Château Laffitte Carcasset 2020

Smells heady, ripe and perfumed. Almost plush in terms of the tannic impression, a gentle chewiness with ripe blackcurrant and black plum flavours. This has great acidity and a fine line of freshness keeping all the elements in the right place. It's not so weighty or complex but delivers a drinkable glass of wine that feels well made and determined. Wood still shows a little in the lingering spice elements at the end. Give this time.

Full bottle 1,262 g. Certified HVE. Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Cabernet Franc. A little pinched and peppery and skinny. Very skinny, sinewy, drying tannins. Tastes like penance. (TC)

The 2020 Laffitte-Carcasset is a powerful, brooding Saint-Estèphe. Iron, smoke, game, white pepper and incense lend tons of feral intensity. Laffitte-Carcasset is full of character. It will be interesting to see if there is more finesse to be gained here. For now, Laffitte-Carcasset remains a wine of searing intensity.

Forward, savory, herbal, fresh, with a currant- and blackberry-driven palate and a savory edge to the red fruits in the vibrant finish. Drink from 2023-2035.

Dark ruby garnet, purple reflections, deep core, faint ochre brightening on the rim. Tobacco-backed wild blackberry fruit, soft hints of liquorice and orange zest. Juicy, fine red cherry fruit, racy structure, ripe tannins, mineral-citric finish, salty aftertaste, a lively food wine, will also increase in volume with ageing.

Red and black cherries, leafy herbs, loamy earth, and leathery nuances all emerge from the 2020 Château Laffitte Carcasset, a medium-bodied, nicely balanced, charming wine that has the structure and depth to keep for a decade.

Blackberry juice, elderberry jelly—it's a whole basket of small black fruits unfolding their aromas. The palate is silky, with well-integrated tannins. The tangy edge of black berries comes with a brilliant expression of grape, and the finish underlines the wine’s overall energy.

The 2020 immediately asserts its identity and terroir, with a definition that grows even more compelling. Nuances of black berries, licorice, and graphite create a beautiful symbiosis, with no element overshadowing the others. On the palate, the wine shows a certain breadth as well as power, yet within a harmonious, almost velvety frame, with lovely fine-grained texture and a lively acidity that neatly cuts through the opulence and ultimately leads to an unlikely harmony. This 2020 is starting to lay the groundwork, revealing its greatness and depth, but it’s not fully in place yet. It needs time. That’s natural—patience is key. Laffitte Carcasset 2020 is flirting with 94… I think it’s just a matter of time.

The nose is fruity and offers freshness, with a slightly tight/finely restrained edge. It reveals notes of fresh/ripe blackberry, pulpy raspberry and, more lightly, ripe/fresh wild berries, combined with small hints of grey pepper, spices and fine touches of fresh tobacco. The palate is fruity and offers juiciness, minerality, indulgence, good definition, a certain tension/richness, control, freshness and a subtle minerality. On the palate, this wine expresses notes of pulpy/juicy blackberry, fresh/pulpy blackcurrant and, more lightly, small wild red berries, along with hints of Cuben pepper, fresh blond tobacco, sweet spices, a fine touch of nutmeg and a discreet, almost iodized note. Good length. A subtle touch of mocha/roasting on the finish/persistence. The tannins are finely firm.