2020, Château Grand Village, BORDEAUX Supérieur Rouge (Ch. Lafleur)

Bordeaux Blend: Merlot, Bouchet.

The 2020 Grand Village Rouge is a rich, heady wine. Black cherry, plum, mocha, licorice and cloves are all dialed up in a gorgeous wine that balances fruit intensity and vibrancy, all in a medium-bodied style that is hugely appealing. This is beautifully done. 91 Antonio Galloni, Vinous.

A serious, more obviously structured effort than the suave 2019, the 2020 Grand Village offers up a smoky, dense bouquet with aromas of cherries, spices, flowers, lead pencil and dark wild berries. Medium to full-bodied, deep and concentrated, with rich, powdery tannins and a vibrant core of fruit, it concludes with an impressively long finish and superb controlled power. It clearly needs time to chill out. 94+ Yohan Castaing, Wine Advocate.

A medicinal edge on the nose, some gorgeous floral and herbal touches to the ripe fruit but a savoury element too. Compact and dense on the palate, the tannins and general weight is felt in the mouth straight away, with searing acidity making this quite lean and focused but with a lovely creaminess that comes through as it slowly expands. This has a lot of power and charge but no overt weight, density but no fat. I like the lingering coolness with fresh mint and graphite giving a saline, mineral element at the end. Complex and serious yet elegant, full of taste and detail. 95 Georgina Hindle, Decanter. 

Drinking Window: 2023 - 2030