Pauillac 2020, Union des Grands Crus de Bordeaux San Francisco
Ever since my first travel to Bordeaux, the region, the history, the wines, and the people have stayed in a special place in my wine journeys. As a young professional, I always dreamed of visiting Bordeaux, and in 1996 it came to pass. When I first experienced Bordeaux wines in the early 1970s, I knew that my education would be incomplete without tasting the wines and talking with the vintners on their own turf.
Château Lynch Bages (April 5, 2005, Pauillac, France)
Barrel Samples at Château Mouton-Rothschild, April 4, 2006, Pauillac, France)
While my first trips were crazily organized, I settled into a routine of tasting samples at “en premier”—when the Bordeaux producers show barrel samples of the most recent vintage to the media and trade. Only a few months old, these wines are often difficult to assess, but is the way the wines are marketed to the world. Since my first trip to Bordeaux, I returned regularly for “en premier” as well as on BevMo buying trips. The region is often divided by Left Bank, Right Bank, and Satellites. While I find wines in every part of Bordeaux that I enjoy, Pauillac is where my taste buds go.
Over the past few years, I haven’t gone to the spring barrel tastings in Bordeaux. Fortunately, the Union des Grands Crus de Bordeaux brings their dog and pony show stateside as well as beyond France. The only downside is that barrel samples rarely come to the United States and the very top wines (Latour, Lafite, Margaux, Mouton-Rothschild, Cheval Blanc, and others do not show their wines in walk-around tastings). As a member of the media and trade, I must settle for tasting bottled samples as well as missing the First Growths and some super second Chateaux. Most recently I attended the UGC tasting from the 2020 vintage. I hope to return to Bordeaux soon so I can complete my journey. The following 9 wines are the 2020 Pauillacs I tasted on January 27, 2023, in San Francisco.
· Château d'Armailhac. I have been perplexed by this wine over the decades. While generally made well, it lacked the pop I was looking for, the 2020 vintage is one of the property’s finest efforts. Made from 59% Cabernet Sauvignon, 30% Merlot, 8% Cabernet Franc, and 3% Petit Verdot, this wine shows compelling blackcurrants with a hint of oak. Satisfying from start to finish, this wine is a keeper for near and mid-term enjoyment. Serve it with fresh rosemary and black peppercorn-accented grilled ribeye. (My Score: 94 Points) Suggested Futures Price: $51.
· Château Batailley. One of this winery’s hallmarks is elegance. The 2020 vintage marks a fine balance between style and richness. Made from 70% Cabernet Sauvignon, 26% Merlot, 2% Cabernet Franc, and 2% Petit Verdot, this wine is lively and bright with notes of black fruits and mineral notes. Pair it with beef short ribs pho. (My Score: 90 Points) Suggested Futures Price: $60.
· Château Clerc Milon. I was pleasantly surprised with this winery’s 2020 vintage. While I have decades of experience with Clerc Milon, the 2020 vintage is a cut above their previous best efforts. Made from 53% Cabernet Sauvignon, 37% Merlot, 8% Cabernet Franc, and 2% Petit Verdot, this wine is well-built and tightknit. It is generous with explosive black fruits with an attractive shading of oak. Enjoy it with a pan-fried, medium-rare Porterhouse Steak. (My Score: 94 Points) Suggested Futures Price: $87
· Château Duhart-Milon. Always a solid Pauillac, the 2020 vintage exhibits savory spices, rustic earthy notes, and blackcurrants. Made from 72% Cabernet Sauvignon, and 28% Merlot, this wine is an Old World throwback. Try it with braised oxtail. (My Score: 92 Points) Suggested Futures Price: $81.
· Château Grand-Puy-Ducasse. Over the years, I found these wines competent; the 2020 vintage shows richness and ripeness that previous vintages have sometimes lacked. Made from 55% Cabernet Sauvignon, and 45% Merlot, this wine shows black fruits and pleasing complementary oaky nuances. Enjoy it with pan-fried skirt steak with morels. (My Score: 93 Points) Suggested Futures Price: $45.
· Château Lynch Bages. Lynch Bages is one of the most popular and respected classified Bordeaux throughout the world. As a young professional, I routinely enjoyed this wine, and I loved the pricing in my early wine career. When I attend the UGC tastings, I always make sure to get to this wine before it is gone. The 2020 vintage could well be the chateau’s finest effort ever! Made from 60% Cabernet Sauvignon, 31% Merlot, 4% Cabernet Franc, and 5% Petit Verdot, this wine is substantial and persistent. Enjoy it with slow-grilled, lightly seasoned short ribs. (My Score: 98 Points) Suggested Futures Price: $137.
· Château Lynch-Moussas. Over the years, Lynch-Moussas has been a consistent performer. The 2020 vintage shows more power than I was expecting. Made from 72% Cabernet Sauvignon, and 28% Merlot, this wine deftly combines richness with style. Savory, earthy, and chalky, it shows excellent rusticity and purity. Try it with pan-fried flank steak and baby bok choy. (My Score: 91 Points) Suggested Futures Price: $40.
· Château Pichon Baron au Baron de Pichon-Longueville. Pichon Baron is a mammoth Pauillac with excellent power and superior balance. Made from 76% Cabernet Sauvignon, and 24% Merlot, this wine exhibits authoritative black fruits, with a balance of oak and earthy notes. (My Score: 97 Points) Suggested Futures Price: $165.
· Château Pichon Longueville Comtesse de Lalande. For most of my career, I favored Comtesse de Lalande over Pichon Baron. Over the last several vintages, the wines have become matched bookends. In 2020, the wines are equal in their excellence. Made from 77% Cabernet Sauvignon, 17% Merlot, and 6% Cabernet Franc, this wine delivers from beginning to end with notes of blackcurrants, blackberries, and oaky notes. Pair it with coffee-rubbed grilled short ribs. (My Score: 97 Points) Suggested Futures Price: $196.
While the highest regarded Bordeaux seem to have no ceiling to their escalating prices, there are now better wines at more affordable prices. This group of nine wines that I tasted was more even in quality than when I attended my first UGC Bordeaux tasting in 1996. The three best values were: Lynch-Moussas, Grand-Puy-Lacoste, and d’Armailhac would not have shown as well decades ago. I encourage you to explore the 2020 Bordeaux when they arrive in the marketplace; they will be some of the best wines among Bordeaux blends whether from France or other parts of the world.
Château Pichon Longueville Comtesse de Lalande 2020
