Chateau La Fleur de Bouard 2020

JAMES SUCKLING: "Bright and fleshy red with notes of ripe dark berries, sweet spices, citrus peel, moist earth, toast and blue flowers. Medium- to full-bodied with attractive crunchiness and succulence, firm, juicy tannins and a deep dark-fruited character. Structured and long. Better from 2025."

JEB DUNNUCK: "The 2020 Château La Fleur De Boüard showed beautifully, with the more elegant, finesse-driven style that this estate has been moving toward front and center. Ripe black cherries, mulberries, toasted spice, and beautifully integrated oak all emerge from the glass. Medium to full-bodied, balanced, and elegant on the palate, it has fine tannins, a terrific sense of freshness and purity, and outstanding length. It will benefit from 3-4 years of bottle age (it's far from unapproachable even today) and will drink fabulously well over the following decade."

THE WINE CELLAR INSIDER: "Smoked, cherries, black, red and blue fruits are out in front with no effort. There is richness, supple textures, and layers of creamy-textured, ripe, sweet plums in the mid-palate and in the finish. This is in contention for the best vintage I have tasted from this estate. Drink from 2024-2041."

WEINWISSER: "Sattes Purpur mit opaker Mitte und zartem rubinrotem Rand. Dichtes Bouquet mit dunkler Kirsche, exotische Hölzer und Lakritze, dahinter Schokotrüffel und parfümierter Pfeifentabak. Am satten Gaumen mit seidiger Textur, mehliges Extrakt, dicht und komplex, stützende Rasse, Tannine wirken schon abgerundet, engmaschiges Tanningerüst. Im gebündelten Finale ein Korb mit Schattenmorellen, dunklem Graphit und fein sandige Adstringenz."

DECANTER: "Grilled smoke on the nose, campfire, liquorice and black cherries. Excellent quality, but where last year I preferred the Plus de La Fleur, I think this year I would go for the unforced pleasure of the main estate wine."

FALSTAFF: "Dunkles Rubingranat, violette Reflexe, dezente Ockerrandaufhellung. Zurückhaltend, feine Holznuancen, etwas Wacholder und Lakritze, zart nach Waldbeeren, scheues Bukett. Mittlerer Körper, rote Kirschen, feine Tannine, frisch und mineralisch, bleibt sehr gut haften, salziger Nachhall, sicheres Reifepotenzial, vielseitig einsetzbar."