With 2020 Bordeaux, Pomerol is in contention as the appellation of the vintage, and that saying something, considering the number of all of the great wines from this year. 2020 Pomerol is not only remarkably consistent, but several producers seem to have elevated their game by producing the best wines in the history of the estate.
2020 Pomerol offers everything you want in a Pomerol. The best wines offer opulent, silky, velvet-drenched textures, purity of fruit, length, and complexity. The wines are deeply colored and aromatic, and not only will they be stunning in their youth, but the best wines have the ability to age and evolve for decades.
How did this happen with 2020 Pomerol? Much of the success with 2020 Pomerol was the ability of the clay soils to retain ample moisture during the summer drought. With the climate of the vintage, the terroirs with deep clay and gravel with clay soils worked best.
Chateau Clinet – Ronan Laborde – “Our terroir expressed its resilience to the extreme with intensely hot and dry weather conditions which ended up producing grapes with balance and intensity.”
Two periods during the growing season were especially difficult, starting with the warmth and humidity in the spring, which for some vignerons created conditions ripe for mildew. At the end of March, for two nights, growers had to deal with extremely frigid, frost conditions. This was followed by a dry summer that saw no rain from June 20 to August 17.
As you can see, the summer was quite sunny, hot, and very dry. In fact, July was marked by drought which continued through to August. Here is where the differences in terroir came into place. The water-retentive clay soils and gravel terroirs were able to nourish the vines, allowing the grapes to reach a beautiful state of maturity.
However, that would not have happened without the rain that fell from August 9 to August 14, coming just after véraison, which unblocked the vines. This helped produce small Merlot berries with thick skins, and good sugar levels along with seeds and skins that were ripe allowing producers to make exceptional wine.
Chateau La Conseillante – Jean-Valmy Nicolas “With 2020, under the leadership of Marielle Cazauxm we have gained in precision and tension in the wine.”
The 2020 Pomerol harvest began with the young Merlot vines in the early part of September, which is quite early.
Chateau L’Evangile – Olivier Tregoat “In this hot and dry context, we needed to avoid harvesting overripe Merlot. The harvest date was essential. On the 2nd and 3rd, we harvested vines that had suffered from drought. From September 5 to 13, we picked up the Merlot grapes on our great terroirs.”
By early to mid-September, harvesting for Merlot in the Right Bank was taking place at a rapid pace under picture-perfect conditions with warm, dry, sunny, days and cool nights. The freshness that comes with the cool night allowed for what will eventually be seen as a modern version of classic wine. The Cabernet Franc was also harvested in sublime conditions by the end of September.
Chateau Trotanoy – Edouard Moueix “2020 in Pomerol is a wonderful vintage combining not only ripeness and freshness but more importantly, Tradition and Modernity.” To read reports on the 2020 Bordeaux vintage in every appellation, as well as a 2020 Bordeaux vintage summary and analysis, please see The 2020 Bordeaux Complete Guide
The following 2020 Pomerol wines were all tasted in my home office in non-blind conditions.
2020 Beauregard – Pomerol – The opening notes of violets, coupled with all those sweet, ripe, cherries, spice, plums, and licorice gets you excited to know more., and you do once the wine crosses your palate with all of its layers of fresh, silky, elegant red fruits that express a beautiful sense of purity, chocolate, and spice on the palate. Beauregard has really been upping their game over the last couple of years. Drink from 2024-2047. 93 Pts
2020 Bon Pasteur – Pomerol – Opulent, silky, creamy, and fresh, the multiple layers of blackberries, back plums, and black cherries are surrounded by dark chocolate, licorice, and spice. The wine is long, sensuous, richly textured, and polished. The silky tannins and length are perfect for all of its supple fruits. Drink from 2024-2050. 95 Pts
2020 Bon Pasteur L’Etoile de Bon Pasteur – Pomerol – Forward, fruity, soft, elegant, and polished, the wine exudes its cherries, plums, and earth easily, finishing with freshness, and dusty, red cherries with a touch of herbs, and cocoa on the backend. Drink from 2023-2031. 90 Pts
2020 Bonalgue – Pomerol – Sporting a new, designer label, the wine sports a bouquet of flowers, black cherries, espresso, and spice. Medium-bodied, soft, supple, fresh, and energetic, the wine finishes with silky-textured plums, kirsch a touch of chocolate, and crushed rocks on the backend. Drink from 2023-2040. 92 Pts
2020 Clinet – Pomerol – Elegance, refinement, and silky textures are the hallmarks of this wine. The perfume, with its licorice, flowers, mint leaves, smoke, cherries, and plums is what initially brings you in. But it is the purity of the fruit, the sensuous textures, and the opulent, graceful palate feeling that steals the show. The seamless, non-stop finish balances freshness with hedonism with its multiple layers of lusty fruits, and chocolate, with a touch of refreshing spearmint in the finish. The finish really sticks with you, which is a good thing because you never want this voluptuous stunner to end. As a side note, even though the wine clocks in at 15% AVB, there is no touch of heat or jammy qualities. Drink from 2026-2055. 98 Pts
2020 Clos 126 Pomerol – Pomerol – Flowers, orange peel, plums, cherries, and cocoa create the nose. On the palate, the wine delivers its soft, silky, sweet, supple red fruits with ease and charm. This is not dense, instead, it is a very pretty expression of Pomerol that is well worth seeking out. I really like the wine, but it is packaged in an oversized, overweight bottle that there is no need for in today’s world. Drink from 2023-2037. 91 Pts
2020 Clos 56 – Pomerol – Soft, lush, ripe, round, and polished, the wine is packed with plush-textured, dark plums, chocolate, licorice, and espresso. The long, chewy finish has vibrancy, length, and a blast of dark chocolate with a touch of espresso, spice, and herbs that lingers. The wine is made from 100% Merlot. Drink from 2023-2038. 92 Pts
2020 Clos Beausejour – Pomerol – Medium-bodied with a core of espresso, chocolate, licorice, flowers, and plums, the wine is fresh, and polished with a fruity, chalky, soft-textured finish. Drink from 2023-2034. 90 Pts
2020 Clos LEglise – Pomerol – With all the flowers, chocolate, black cherries, truffles, and licorice you could hope for, the perfume lets you know you are in for a treat. The inky dark color leads the way to a full-bodied, rich, and concentrated wine that is opulent, lush, silky, and fresh, finishing with layer after layer of perfectly ripe, sweet, sensuously-textured, plums, and black cherries. Drink from 2025-2055. 97 Pts
2020 Clos Rene – Pomerol – Black cherries, licorice, flowers, and truffle make an appearance in the nose. The wine is medium-bodied, with a lush, polished, silky, fresh palate presence which is perfect for all of its ripe, pure, energetic, red pit fruits, and spice. This has really come on strong during its barrel aging. In fact, this is at the level of the older vintages from the 40s, and 50s. Drink from 2024-2045. 93 Pts
2020 Clos Sainte Anne – Pomerol – Medium-bodied, forward, light-styled, early-drinking, strawberry, red cherry, and herb-oriented wine for easy drinking over the next few years. Drink from 2023-2029. 84 Pts
2020 Clos du Clocher – Pomerol – If you ever wondered what flowers dipped in chocolate, with freshly squeezed, sweet and spicy cherries smelled like, look no further. Medium-bodied, soft, and silky with fabulous lift, and purity, the wine leaves you with velvet textured plums and chocolate in the long finish. Could this be the best vintage of Clos du Clocher ever produced? Drink from 2024-2045. 95 Pts
2020 Clos-de-la-Vieille-Eglise Pomerol – Pomerol – Espresso, dried flowers, black cherries, smoke, and licorice scents get the wine noticed. Round, sweet, and creamy with a finish packed with chocolate, ripe plums, and oak that needs to be better integrated. Drink from 2024-2037. 90 Pts
2020 ClosVieuxTaillefer – Pomerol – Purple, white, and red flowers with a hint of spearmint are what initially grab your attention. From there you find sweet, fresh, lively, spicy cherries with powdered cocoa and licorice on the mid-palate, and in the vibrant, finish. Drink from 2023-2035. 90 Pts
2020 Compostelle – Pomerol – flowers, cherries, espresso, and cocoa with touches of herbs open the wine. Medium-bodied, fresh, bright, crisp, and chewy, with a touch of peppery spice that comes along with the juicy plums in the endnote. Drink from 2023-2035. 89 Pts
2020 Croix du Casse – Pomerol – With aromas of flowers, black cherries, espresso, and a hint of blue fruit, the wine is soft, silky, fresh, and polished, with ample lift, chocolate, and ripe, black cherries with notes of coffee bean on the backend. This is a very strong vintage here. Drink from 2023-2040. 92 Pts
2020 Domaine-de-LEglise – Pomerol – Silky, creamy, fresh, luscious dark plums, chocolate, licorice with flowers, and just a hint of espresso in every gorgeous, sensuous sip, and sniff. This is a fabulous Pomerol and one of the best deals for a high-quality wine from this ever-increasingly expensive appellation. Drink from 2025-2045. 95 Pts
2020 Enclos Tourmaline – Pomerol – Deeply colored, this is a wine perfectly balanced between its intensity, opulence, concentration is flamboyant character. The nose, with its open display of flowers, chocolate, licorice, espresso, spice, dark red pit fruits, and truffles is intoxicating. But, that is only the start. It is the velvety, opulent, richness with cashmere tannins, and its wealth of sweet, ripe, fruits, chocolate, and spice that steal the show! The luxurious finish hits all the right notes and keeps on going. The only problem is finding any as the production of this 100% Merlot wine is only 200 cases produced. So, if you want it, jump on it, prices are not going to be lower. Drink from 2025-2050. 96 Pts
2020 L’Evangile – Pomerol – Chocolate mint ,plums, espresso, black cherry, and dark cocoa on the nose. On the palate, the wine is full-bodied, dense, rich, dark, deep and powerful. On the palate, the wine is rich, deep, concentrated, tannic and reserved. It is holdings its cards close to the vest. So, if you have a bottle, it is best to wait a few years before pulling a cork. The wine blends 88% Merlot with 12% Cabernet Franc, 14.5% ABV. Yields were low at 32 hectoliters per hectare. The Grand Vin was made from 50% of the harvest. Drink from 2027-2055. 97 Pts
2020 Fayat – Pomerol – Flowers, truffles, and ripe, dark red pit fruit aromatics are all over the place here. On the palate, the wine is medium-bodied silky, polished, and fresh with a vibrancy, purity, and elegance that makes this by far, the best vintage of Fayat ever produced! This is a simply gorgeous Pomerol. Drink from 2023-2040. 92 Pts
2020 Ferrand – Pomerol – Medium-bodied, chewy, fresh, spicy, plummy wine with a touch of chocolate, and herbs that come on the backend. This will be delicious to enjoy in its youth. Drink from 2023-2032. 87 Pts
2020 Feytit-Clinet – Pomerol – Full-bodied, rich, deep, and sensuous, here you find all the truffles, chocolate, flowers, and silky, dark pit fruits you can ask for. On the palate, layer after layer of chocolate-coated black plums, and cherries with a touch of spice, and wet earth start off strong, and end up even stronger, due to its freshness, length, and sensuality. Drink it young, for its fresh, lush fruits, or age it for more truffles, flowers, and other secondary nuances. Drink from 2025-2050. 96 Pts
2020 Franc-Maillet – Pomerol – Flowers, spearmint, wild strawberries, and cherry notes form the core of this ready-to-go Pomerol. On the palate, the wine is forward, soft, round, and fruity with a polished, easy-to-like finish. This is a wine you can enjoy with pleasure on release. Drink from 2023-2030. 88 Pts
2020 Gazin – Pomerol – Violets and roses are in full bloom here before getting to all of its beautiful, ripe, lush, silky, vibrant cherries, red plums, cocoa, and truffle. Medium-bodied, elegant, silky, and vibrant, there is good energy, length, and refinement in the mid-palate that carries all the way through to the finish. Drink from 2025-2047. 95 Pts
2020 Grange-Neuve – Pomerol – Medium-bodied, fresh, red pit fruits, cocoa, and espresso form the core of this wine. The fruit is ripe, and vivid, but the tannins, and a bit rustic, and dusty in the fruit-filled finish. Drink from 2024-2038. 90 Pts
2020 Guillot Clauzel – Pomerol – The question I am asked the most often is, what new wines are hot? Well, look no further than Guillot Clauzel with Guillaume Thienpont in charge! This sensuous, richly textured, opulent Pomerol kicks off with a showy display of black plums, espresso, cocoa, flowers, and truffle. On the palate, the wine is fresh, supple, concentrated, and silky, with velvety tannins, lift, and a finish that stays with you, expanding through to the endnote. Drink from 2024-2045. 95 Pts
2020 Haut-Maillet – Pomerol – Dark plums, espresso, cherries, and roses open the nose. The medium-bodied wine is even better on the palate with its supple-textured presence and cherry-filled, plush, and polished finish. Haut-Maillet has really been a roll lately! Drink from 2023-2038. 92 Pts
2020 Hosanna – Pomerol – Rich, earthy, and incredibly floral, you also find nuances of black, and blue fruits, plums, truffle, and cocoa on the nose The wine is full-bodied, supple, and rich with multiple layers of ripe, opulent, sweet, plums, cherries, blackberries, blueberries, and dark chocolate, all backed up by ripe, tannins, and freshness on the palate. Built to age, and evolve, this is in contention for one of the top vintages of Hosanna ever produced. Drink from 2027-2055. 97 Pts
2020 LEgliseClinet – Pomerol – A clear candidate for wine of the vintage, this show-stopping gem kicks off with a vivid perfume packed with flowers, plums, truffles, chocolate, smoke, cigar wrapper, and cherry liqueur scents. The wine delivers intensity, finesse, concentration, richness, purity, and complexity. The finish, with its layers of dark chocolate-covered ripe plums, velvety textures, and sensuality is completely seamless, holding your palate hostage for at least 60 seconds. Give it some time, and this could easily hit 100 Pts down the road, it is that good. Drink from 2027-2060. 99 Pts
2020 LEglise Clinet La Petite Eglise – Pomerol – This gem is a mini L’Eglise Clinet with all of its multiple layers of chocolate-coated plums, black cherries, opulent, lush textures, truffles, and silky tannins. Plus, you can drink this early while waiting for the Grand Vin to develop if you were lucky enough to score a bottle or two. Drink from 2023-2037. 94 Pts
2020 LEnclos – Pomerol – With a strong note of florality, from there you find licorice, cherries, cocoa, mint, and truffles. The wine is medium-bodied, soft, fresh, and silky with loads of those sweet, ripe, elegant cherries that stick with you through to the finish. This is the finest vintage of L’Enclos ever produced! Drink from 2023-2040. 92 Pts
2020 La Cabanne – Pomerol – With a distinctive, floral nature, the wine is soft, silky, and fresh, with a gorgeous purity to the fruits, elegant textures, medium-body, and a fresh, sweet, silky creamy, red fruit, filled finish. This is my favorite vintage of La Cabanne since the gorgeous 2015. Drink from 2023-2045. 93 Pts
2020 La Clemence – Pomerol – Dark, plummy fruit, espresso, black cherries, and licorice nuances open the wine. On the palate the wine is concentrated, round, polished, and glossy, with an oaky edge to the ripe, showy fruits. Drink from 2023-2038. 90 Pts
2020 La Commanderie Pomerol – Pomerol – Showing much better in the bottle than it did in barrel, the wine is supple, creamy, fresh, and silky with layers of chocolate, cherries, plums, and spices. Medium-bodied, vibrant, and elegant, the wine leaves you with more of those gorgeous, supple red cherries that you cannot get enough of. This is already a treat in your glass, but a few more years of aging will add more secondary nuances. Drink from 2023-2040. 92 Pts
2020 La Conseillante – Pomerol – The showy display of violets, and lilacs that get the wine going is made even better by the accompanying notes of truffle, chocolate, black cherry liqueur, licorice, and plums. However, as good as this is aromatic, the silky, fresh, sensuous textures, and the level of purity found in the multiple layers of perfectly ripe, elegant fruits are what provide all the right stuff. The seamless finish, with its energy, concentration, and refinement seals the deal. Bottled sexiness, this is so good, I could not put the glass down without refilling it. The only reason this didn’t yet garner 100 Pts is the perfect 2016 is just a tiny bit better, for now. Don’t be surprised to see this hit 100 Pts as it ages for a bit. Drink from 2027-2060. 99 Pts
2020 La Croix St. Georges – Pomerol – The wine opens with espresso, violets, chocolate, and plums. On the palate, the wine is polished, supple, creamy, and fresh, providing you with the perfect structure for a richly textured, lush, chocolate-covered plum, and espresso-filled finish. Drink from 2024-2045. 93 Pts
2020 La Croix de Gay – Pomerol – Plums, chocolate, lilacs, and Indian spices open the perfume. On the palate, the medium-bodied wine is soft, silky, and fresh with layers of creamy cherries, cocoa, and plums on the mid-palate, and in the finish. Drink from 2023-2038. 92 Pts
2020 Lafleur – Pomerol – Violets, lilacs, roses, cocoa, mint, licorice, dark cherries, plums, sandalwood and saffron open the wine. The wine explodes in the glass with the essence of plums, black cherries, dark chocolate and spice. It is not the fruits, it is the intensity, opulent-exotic textures, richness and multiple levels of depth of flavor on the palate that make this an extraordinary tasting experience. And if that isn’t enough, the more than 60-second, seamless, finish, with all the fruits that build in intensity seals the deal. With a bit of time to age and evolve, this could hit 100 Pts! The wine blends 53% Cabernet Franc and 47% Merlot. 14.8% ABV, 3.7 pH. Drink from 2030-2060. 99 Pts
2020 Lafleur Les Pensees – Pomerol – Chocolate, plums, violets, espresso, truffle, cigar wrappers, and rose aromas open the aromatic profile. On the palate, the wine is concentrated, savory, rich, plummy, and intense. The sweet, black plums are firm, fresh, and long. There is lift, depth, and super Pomerol character. If you have a bottle or better yet, bottles, feel free to age them. While they are delicious young, they can age 10-20 years. The wine blends 70% Merlot with 30% Cabernet Franc. Drink from 2025-2045. 94 Pts
2020 La Fleur Ferrand Cuvee Reserve – Pomerol – With a floral nose, from there you find spice, wet earth, strawberries, cherries, cocoa, and forest leaves. The wine is soft, polished, soft, silky, and fresh with layers of supple-textured, ripe, sweet, lush, black, and cherries with a cool spicy note that comes in at the end of the finish. This is the top wine of Chateau Ferrand. Drink from 2023-2037. 92 Pts
2020 La Fleur de Gay – Pomerol – Once past the espresso, vanilla, and cocoa, as the wine has not yet integrated its oak, you do find layers of lusciously-textured, round, ripe, creamy plums, and black cherries. However, this is going to take some time in the bottle to allow for the oak to fade, and for the beautiful, dark red fruits to begin to fully strut their stuff. Drink from 2027-2040. 92 Pts
2020 La Patache – Pomerol – Medium-bodied, soft, silky, and fresh with nuances of truffles, smoke, espresso, and cherries, the wine is soft, silky forward, and polished, with a sweet, creamy, red cherry-packed finish. Drink from 2023-2036. 90 Pts
2020 La Pointe – Pomerol – Roses, violets, flowers, and spicy kirsch notes pop in the perfume. As good as the nose is, on the palate, the wine is even better with its silky, sensuous approach. The perfectly ripe, plums, and cherries offer a depth of flavor, opulent textures, and a richness to the finish, along with freshness, that holds your attention making you want to take another sip. This is the best vintage of La Pointe I have ever tasted. Drink from 2024-2050. 94 Pts
2020 La Violette – Pomerol – Violets and lilacs were on full display in the opening notes of the aromatic profile before moving on to all of its spice, espresso, dark red pit fruits, wet earth, and chocolate nuances. The best part of the experience however, is on the supple-textured palate with its waves of black, and dark red fruits, creamy, lush tannins, and long, rich, chocolate-tinted finish. With its tiny production, if you are a fan of La Violette, you will need to jump on it quickly, as very little wine was made. Drink from 2027-2050. 96 Pts
2020 La-FleurPetrus – Pomerol – The combination of incredible purity in the fruit, silky textures, a complex aromatic profile sporting truffles, flowers, licorice, plums, cherries, and cocoa, and a finish that is all about its silky, cashmere texture is what we call a hit! In every sense of the word, this is a magical wine that is rich, full-bodied, sensuous, and sexy, with a finish that lingers, expands, and inspires you to take another sip to experience it all over again. Drink from 2025-2055. 97 Pts
2020 LatourPomerol – Pomerol – Rich, deep, dark, concentrated and packed with layers of black, and red plums, chocolate, licorice, truffle, and tobacco leaf in the nose, on the palate, this is where the action really takes place with its silky, full, vibrant mouth-feel. The wine finishes with layers of chocolate-covered black cherries, plums drizzled with chocolate, and a touch of espresso that comes in at the end. This is going to age, and evolve for decades. Drink from 2025-2050. 95 Pts
2020 Le Caillou – Pomerol – Soft, supple, polished, and forward, this medium-bodied wine offers up its layers of plums, chocolate, espresso, and black cherries with just a simple swirl or two. In other words, it is ready to go! Drink from 2023-2032. 90 Pts
2020 Le Chemin – Pomerol – Flowers, truffle, espresso, and red fruits create the bouquet of this little-known Pomerol. On the palate, the wine is medium-bodied, elegant, refined, and polished, with a nice freshness, as well as purity to the red pit fruits in the lively finish. Drink from 2023-2038. 91 Pts
2020 Le Gay – Pomerol – Full-bodied, concentrated, powerful, and rich, this beauty pops with licorice, smoke, flowers, roses, espresso, plums, and chocolate in the nose. The wine is bold, intense, and at the moment, slightly reticent, so give it a few years before popping a cork, and you will be amply rewarded with layers of ripe, sweet, earthy, plums, blackberries, black cherries, truffle, and chocolate. Drink from 2027-2055. 96 Pts
2020 Le Gay Manoir de Gay – Pomerol – Savory red fruits with peppery herbs, and flowers show in the nose. Medium-bodied, with freshness, softness, sweetness, plums, and a touch of cocoa in the finish, this is perfect to enjoy while waiting for the Grand Vin to develop. Drink from 2023-2032. 90 Pts
2020 Le Moulin – Pomerol – Espresso, and smoke belie too much of an oak presence. Once past the oak, the wine is round and fleshy with ripe, rich, fleshy textures, and a luscious, plummy, albeit oaky finish, the wine will offer pleasure on release. Drink from 2023-2038. 90 Pts
2020 Les Fillottes Les Quatre Parcelles – Pomerol – Opening with white and purple flowers, espresso, dark chocolate, black cherries, plums, and licorice aromas, the wine is even better on the palate with its layers of rich, creamy, elegant, supple-dark red pit fruits, chocolate, and spice nuances that do not want to quit in the long, vibrant, finish. Grab this superb Pomerol now as the production is quite small with less than 500 cases produced! The wine blends 75% Merlot with 25% Cabernet Franc. The new wine is a partnership between Francois Thienpont and Guillaume Thienpont. Drink from 2024-2040. 93 Pts
2020 Maillet – Pomerol – Incense, licorice, smoke, roses, cherries, and chocolate aromas open the nose. On the palate, the wine is rich, supple, creamy, and luscious with layers of chocolate-coated, ripe, dark plums. The finish is long, fresh, and deep, leaving you with espresso-tinted black cherries, chocolate, and black plums that linger. Drink from 2024-2045. 94 Pts
2020 Mazeyres – Pomerol – Flowers, spice, red cherries, and red plums shine in the perfume. The wine is medium-bodied, soft, silky, and elegant, with freshness, refinement, and loads of spicy, fresh, vibrant red pit fruits with hints of strawberries, and pepper that comes in on the finish. Drink from 2024-2035. 91 Pts
2020 Monregard La Croix – Pomerol – Espresso, flowers, cherries, spice-box aromas meld perfectly with the medium-bodied, fresh, soft, and silky, red pit fruit packed, mid-palate, and finish. Drink from 2023-2037. 91 Pts
2020 Montviel – Pomerol – Milk-chocolate-covered plums, espresso, and flowers are all over the place here on the nose, and silky, fresh, supple-textured palate, finishing with sensuously-textured black cherries, cocoa, and just a hint of peppery espresso that comes in at the back of the finish. This has really jumped in quality after its barrel aging. Drink from 2023-2038. 92 Pts
2020 Moulinet – Pomerol – Soft, vibrant, red fruits with silky tannins, flowers a touch of mint, lift, and freshness come through in the mid-palate before you find your way to the supple-textured, bath of juicy plums in the finish. Drink from 2023-2034. 90 Pts
2020 Petit Village – Pomerol – Silky, lush, and opulent, the wine kicks off with a strong floral note before moving on to its waves of chocolate-covered, plums, cherries, wet earth, and spices. The wine is supple-textured, with velvety tannins, and fabulous energy all the way through, from start to finish. 2020 is the first vintage to show off its new, stylish label, and wax capsule as well as the debut vintage kicking off a new era of high-quality wine here. Drink from 2024-2050. 96 Pts
2020 Plincette – Pomerol – Flowers, and savory, dark red fruits show from the start before you find its core of soft, fresh, mildly salty red plums, and cherries on the mid-palate, and in the spicy, peppery, kirsch, and cocoa-filled finish. Drink from 2023-2036. 93 Pts
2020 Porte Chic – Pomerol – Dark plums, blueberries, and flowers come through in the perfume. On the palate, the wine is round, lush, polished, sweet, and fruity, with silky tannins, and sweet, ripe, dark cherries in the finish. Drink from 2023-2037. 91 Pts
2020 Rouget – Pomerol – Soft, lush, ripe, sweet, black, and red plums infused with chocolate, truffles, and licorice on the backend in the nose, and on the palate create the core of this wine. The finish offers freshness with waves of plush, black cherries, and a touch of spicy cocoa. Give it a year or two in the cellar, and it will really start to show its stuff. Drink from 2024-2045. 93 Pts
2020 Taillefer – Pomerol – Medium-bodied, soft, elegant, fresh, bright, clean, and pure, this silky-textured, cherry, and fresh red plum-oriented wine is ready-to-go as it is simply delicious in your glass today. The wine finishes with a nice touch of chocolate that comes in at the end of the vibrant endnote. Drink from 2023-2035. 90 Pts
2020 Tour Maillet – Pomerol – Flowers, herbs, juicy, red pit fruits, and cocoa pop in the nose. Medium-bodied, fresh, and fruity, with a lifted, creamy, spicy, cherry-packed, polished finish. Drink from 2023-2037. 91 Pts
2020 Trotanoy – Pomerol – As good as this was from barrel, it is even better in the bottle! The array of black, and dark red fruits, with nuances of flowers, chocolate, licorice, wet earth, and spice in the perfume lets you know you are in for something special. This wine is what hedonism is all about. Sensuous, silky, polished, fresh, and opulent, texturally, this is off the charts. The wine tastes and feels like the fruits were drenched in velvet, infused with dark chocolate, and then polished, making this effortless to drink. The seamless finish hits the 60-second mark. Clearly, this is a legend in the making. If you are a fan of Trotanoy, and you have the extra income, run, do not walk, and grab some, as not much was made, and it is only going to become more expensive from here. Drink from 2025-2060. 100 Pts
2020 Valois – Pomerol – Medium-bodied, and already drinkable, the wine opens with smoke, herbs, espresso, and spicy cherries. On the palate, the wine is soft, savory, and plummy, leaving with an earthy, kirsch, and orange rind tinted finish. You can enjoy this on release. Drink from 2023-2030. 88 Pts
2020 Valois L’Eclat de – Pomerol – Espresso, dark chocolate, smoke, licorice, wet earth, and plums create the core of this wine. Medium-bodied, vivacious, creamy, and polished, the wine leaves you with loads of chocolate-covered black cherries, with cocoa in the chalky finish. The wine is a blend of 57% old vine Cabernet Franc and 43% Merlot. Drink from 2024-2035. 91 Pts
2020 Vieux Chateau Certan – Pomerol – An extraordinary effort, the wine is almost opaque in color. The haunting perfume offers a bouquet of flowers, black, red, and blue fruits, chocolate, spice, espresso, and hints of truffles on the nose. Incredibly concentrated, but equally light on its feet, the wine is effortless to taste. With polished, velvet textures, and fruits that express purity coupled with spice, chocolate, wet earth, and sensuality, the finish crosses the 60-second mark, and keeps on going! This is a youthful look at one of the future legendary vintages for Vieux Chateau Certan. If this is your thing, and if you have the extra income, buy it now as prices will only rise from here. Drink from 2027-2065. 100 Pts
2020 Vieux Chateau Certan La Gravette de Certan – Pomerol – Medium-bodied, fresh, vibrant, and silky, the wine offers an array of sweet, silky, plums, and cherries with a touch of cocoa, and bright red pit fruits to come in at the end. You can enjoy this with pleasure while waiting for the Grand Vin to develop. Even better than the 2018, this is a superb vintage of La Gravette de Certan. Drink from 2023-2035. 93 Pts
2020 Vray Croix de Gay – Pomerol – Another 2020 gem that has vastly improved during its barrel aging, the wine already expresses its flowers, licorice, cocoa, plums, and espresso nose. On the palate, the wine is silky, plush, elegant, and fresh, with layers of supple, creamy fruits with an exotic touch of citrus that comes in at the back of the finish. Drink from 2024-2045. 94 Pts
2020 de Sales – Pomerol – Medium-bodied, soft, forward, fresh, and spicy with a core of sweet, red pit fruits, and spice, lift, and dusty tannins with a touch of cocoa and leafy herbs that come in along with the endnote. This is the best vintage of Chateau de Sales I have ever tasted. Drink from 2023-2035. 90 Pts
2020 du Tailhas – Pomerol – Medium-bodied, forward, fresh, early-drinking Pomerol with a core of cherries, roasted nuts, and strawberries with a light touch of cocoa that comes in at the end of this soft-textured wine. This will be at its best quite early in life. Drink from 2023-2030. 87 Pts
We are continuing on with the 2020 Bordeaux vintage. Though we are going skip around a bit. Up next, 2020 Graves Red and White Wines We are diligently working on a return to the Right Bank as the next few articles will focus on more than 200 wines from St. Emilion.
