Château Olivier 2020

Direct, with a mix of ripe red currant and black cherry compote flavors, this turns slightly rustic through the back end, with warm earth, singed cedar and alder notes checking in. Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot and Petit Verdot. Drink now through 2028. Tasted twice, with consistent notes. 9,000 cases made, 1,500 cases imported.

Coolness throughout, really quite liquorice-focused giving this a dark, sticky, almost sombre tone with acidity that’s present but not super high, accentuating the savoury, woody tones right now. Constricted and tight, not very friendly at the moment, with grainy tannins that give structure and definition. High-toned, sharp and strict with bitter dark chocolate, coffee, black pepper and spiced clove edging the finish. Needs a few years to settle.

Flamboyant red fruits and stone with some bark character. It’s medium-bodied with a layered tannin character. Delicious and bright finish. Polished. Drink after 2026.

The 2020 Olivier has an impressive, well-defined, fresh and vibrant bouquet with blackberry, raspberry and crushed stone scents. The palate is medium-bodied with a sappy entry. It has fine weight and concentration, even feeling quite muscular toward the finish, yet it retains a sense of finesse. This has great potential. Tasted blind at the annual Southwold tasting.

Black plums, smoke, licorice, orange zest, and flowers pop on the nose with ease. On the palate, the wine is medium-bodied, round, silky, and fresh, with a finish that leaves nuances of dark chocolate, espresso, and more of those sweet, ripe, black, juicy plums. Drink from 2024-2040.

Deep ruby, opaque core, purple reflections, delicate ochre rim. Fine noble wood spices, black wild berries, fresh dark heart with a candied orange zest. Juicy, elegant, sweet texture, ripe tannins, fine chocolate touch on the finish.

Inky purple, almost black colour. Pure aromas of tobacco, ripe dark berries, cassis, fine oak and coffee bean. The palate shows a good degree of concentration with ripe extract, sweet dark-berry flavours balanced by fresh acidity, mild oak underneath, digest and savoury with a long, dense finish.

Lots of red and black currants, loamy earth, leather, and dried herb notes emerge from the 2020 Château Olivier, a medium- to full-bodied, nicely concentrated, textured 2020 with some serious charm. I love its balance, and it's complex, with ripe, velvety tannins and a great finish. Drink this beauty over the coming 15 years.

Kunz barrel sample 2021: herbs, restrained bouquet, red and blue berries, mocha, baking chocolate. Light, delicate palate with sweet fruit, good tannins, a bourgeois structure, powerful aromatics, long finish. Can still gain further complexity.

Herbs, restrained bouquet, red and blue berries, mocha, baking chocolate. Light, refined palate with sweet fruit, good tannins, a bourgeois structure, powerful aromatics, long finish. Can still improve. 16/20 2025 - 2036

Excellent quality, with a wonderful touch of deep black pepper and red pepper spice from the Petit Verdot that has added an extra layer of complexity to Olivier since its arrival in 2014. This has a beautiful grip and a sense of controlled power and evolution across the palate, serious and concentrated, sappy on the finish.

The 2020 Olivier Rouge is composed of 52% Cabernet Sauvignon, 42% Merlot, and 6% Petit Verdot. Deep garnet-purple in color, it bounds from the glass with bold notes of baked plums, juicy blackberries, and warm cassis, plus hints of chargrill, crushed rocks, and truffles. The full-bodied palate, laden with lively black fruits, has a vibrant backbone, supported by fine-grained tannins and an earthy finish.

90-91

Highly compelling in its ability to reveal freshness and fruit (blackberries and blueberries), Château Olivier also displays charm, with subtlety. Its precise, silky tannins align with the juicy edge of the acidic structure. A pleasant, sapid and convincing wine.

The nose is fruity, well-defined and offers a certain indulgence, a hint of power, and a chiseled edge. It reveals notes of lemon and fresh lychee, and more subtly of fleshy/grainy apple, combined with touches of mandarin, fresh yellow berries, hints of white flowers, discreet touches of zest, racy minerality, and an imperceptible hint of pepper in the background. The palate is fruity and balanced, delivering juiciness, smoothness, a lively acidic backbone, a chiseled character, some fat, roundness, juiciness, tension, energy, and a slightly tight feel. On the palate, this wine expresses notes of pulpy/juicy apple and vibrant vineyard peach, and more subtly mandarin, alongside tangy kumquat and lemon, with fine hints of passion fruit, starfruit, white flowers, discreet touches of racy minerality, and a subtle toasty note. Good length. There is a very discreet hint of fresh hazelnut and an imperceptible almost buttery / hazelnut-butter touch on the finish/persistence.

93–95. Barrel Sample. This estate with its moated castle is producing some very fine wines. This latest vintage shows both power and density with concentrated blackberry flavor from the ripe fruits. The wine will need time before maturity.