Chateau Saintayme 2020

JAMES SUCKLING: "Orange peel and fruit with chocolate. Medium-bodied with round and polished tannins. Very pretty fruit and finesse. So pretty. Drink or hold."

DECANTER: "Perfumed, with gorgeous damson, blackcurrant and creamy milk chocolate. Smooth and supple, there is a silky edge to the tannins. Round and full in the mouth - a juicy succulence - allied to bitter tangy aspects, spice and dark chocolate edging. Sleek, sophisticated and upfront, yet at the same time there is a refreshing, cool and minty herbaceousness. Precise and streamlined."

THE WINE CELLAR INSIDER: "This is the finest vintage of Saintayme I have ever tasted. Medium-bodied, finesse styled, elegant, fresh and vibrant, produced from 100% Merlot, the wine is all about showing off its sweet, red, earthy pit fruits, flowers, smoke, truffle and plums in the nose, palate and elegant finish. Drink from 2023-2038."

THE WINE ADVOCATE: "The 2020 Saintayme is 100% Merlot, harvested between the 28th and the 30th of September. It has an alcohol of 14.5% and is aging in French oak barrels, 30% new. Deep purple-black colored, it needs a little coaxing to unlock scents of tar, forest floor and aniseed, over a core of baked black plums, blackberry pie and chocolate-covered cherries, plus a touch of dried mint. The full-bodied palate is densely packed with muscular black fruits and loads of earthy accents, framed by firm, rounded tannins and just enough freshness, finishing on a lingering minty note. 63,000 bottles are expected to be made."