Château Picque Caillou 2020

Appealing smoky notes on the nose, with redcurrant and raspberry fruits, but the acidity on the finish is spiky, and suggests the fruit is lacking in full ripeness. A yield of 40hl/ha, 40% new oak for ageing.

Leads with tobacco leaf and singed cedar, with a core of lightly dried red and black currant fruit and a swath of tar on the finish. Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot and Petit Verdot. Best from 2024 through 2030. 5,000 cases made, 1,000 cases imported.

Aromas of blackberries, dark chocolate, spice box and toasted almond. Some graphite, too. Medium- to full-bodied. Tight and concentrated with firm, chewy tannins. Structured and lingering. Needs a few years to soften. Try after 2025.

Medium-bodied, floral, firm, and fresh, the red fruits range from sweet to tart, showing a savory, spicy edge on the mid-palate and in the grippy, tannic, currant and cocoa finish. Give it a year or two to allow the tannins to soften and the wine should be even better. Drink from 2024-2040.

60% Cabernet Sauvignon, 30% Merlot, 10% Petit Verdot, 38 hl/ha. Deep purple with a dense core and a delicate lilac rim. Seductive bouquet of fresh blackcurrant, intense violet and elderberry jelly, followed by chocolate pralines and perfumed pipe tobacco. On the elegant palate, a silky texture, magnificent extract density, a tight-knit tannic frame, and perfectly balanced verve. The focused finish is a firework of blue fruits, noble cassis spice and dark graphite, ending with a gentle astringency. Chapeau to Paulin Calvet, it reminds me of the 2010!

Kunz barrel sample 2021: Dense, velvety, fresh bouquet, plums, black cherries, fine currants, licorice. Tightly knit, elegant palate with powerful, refined fruit, dense structure, dark aromatics, fine tannins, long, dense, creamy finish.

Dense, velvety, fresh bouquet with plums, black cherries, fine currants, licorice. Tightly woven, elegant palate with powerful, refined fruit, dense structure, dark aromatics, fine tannins, long, dense, creamy finish. 18/20 2026 - 2045

The 2020 Picque Caillou Rouge is deep purple-black in color. Notes of juicy black plums, blackberry pie, and fruitcake come skipping out of the glass, giving way to scents of cinnamon toast, lilacs, and potpourri. The medium-bodied palate is chock full of blue and black fruit preserves flavors, supported by soft tannins and plenty of freshness, finishing long and fragrant. In a word: delicious!

Nose of fresh country bread and just-baked madeleine, evolving toward wild blackberry jam. On the palate, the fruit takes the lead again, with a round, powerful, and silky texture. The tannins are still a touch present, but the fresh finish already foretells a bright future.

Currently showing a discreet nose of red fruits (redcurrant), this wine is defined by a tight weave of fine, non-aggressive tannins that lends it a certain density. The palate remains round and fluid, still on red fruits, and finishes with delicate grapefruit bitterness.

This vineyard, now surrounded by the Bordeaux suburbs, is producing some fine classic wines. This vintage in its youth is lightly stalky, with a smoky character that comes from wood aging. Its potential is fine, softening, highlighting the black-currant flavors and tannins. Drink from 2026.

Sleek and understated, with plenty of redcurrant and raspberry fruit; acidity a little pronounced, softened by smoked chocolate and tar notes. The Pessac-Léognan signature is there, improved with ageing, but I’d give it a little longer. 40 hl/ha yield, 40% new oak for ageing.