Description
Château Les Gravières de la Brandille, Bordeaux Supérieur 2020.
20% Cabernet Sauvignon, 15%Cabernet Franc, 65% Merlot.
This is way more than just a good value Bordeaux. I don’t normally spend much time on critic reviews but, for an inexpensive wine, this has a completely disproportionate number of high scores, worthy of wines costing two to three times as much:
*Gold Medal, International Wine Challenge 2023.
*James Suckling 90/100: “Chunky red for this appellation, with currant, wet-earth and
bark aromas and flavors. Medium-bodied with some substantial, slightly chewy
tannins. Needs a year to soften. 65% merlot, 20% cabernet sauvignon and 15%
cabernet franc. Drink after 2024.”*Vinous 90/100: The 2020 is a gorgeous, super-expressive Bordeaux Supérieur. Gravel,
rose petal, blood orange, incense and mint lend notable complexity, palying off a core of sumptuous dark red fruit beautifully. There’s tons of complexity and nuance. Pretty savory notes from cabernets linger on the close.*Critics’ favourite, from French magazine Le Point, May 2023, 16,5/20 : “Red fruits, floral, lively, fresh, elegant, tense, tonic, long and fine on the palate.”
*Silver Medal at the French Agricultural Show 2023.
*Vertdevin 89-90/100: “The nose is fruity and offers a slight intensity, good definition and a fine concentration. We find notes of pulpy/bright blackberry, violet and small notes of crushed raspberry associated with small touches of vanilla, fine hints of sweet spices and a very discreet hint of Cuben pepper. The palate is fruity and offers juiciness, freshness, a certain sweetness as well as a little gourmandise, a fine acidulous frame, juiciness, tension and a good definition of the fruit. On the palate this wine expresses notes of pulpy/juicy cassis, violet and small notes of blackberry associated with touches of raspberry, bright redcurrant as well as hints of cornflower, liquorice and a subtle hint of spices. The tannins are precise and distinguished.”
*Jeb Dunnuck 88-90/100: “A rock-solid barrel sample, … medium-bodied, and nicely balanced with a pretty, lively feel that’s very much in the style of the vintage. Black raspberries, cassis, spicy oak, and floral notes all define the bouquet, and it’s very good at least, possibly outstanding.”
* Wine Kingdom 89/100
* Wine Enthusiast 88/100: A ripe, young wine, it also has rich tannins and attractive black fruits. This is a wine that shows its fruitiness well, well-balanced and juicy. Drink from 2024.
*Anthocyanes 89/100: “Very fruity and at the same time floral, the nose invites gourmandise. Juicy and fresh, the mouthfeel is a little firm but reveals menthol notes.”
*Yves Beck 88: “Notes of blackcurrant and spices. Fruity and inviting attack. The wine is juicy, balanced and has tannins that hold up well. To be enjoyed in your youth, without rushing; it has the substance to spend a little time in the cellar too!”
*Silver Medal, Lyon International Wine Show 2021.
Drink now to 2028.
14% ABV
