Château Soutard 2020

This has boysenberry and mulberry fruit spilling forth, with a red licorice note that drapes over the friendly, polished finish. Light-handed on the toast and avoids the vintage's slightly grainy feel. Merlot, Cabernet Franc, Cabernet Sauvignon and Malbec. Drink now through 2030. 5,000 cases made.

Robust, ripe and poised, with black fruit, brownie cake and an intriguing smoky aspect, all very engaging. Given the stress on less extraction three years into the Thomas Duclos era, this vintage shines with aromatic and gustatory precision. Technical director Véronique Corporandy stresses: 'What really matters has been earlier harvesting, for the tannic finesse.' Also noteworthy are Merlots that had been planted in 2008 underneath the limestone plateau with cold clay that 'have come into their own', she adds. Among the wines tasted, 2020 has the highest percentage of Merlot. Give it another three years of cellaring and enjoy what should be a long-lived wine!

A full-bodied red with plum, berry, dark chocolate and walnut aromas and flavors. Round yet chewy tannins. Lots of flavor. Needs time to open but already plush and beautiful. Drink after 2026.

The 2020 Soutard has quite a solid bouquet, with dense red berry fruit laced with cedar, and just a tiny hint of reduction. The palate is medium-bodied with firm tannins, fresh on entry, with a touch of black olive infusing the black fruit. There’s quite a firm backbone to this Saint-Émilion, with fine definition on the finish. This is a very commendable 2020 that should age with style.

Flowers, 5 spice, herbs, smoke and licorice blend perfectly with the red berries and pit fruits in the bouquet. On the palate, the wine is concentrated and rich, yet light on its feet, elegant, balanced and fresh. The finish lingers with an array of ripe red, black and blue fruits, licorice, and a salinity on the back end with just a hint of cocoa that seals the deal. This is the finest vintage of Soutard I have ever tasted! Drink from 2025–2045.

A château on an upward trajectory, the 2020 Château Soutard is another brilliant wine from this estate, which has a terrific terroir on the upper plateau. Cassis, violets, black cherries, tobacco, and graphite, as well as a beautiful sense of minerality, all emerge from this beauty. Medium to full-bodied on the palate, it shows the elegant, pure, precise style of this vintage beautifully and has building yet fine tannins, terrific balance, and a gorgeous finish. This utterly classic Saint-Emilion will benefit from 3-4 years of bottle age and have 25+ of overall longevity.

Deep purple with a black core and a ruby rim. Intense bouquet of fresh blackcurrants, followed by morello cherry juice, Sichuan pepper and liquorice. On the dense palate, a soft texture, finely sandy extract richness, lively acidity play and medium body. In the focused finish, blue berries, waxy notes and delicate astringency. Vinified in line with the vintage, very well done this year!

Kunz barrel sample 2021: peppery, herbal bouquet, red and blue berries, smoke, red licorice. Plump, fruity palate with sweet fruit, soft structure, medium tannins, sweet aromatics, fine finish. Can improve further.

Peppery, herbal bouquet, red and blue berries, smoke, red licorice. Plump, fruity palate with sweet fruit, soft structure, medium tannins, sweet aromatics, and a fine finish. Can improve further. 16/20 2024 - 2036

Angular, tight tannic frame with clear impact from the Malbec, showcasing chewy tannins, spiced plum, plenty of texture and grip. This is a physical wine and needs time in bottle. Bertrand de Villanes director.

93-94

The nose is distinguished, elegant, with a fine, defined grain and power handled with finesse and control. It reveals notes of ripe blackcurrant, vibrant boysenberry and, more subtly, bright wild berries, joined by touches of raspberry and violet, as well as hints of lily, licorice stick, fresh blond tobacco, sweet spices, delicate nuances of nutmeg and bergamot, discreet hints of chocolate, and an imperceptible touch of aromatic herbs. The palate is fruity and offers juiciness, smoothness, lovely definition, indulgence, generous fruit, fine precision, a gentle glycerol feel, roundness, richness with a contained edge, and harmony. On the palate, the wine shows notes of vibrant blackberry and pulpy/juicy blueberry, and more subtly bright blackcurrant, alongside touches of raspberry and pulpy cherry, with hints of violet, chocolate, sweet blond tobacco, vanilla, and caramelization. Good length. The tannins are precise, well-managed, and finely velvety. Sapidity, a fine saline hint, and a slight chew on the finish/persistence.

Dark, intense, and deep red color. The nose is slightly reserved, yet refined, pure, and fruity. Hints of ink and flowers appear when the glass is swirled. Delicate on entry, velvety mid-palate; the wine glides across the palate with plenty of flavor and a beautiful burst of fruit that carries through to the finish. Long, very well crafted, and a great success. Fine grain.

In the lineage of Soutard 2018 and 2019, the 2020 has little choice but to live up to the announced standard. It opens with elegant herbal nuances followed by notes of blackcurrant and pepper. On the palate, Merlot—and 2020—take the lead again, bringing density and charm. The tannins are silky and creamy, but they clearly need to gain in roundness, which is hardly an issue given the substance present; it will bring harmony.

92–94. Barrel Sample. This is a luscious wine, juicy with spicy tannins and rich acidity balancing the generous berry flavors. The tannins are open already, giving spice for the juicy acidity that will be a hallmark of the wine as it ages.