Château Grand Puy Lacoste, 5ème Cru Classé, Pauillac, 2020
Emeline Borie describes 2020 as a more “classical in style” than 2018 and 2019. There isn’t any of the flamboyance that we’ve witnessed in the preceding two vintages. This is back to classical lines, structure and refinement. The grand vin is produced from 76% Cabernet Sauvignon and 24% Merlot from yields of just 31hL/ha. Initially this is quite reticent, the bouquet is tightly coiled refusing to reveal itself. With aeration one gets a glimpse at the potential aromatic profile: bright cherry, spices and gentle potpourri. The palate is much more expressive at this nascent stage. Pure, ripe, refined and very detailed, this is wonderfully floral with waves of expressive, silky cassis interplaying with starry crimson fruit and darker, brooding mulberry notes. This feels polished, yet classical, there’s no sense of excess. As one would expect, the tannins are harmonious and integrated daubing the palate with dazzling griotte and graphite. A profound and reflective GPL.
critic reviews
The 2020 Grand-Puy-Lacoste has a wonderful, "cool" bouquet with refined, graphite-infused black fruit that simply oozes class. The palate is medium-bodied with sapid black fruit and wonderful symmetry, fresh and tensile with a persistent, tobacco-tinged finish that could only come from Pauillac. Wonderful. Tasted blind at the annual Southwold tasting.
The 2020 Grand-Puy-Lacoste is excellent, offering up aromas of cassis and plums mingled with pencil shavings, violets and loamy soil framed by a touch of creamy new oak. Medium to full-bodied, pure and fleshy, with lively acids, powdery tannins and good depth at the core, its supple, charming style belies considerable aging potential. It's a blend of 76% Cabernet Sauvignon and 24% Merlot.
The 2020 Grand-Puy-Lacoste has a deep garnet-purple color. It bounds from the glass with eager-to-please notes of crushed black plums, wild blueberries, and warm cassis, plus touches of violets, licorice, and wild sage. The medium-bodied palate is vibrant with crunchy black fruits and a grainy texture, finishing on a mineral note.