Chateau Montlandrie 2020

JAMES SUCKLING: "Very minerally with crushed stone and limestone. Black berries and blueberries. Violets. Full-bodied with tight and firm tannins and lovely length. Tannic and firm. Needs time to soften and come together. But beautiful and solid. Try after 2026."

DECANTER: "Pulsing with life and energy here, delicious mouthcoating tannins, ripe but super liquorice too, giving a dark tone and savoury element to the palate. Not super-high acidity, enough to give freshness, but this is a little more serious. It's well worked, presented excellently, in balance with focus and precision. Supple fruit, lovely blackcurrant and creamy cherries alongside an iron-rich mineral tang. Well made, interesting - easy to drink with terroir on show."

THE WINE CELLAR INSIDER: "Deep, dark, earthy plums, black cherry liqueur, truffles, flowers and espresso beans create the perfume. On the palate, the wine is silky, opulent and fresh, with a nice sweetness to the layers of red and black fruits that fill and linger on your palate. This is the best vintage of Montlandrie I have ever tasted! Drink from 2024-2036."

THE WINE ADVOCATE: "The 2020 Montlandrie is a promising wine for aficionados who can keep it for a few years in the cellar. It has aromas of blackberries, iris, spring flowers, blackcurrant and blueberry, followed by a medium-bodied, concentrated and layered texture on the palate with a denser character than previous vintages. It’s harmonious with a clean and precise finish."

JEB DUNNUCK: "From a Castillon estate purchased and replanted in 2009, the 2020 Château Montlandrie checks in as 75% Merlot, 20% Cabernet Franc, and 5% Cabernet Sauvignon that was brought up in 40% new French oak. This balanced, medium to full-bodied Castillon reveals plenty of red and black fruit as well as some real limestone character in its floral, violet, and chalky rock-like nuances. I love its balance, and it has ripe tannins and the purity and precision that make this vintage so compelling. It will drink well for 10-15 years."