Chateau de Lamarque Haut Medoc 2020

Chateau de Lamarque, Cru Bourgeois Supérieur Haut Medoc, Bordeaux, France, 2020

Grapes: A blend of 45% Cabernet Sauvignon, 45% Merlot, 10% Petit Verdot, 35ha vineyard on gravel soil, 35 year old vines, manual harvest for most grapes, optical sorting, aged 18 months in French oak barrels (35% new), bottled unfiltered

Producer Tasting Note:

A powerful wine with good structure and well integrated tannins. There is a beautiful balance between cassis notes and subtle oak.  This is a classic Haut Medoc red with a decent length finish.

Critics' Tasting Notes:

"Medium bodied, ripe ruby in colour, good depth through the mid palate, this has tar and grilled sandalwood notes that suggest oak influence need to soften a little further over next few years, but there is a ton of pristine damson and black cherry fruit alongside, and this is an upscore from En Primeur. Tasted twice, impressed both times, 38hl/h yield, 35% new oak."

91/100 points, Jane Anson, INSIDE BORDEAUX, November 2022

"Dried flowers, red fruits, tobacco, cedar and a hint of truffle create the nose. On the palate, the wine is medium-bodied, fresh, lifted and a touch salty, with a round-textured, fruity, earthy, black cherry finish. Drink from 2024-2040."

91/100 points, Jeff Leve, THE WINE CELLAR INSIDER, March 2023

"This fine estate has produced a structured, ripe wine. Its black currant fruits are underlined by the wine's tannins and acidity, giving it a fine future. The estate, centered on a medieval castle, is currently in top form. Drink from 2026."

93/100 points, WINE ENTHUSIAST, July 2023

Food Match: Rich, savoury dishes including roasted beef ribs, braised beef with dumplings, roast leg of lamb, venison tenderloin, Provencal aubergine tian, French Cheeses: Saint-Nectaire, Cantal, or Comté