Chateau Kirwan 2020

JAMES SUCKLING: "Attractive nose of hazelnuts, chocolate, blueberries, blackcurrants, peach pits and sandalwood. Hints of olives and mushrooms, too. Complex, layered and integrated, with a medium to full body and powdery tannins. Long and savory at the end. Drink from 2025."

DECANTER: "Gorgeous nose, full of dark bramble fruits and dark chocolate and flowers. Round and energetic with a core of intensely concentration blackcurrants, plums and black cherries. Lovely refinement here, sleek, satisfying, clean, precise. Great drive from start to finish, this has both a satisfying wight and texture - plump but not too much, mineral and salty but not too much. Glamour and confidence. A lovely wine, still youthful but expertly delivered. Just so juicy and alive, refreshing, vibrant and concentrated. Really very stylish. "

JEB DUNNUCK: "Lots of smoky oak, ripe blackcurrants, blueberries, tobacco, and chocolaty notes emerge from the 2020 Château Kirwan, a richly textured, medium to full-bodied Margaux. A wine that blossoms with time in the glass, it's a plush, sexy, yet brilliantly balanced 2020 offering velvety tannins and a great finish, and while the oak is present right on opening, it integrates beautifully with air. This beauty is going to put a smile on your face any time over the coming 20-25 years."

FALSTAFF: "Dunkles Rubingranat, violette Reflexe, tiefer Kern, zarte Randaufhellung. Individuelles Bukett nach überreifen Beeren, etwas feuchtem Unterholz, ein Hauch von Cassis, zart nach Dörrobst. Mittlere Komplexität, rote Waldbeeren, feine Fruchtsüße, integrierte Tannine, frisch und entwickelt, bereits gut antrinkbar, charmant, zeigt Länge, (2025–2045)."

THE WINE ADVOCATE: "Exhibiting aromas of sweet black fruits and licorice mingled with hints of creamy new oak, the 2020 Kirwan is medium to full-bodied, deep and fleshy, with polished tannins, notably tangy acids for the vintage, and a suave, seamless profile despite its creditable concentration. In terms of aromatic purity and managed extraction, this is the finest Kirwan for some time."

WEINWISSER: "Verspieltes rotbeeriges Bouquet, zarte Fliedernote und eingekochte Himbeeren. Am kompakten Gaumen mit weicher Textur, engmaschigem Tanninkorsett, feinsandigem Extrakt und muskulösem Körper. Im gebündelten Finale schwarzbeerige Konturen, Estragon, Graphit und feinmürbe Adstringenz. Für die höhere Note reicht es diesmal (noch) nicht."

THE WINE CELLAR INSIDER: "Wet earth, cocoa, mint, flowers, and spicy red fruits open the nose. On the palate, the wine is round, soft and polished with layers of sweet, lush cherries, black currants and plums. Fresh and polished, this will drink well young, yet age for decades. Drink from 2024-2050."

WINE SPECTATOR: "A velvety, seductive style, with warmed plum and black currant confiture laced with worn cedar, smoldering black tea and violet. Shows a subtle sanguine twinge at the very end that adds lift. Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Cabernet Franc and Petit Verdot. Best from 2026 through 2036. Tasted twice, with consistent notes. 8,333 cases made, 1,666 cases imported."

JANCIS ROBINSON: "Very deep like black-cherry skins. Scented with cassis and a very slight hint of blackcurrant bud but not herbaceous. Beautifully lifted by the Cabernet Franc. Chewy and extremely fresh on the palate, the tannins present but not intrusive. Great balance between fruit and structure. Mouth-watering finish."