Château Boyd-Cantenac 2020

Pretty nose of cherries, bark, dried flowers, charcoal and graphite. Excellent freshness here, with juicy berry fruit and firm, tea-like tannins. Mineral at the end. Drink from 2025.

Dark ruby garnet, purple reflections, delicate rim brightening. Delicate toffee, roasted aromas, some caramel and liquorice, ripe plums in the background, attractive bouquet. Juicy, ripe cherries, fresh acidity, silky tannins, sweet finish, red berry touch on the finish, delicate wood savouriness on the finish, still needs some time, has charm and length. (2025-2050).

The 2020 Boyd-Cantenac has a deep garnet-purple color. It opens with broody, cedary scents before giving way to a core of cassis and juicy blackberries, with wafts of charcoal and wild sage. Medium-bodied, the palate is lively and taut with muscular fruit framed by fine-grained tannins, finishing long and refreshing.

91-92

The palate is creamy, with a supple texture and fine tannins. The whole is carried by the toasted oak that characterizes the estate’s wines. There is no doubt that time will smooth out this hint of oak aging, and the wine will then be very seductive.

Boyd-Cantenac hardly changes over time: it has its own path, its distinctive traits, and its audience. Moreover, it embraces its stylistic identity with disarming calm, because it knows—as do we—that in the end it blossoms. This long introduction serves to explain that the classic notes of coffee and mocha are still strongly emphasized on the nose! One should not stop at that, because behind this veil of roasting lies the true nature of Boyd-Cantenac, with nuances of graphite, black berries, and licorice. The usual sweetness shows right from the attack. It precedes the finesse of this Margaux, which displays an elegant profile, suave tannins with very fine grain, and a pleasant freshness on the finish that brings lovely momentum across the palate. A wine to leave in the cellar for a while. It is delicious and promising.

Inky purple in colour with a fist of toasted oak on the aromatics, but here it is skilfully coupled with a punch of cassis and blueberry fruits, and a lift of violet flowers, and creamy smoked caramel. It's exceptionally good, for me the best of the lineup, with clear precision on show. One to look out for, easy to recommend. 80% new oak. Lucien Guillemet owner and winemaker. No external consultant.

Meadow-like aromatic freshness, cassis and touches of vanilla charm the palate. Tasted over a two-day period, I couldn't shake a sense of rigid, slightly raw tannins which did somewhat dissipate on the second day. Coming from such a fine vintage, a disappointing performance. An improvement over the 2004 vintage, tasted alongside for context, but Boyd-Cantenac should be better as a third growth, also because the finish was too short.