Bordeaux Primeurs 2020: Parker's ratings are in!
The notes of Lisa Perrotti-Brown on the 2020 vintage Bordeaux for the Wine Advocate were published on May 20 on the website of Robert Parker.
Lisa Perrotti's analysis-Brown
The first observation of Lisa Perrotti-Brown The focus is on the heterogeneity of the vintage. First, it highlights the high quality of this vintage in the prestigious Bordeaux terroirs, which possess great potential. However, the results are more uneven outside these prime terroirs. The author describes 2020 as an “enigma,” a vintage more difficult to decipher than 2018 and 2019. She was disconcerted by the differences between these vintages despite the similar weather patterns. Lisa Perrotti-Brown expected a vintage closer to the profile of 2018 with more opulent, richer wines.
When we analyze the best scores published to date, that is, scores higher than 95-97+ For the 2020 vintage, we find the top 35 wines of the year. If we compare this ranking to the top 35 wines of other vintages, we notice that 2018, 2016, 2020, and 2019 are very close in quality. Indeed, the average score of the top 35 wines for the 2018 and 2016 vintages is slightly higher than that of 2020. This can be explained by the greater consistency of these vintages.
Average rating of Lisa Perotti Brown of the top 35 Bordeaux châteaux over the last 5 vintages
Furthermore, it would be an oversimplification to glorify Merlot this year: Cabernet Franc has been a great success on many properties: Château Angélus, for example, equipped with a 98-100, one of the best notes of this vintage, includes a proportion of 40% Cabernet Franc.
What is the situation for the major Bordeaux appellations?
The 2020 vintage is a great success in the appellation Pomerol, with excellent consistency. The most notable achievements include Château Trotanoy And Vieux Château Certan with potential 100.
The plateau of Saint-Emilion properties with limestone and clay soils have had a definite advantage and offer very pleasant wines with a beautiful expression of terroir. Angélus And Canon, with their potential 100, are very fine examples of this typical terroir of Saint-Emilion.
In the same way as Pomerol And Saint-Emilion, Pessac-Léognan is also a name that stands out from the crowd according to Lisa Perrotti-BrownThe castles Smith Haut Lafitte And Haut Brion are noted 98-100 However, the wide variety of soils and terroirs of Pessac-Léognan This means that the results are less consistent.
On Bordeaux's left bank, the terroir determined the vintage's success. The greatest wines are a paradox: they are less opulent, very elegant, and the aromatics are breathtaking!
The greatest wines have high phenolic concentrations, with high quality tannins, as well as a very marked acidity: all the elements are there to offer long periods of aging.
Cabernet Franc takes center stage!
Lisa Perrotti-Brown Note on the 2020 vintage: an increase in the quantity and quality of the Cabernet Franc grape variety in the blends. This is a global trend in the vineyard. BordelaisMany estates are replanting Cabernet Franc: it is a fashionable grape variety but one that requires very hot years, as was the case in the last 3 vintages.
To support this theory, here are some examples of châteaux with a high proportion of Cabernet Franc: Château Angélus 2020 includes 40% Cabernet Franc, Château Canon will have 32% Cabernet Franc in 2020, which Nicolas Audebert finds fantastic. Both obtained a 98-100 !
Ranking of the best-rated Bordeaux châteaux (last 5 vintages)
