91 points - Attractive black cherry and damson fruit, enjoyable freshness without forgetting the tannic grip that is entirely in keeping with the vintage. Well balanced placement of fruit and acidities, with a soft landing. Cru Bourgeois Exceptionnel located in Le Pian-Médoc.

Château du Taillan - Haut-Médoc - 91 points - An excellent wine. The taste of this tells you you're getting real Bordeaux 2020 in terms of body and structure, along with enjoyable cassis fruits and a lick of charcoal, slate and salinity on the finish. Great quality, and the value is incredible for this wine.

Château Le Boscq - Saint-Estèphe - 91 points - Softly sweet and ripe fruit on the nose - Parma Violets and strawberries. Juicy and fresh, this has a good burst of energy at the beginning. Part of ageing is in used barrels which gives the tannins a real presence but they are fine and grip to the sides of the mouth. High-toned fruit, good juice and acidity. Approach earlier. Situated between Sociando Mallet and Calon-Ségur.

Château Le Crock - Saint-Estèphe - 91 points - According to owner Sara Lecompte Cuvelier, who also runs Léoville-Poyferré, there's more concentration here than in the St-Julien property since they had to wait for full ripeness of the skins but then lost the volume in the process, and found less juice than expected when the grapes came into the cellar. This has clear quality, with a slightly austere acidity that you feel pulsing all the way through the palate from beginning to end, giving lift and freshness. Its ageing ability is apparent in its intensity and concentration. There's lots of pleasure to be found here.

Château Lestage - Listrac - 90 points - A rich and round wine with the Merlot flattering the mid-palate, while firm tannins close in on the finish. A good quality, medium term drinker. 62% Merlot, 37% Cabernet Sauvignon and 1% Petit Verdot from clay-limestone and gravel soils.

Château Lilian-Ladouys - Saint-Estephe - 93 points - Juicy, well balanced, plenty of personality, with enough juice through the mid palate to balance out the big tannins that are pretty inescapable in any wines of ambition in 2020. The finish closes in sharply, but this is an enjoyable wine from the Lorenzetti-owned Lilian Ladouys (and for me one of the clear leaders of the new Cru Bourgeois Exceptionnel category). 35% new oak, harvest September 15 to 30, 78% first wine.

Château Malescasse - Haut-Médoc - 92 points - This is a good wine with rich blackberry and bilberry fruits, good texture, plenty of tannins and Médoc typicity. Needs to soften and open over ageing, but this has promise and is a successful take on the vintage, impressive stuff from one of the new Cru Bourgeois Exceptionnels. A yield of 35hl/ha.

Château Paveil de Luze. - Margaux - 90 points - One of the new Cru Bourgeois Exceptionnels. This offers a ton of pencil lead and slate, sleek raspberry fruits, not juicy but well handled with careful extraction. Elegant.