Château Grand-Puy Ducasse 2020

Well built, powerful, with breed and density, well-integrated élevage, just a slightly austere finish; nonetheless pleasing and stylish. Can age a bit.

Flows wonderfully from the start, with an already accessible feel to the mix of cassis and dark blackberry notes inlaid with singed alder, warm paving stone, tobacco leaf and graphite accents that then carry the finish. In the end, there's no rush at all here. A pretty gorgeous Pauillac. Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot. Best from 2025 through 2038. Tasted twice, with consistent notes. 10,733 cases made, 338 cases imported.

Nice confiture character – raspberry/blackberry fruit, concentrated and with layers of flavour. Already very attractive and appealing. Fine-grained, leafy tannins with subtle, complementary use of new oak. A Grand-Puy Ducasse with complexity and potential – the Merlot seems to have been harvested with extremely good ripeness. A major step-up from the Prélude 2020.

A transparent and clear young Pauillac with blackcurrant, mushroom, chocolate, and wet earth. Full-bodied, layered and flavorful with fine, velvety tannins. Plenty of graphite and blue fruit at the end. Drink after 2027.

The 2020 Grand Puy Ducasse has finally stepped up a gear since I tasted it from barrel. In bottle, it is undoubtedly very concentrated, with copious blackberry and boysenberry fruit, and touches of incense and graphite that develop with aeration. The palate is medium-bodied with grainy tannins, well balanced, and with much better backbone than recent vintages; certainly no herbaceousness or underripeness is evident. It is quite precise on the finish, completing a very commendable GPD.

One of the best vintages of Grand Puy Ducasse ever produced is packed with multiple layers of ripe, fresh, creamy, salt-infused blackberries, currants, spearmint, cigar box, cedar, and lead pencil. There is volume, balance, freshness, length, and a fruit-filled finish that holds your focus. This is a top vintage for Grand Puy Ducasse that will age for 2–3 decades. Drink from 2025–2050.

Dark ruby, purple reflections, deep core, faint ochre brightening on the rim. An inviting bouquet of dark berry fruit, fine wood spice, soft notes of cassis and blackberry confit, with a hint of nougat caramel underneath. Juicy, good complexity and fruit expression, ripe tannins, chocolaty finish, fine minerality, shows length and ageing potential, continues the clear upward trend of recent years.

Dark garnet with a youthful purple hue. Mild oak and tobacco with darker fruit notes, some sage, tobacco and herbal tones. The palate shows a classic dense structure, rich in tannin but with fairly ripe extract, well-integrated oak, some mocha flavours, fresh dark berry notes, and a long, structured finish. A classic style destined for long ageing.

The 2020 Château Grand-Puy Ducasse is a brilliant, powerful, age-worthy Pauillac that will reward bottle age. Blackcurrants, tobacco, cedar pencil, and chocolate are just some of its nuances, and this beauty hits the palate with full-bodied richness, a dense, mouth-filling texture, plenty of ripe tannins, and outstanding length. It's not the most elegant Pauillac out there, but it has quintessential aromatics, structure, and density, and is beautifully done, as well as incredibly satisfying. It will probably take a decade of bottle age to hit maturity, and it should have 30-40 years of overall longevity. Tasted three times.

Kunz barrel sample 2021: spicy, velvety bouquet, cassis, red licorice, Taba tablets, fine woods. Fruity, creamy palate with sweet dark fruit, fine tannins, creamy structure, powerful aromatics, full finish. Can improve further.

Spicy, velvety bouquet, cassis, red licorice, small Taba tablets, fine woods. Fruity, creamy palate with sweet dark fruit, fine tannins, creamy structure, powerful aromatics and a full finish. Can still improve. 17/20 2025 - 2042

Sweet berry fruit, damson, blackberry and spiced vanilla oak. Expressive, with firm tannins and clear depth of flavour and personality. Good quality, and an affordable 1855 Pauillac, that rare beast. Harvest September 15 to October 1. An upscore from En Primeur.

The 2020 Grand-Puy Ducasse is deep garnet-purple in color. It opens with notes of crushed rocks, tar, and black pepper, over a core of warm cassis, blackberry preserves, and raspberry leaves. Medium-bodied, the palate is taut, muscular, and earthy, with a firm backbone of grainy tannins and great length.

89-90

The nose evokes an exotic garden at dusk—heady, fresh, intriguing. On the palate, the wine is superbly crafted. It boasts immense power married to silky fluidity. The finish is not among the longest.

Grand-Puy Ducasse has not always deserved the suffix “

True to its discreet approach, the nose nonetheless reveals depth and a certain indulgence. A velvety attack and palate, with an incredible balance between fruity, root-like, then spicy aromas. Fine, elongated tannins that seize the taste buds on the finish. An iron fist in a velvet glove—great wine.

93–95. Barrel Sample. This wine is seriously structured, contrasting the dry core with juicy, fresh and fruity black currant flavors. The elements are all in place and open to view, promising a wine of longevity with balanced freshness and richness.