SAINT PIERRE 2020

I continue to absolutely love what this estate puts in the bottle, and it remains an incredible value given its quality. The 2020 Château Saint-Pierre (Saint-Julien) shows a deeper ruby/purple hue with gorgeous aromatics of blackcurrants, smoked tobacco, gravelly earth, and chocolate. Medium to full-bodied on the palate, it displays the vintage’s more elegant, pure, precision style, with perfectly integrated background oak, ripe tannins, and a great finish. This brilliant Saint-Julien will benefit from 4–6 years of bottle age and has 30+ years of overall longevity. Bravo.

A plush, broad, toasty style, with warmed plum sauce and steeped blackberry notes forming the core, while sweet tobacco, ganache and dark earth hints fill in behind. A lovely sanguine thread adds a mouthwatering aspect to the finish as the fruit plays out. Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot. Best from 2030 through 2038. 4,687 cases made.

The 2020 Saint-Pierre has a distinctly Pauillac-like nose with veins of graphite and mint infusing the black fruit, focused and full of tension. This is very classy. The palate is medium-bodied with supple tannins that belie the structure underneath. It has good grip, and comes across quite strict and correct. If I am to quibble, and quibble I will, it maybe doesn’t finish with the fireworks that I have noticed on other recent superlative vintages. Perhaps that might develop in barrel. If so, it will warrant a higher score.

A really well-made St.-Julien that highlights its balance and shows the appellation identity, combining the fruit and vibrancy of margaux with the depth and structure of Pauillac. Expect subtle graphite and lead pencil notes alongside paprika, spiced berries, plums and cassis. Medium to full- bodied, with a good crunch on fruit in the middle before a long, fine-grained finish. Very close to strikingly long 2019 with a bit more crunch on fruit. A blend of 79% cabernet sauvignon, 15% merlot and 6% cabernet franc. Drink or hold.

The 2020 Saint-Pierre is a rich, dramatic wine bursting with aromas of blackberries, blueberry liqueur, anise, clove and brown sugar. Medium to full-bodied, broad and fleshy, it's generous and enveloping, with a ripe core of fruit, succulent acids and powdery tannins that discreetly assert themselves on the finish. The wine's creamy, fruit-driven profile belies its comparatively moderate 13.3% alcohol.