Château La Louvière 2020

Soft floral notes with orchard and stone fruit nuances on the nose. Bright and sharp, this is full of life with zingy citrus fruits – lemon, lime and pineapple – with high acidity. Not so texturally deep but retains a sense of focus and determination from start to finish. Really easy to drink and easy to like with a long, salty-edged lemon juice finish.

Crushed rocks, lemons, grapefruit, green apples, spice and white flowers create an intense perfume. Rich, fresh, fruit-filled and juicy, with a packed finish of yellow and orange citrus, white peach and green pear, and a touch of ginger on the endnote, this is already fabulous in your glass. Drink from 2023-2034.

Pure and floral nose displaying fresh citrus, lemongrass, elderflower and white-fleshed fruit, with mild oak in the background. Good grip and extract on the palate, layered with vibrant freshness, good volume and a long, pure finish.

Clean lemon pith, honeyed pineapple, and some floral, spicy notes all emerge from the 2020 Château La Louviere Blanc, a medium-bodied, juicy, remarkably pure Graves Blanc that's going to continue drinking nicely for 5-7 years. This is classic stuff and well worth seeking out.

Pale yellow with green highlights. Intense citrus bouquet with lemon essence and greengage plums. Fresh palate with a peppery extract and medium body. Aromatic finish of pink grapefruit and lemongrass.

Kunz barrel sample 2021: powerful, fresh, delicately bitter bouquet, grapefruit, white blossoms, apricot skin, chalk. Silky, elegant, refined palate with delicate fruit, good acidity, intense aromatics, long, fresh finish.

Powerful, fresh, delicately off-dry bouquet of grapefruit, white flowers, apricot skin, chalk. Silky, elegant, refined palate with delicate fruit, good acidity, pronounced aromatics, long, fresh finish. 17/20 2023 - 2036

In my opinion this is the Lurton estate that has improved the most since the arrival of Jacques Lurton at the head of the properties after his father passed away in 2019, and you can see the building blocks here. Clean aromatics, with the freshly cut grass of Sauvignon without being overdone, and a clear emphasis on citrus and pink grapefruit. Aged in a mix of oak barrels, amphoras and large-sized oak casks, one of the most distinctive estates in Pessac-Léognan, with its 18th-century building a protected national monument.

87-88

The wine opens with lovely notes of yellow fruits, ripe pear and spices. The palate, slightly fluid, is elegant and fresh.

Inviting notes of passion fruit and pear on the bouquet of the 2020, complemented by floral nuances. The wine shows good density, clearly shaped by the vintage’s stylistic signature, and is a touch broader and rounder than usual. A supple, flavorful wine, ready to be enjoyed!

Pale color with green highlights. Medium-intensity nose, pure, with fresh fruit. Tender, perfumed palate with a slightly soft mid-palate. Medium, fruity length.

Fragrant nose of lemongrass, lime zest, green pineapple, cloves and herbs. Vibrant and zesty, with a medium body. Driven. Plenty of tension and length, slowly evolving to cream, orange zest and white chocolate. Fantastic this year. Sauvignon blanc. Drink or hold.

93–95. Barrel Sample. Beautifully fruity while also showing texture that will allow for plenty of aging, this is richly complex wine. With acidity shooting through the wine, it has great freshness as well as concentration. The wine needs plenty of time.