2020, Château Montlandrie, CÔTES DE CASTILLON

Bordeaux Blend: Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc.

The 2020 Montlandrie is one of the more showy wines from the Durantou's this vintage. It is quite plush and sensual with scents of crème de cassis, crushed violet and a hint of star anis. Nicely defined, though their Lalande-de-Pomerols demonstrate a little more class. The palate is medium-bodied with pliant tannins, fleshy and generous, a little sweeter than the Les Cruzelles with a pure, quite intense finish. Fine - it just needs a couple of years in bottle. 89 Neal Martin, Vinous.

The 2020 Montlandrie, the Durantou family's Côtes de Castillon, is fabulous. It is another very serious wine in this range. A core of dark Merlot fruit gradually opens, releasing complicating notes of spice, leather, incense and liquorice. There's real depth and gravitas. A few years in the cellar seem prudent, as there is a lot of wine here. The purity of the flavours is just striking. 94 Antonio Galloni, Vinous.

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. 92+ Yohan Castaing, Wine Advocate.

The 2020 Montlandrie is a blend of 75% Merlot, 20% Cabernet Franc and 5% Cabernet Sauvignon. The Merlot was picked between the 18th and the 22nd of September, and the Cabernet Franc and Sauvignon were picked from the 23rd to the 25th of September. It has an alcohol of 14.5% and is aging in French oak barrels, 40% new. Deep garnet-purple coloured, it bursts from the glass with vibrant notes of crushed blackberries, fresh, juicy black plums and mulberries, plus hints of bay leaves, cardamom, ground black pepper and black truffles. The medium to full-bodied palate possesses impressive freshness with a solid backbone of soft, rounded tannins and bags of ripe black fruits, finishing long with a peppery kick. 53,000 bottles are expected to be made. 92-94 Lisa Perrotti-Brown, Wine Advocate.

Denis Durantou estate up on the limestone plateau of Castillon, now vinified by his daughter Noémie Durantou. Deeply coloured, ruby in colour with fleshy fruit, not giving a whole lot away right now, but this is a fairly discreet vintage in many ways. The dominant impression is of a rough linen and wet stone texture that reflects its limestone soils. Width and depth as it opens in the palate, serious for now but with plenty to give. A yield of 45hl/ha. 3.6pH. 93 Jane Anson, Decanter. 

Pulsing with life and energy here, delicious mouth-coating 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. 93 Georgina Hindle, Decanter.

Drinking Window: 2024 - 2035