Château Kirwan 2020

A velvety, seductive style, with warmed plum and black currant confiture laced with worn cedar, smoldering black tea and violet. Shows a subtle sanguine twinge at the very end that adds lift. Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Cabernet Franc and Petit Verdot. Best from 2026 through 2036. Tasted twice, with consistent notes. 8,333 cases made, 1,666 cases imported.

Gorgeous nose, full of dark bramble fruits, dark chocolate and flowers. Round and energetic, with a core of intensely concentrated blackcurrants, plums and black cherries. Lovely refinement here: sleek, satisfying, clean, precise. Great drive from start to finish, with both satisfying weight and texture – plump but not too much, mineral and salty but not too much. Glamour and confidence. A lovely wine, still youthful but expertly delivered. Just so juicy and alive, refreshing, vibrant and concentrated. Really very stylish.

Attractive nose of hazelnuts, chocolate, blueberries, blackcurrants, peach pits and sandalwood. Hints of olives and mushrooms, too. Complex, layered and integrated, with a medium to full body and powdery tannins. Long and savory at the end. Drink from 2025.

Tasted blind. Deepest crimson. Fragrant with very slightly leafy black fruit. Dark and ripe yet fresh. Firm, chewy, well built and harmonious. Juicy finish. Nice freshness. (JH)

The 2020 Kirwan is quite the powerhouse, just as it was en primeur. Élevage has softened some of the contours, but Kirwan remains a bruiser. Dark fruit, scorched earth, gravel, incense, tobacco and cedar add to an impression of virile intensity. The 2020 is a good wine, but it is not exactly elegant. Even so, it does have character. There is no denying that.

Wet earth, cocoa, mint, flowers, and spicy red fruits open the nose. On the palate, the wine is round, soft, and polished, with layers of sweet, lush cherries, black currants, and plums. Fresh and refined, this will drink well young yet age for decades. Drink from 2024–2050.

Dark ruby garnet, purple reflections, deep core, delicate rim brightening. Individual bouquet of overripe berries, some damp underbrush, hints of cassis, delicate dried fruit. Medium complexity, red wild berries, fine fruit sweetness, integrated tannins, fresh and developed, already drinking well, charming, shows length, (2025-2045).

Lots of smoky oak, ripe blackcurrants, blueberries, tobacco, and chocolaty notes emerge from the 2020 Château Kirwan, a richly textured, medium- to full-bodied Margaux. A wine that blossoms with time in the glass, it's a plush, sexy, yet brilliantly balanced 2020 offering velvety tannins and a great finish, and while the oak is present right on opening, it integrates beautifully with air. This beauty is going to put a smile on your face any time over the coming 20–25 years.

Kunz barrel sample 2021: sweet, light, red-berried bouquet, currants, red cherries. Slim, light palate with delicate structure, piquant acidity, finely sandy tannins, drying finish.

Sweet, light, red-berry bouquet with redcurrants and red cherries. Slender, light palate with a delicate structure, zesty acidity, fine sandy tannins, drying finish. 16/20 2025 - 2035

Another exceptional vintage after a run of them, with cloves on the opening beats reflecting a dry year where the concentration is clear. A brilliant mix of 2018 and 2019, juicy with lift through the palate, delivering great punch of black pepper and spiced plum, blackberry purée, campfire smoke and fresh mint leaf on the finish. Still young and coiled but this is impressive. 50% new oak for ageing, 33 hl/ha yield. Eric Boissenot consultant, Philippe Delfaut director.

The Kirwan 2020 is deep garnet-purple in color. It has compelling scents of baked plums, warm cassis, and baking spices, with hints of rosehip tea and pencil shavings. Medium-bodied, the palate delivers a good core of black fruits, with a grainy texture and plenty of freshness, finishing with a minerally lift.

A candid nose brimming with red fruits, evoking strawberry jam spread on a beautiful slice of bread. A very charming palate of plum and apple, balanced by a good dose of acidity. A lovely wine.