2020 Château Labégorce, Cru Bourgeois Margaux

A tight, compact Labégorce with blackcurrant, walnut and some graphite. It’s medium-to full-bodied with a solid core of tannins and fruit. Some lead pencil. Very structured for this estate.

Smoked cedar oak on the nose, a welcome touch in a vintage where tannins have frequently been turned up to 11. Grilled almonds; really a campfire edge. I like this, works well with the vintage. The fruit softens through the mid palate but the team has done a great job of finding extra layers flavour and complexity. Good stuff. 40% new oak. 2% Petit Verdot completes the blend. Yields around 32hl/ha. Just 20mm of rain in August here, which meant veraison was more difficult. Tasted this also at the estate, and both times I was impressed. Less opulent than 2019, more classic and serious but this is great. Harvest September 16 to October 1.

The 2020 Labégorce was picked 16 September to 1 October and raised in 40% new oak, the remainder one year old. It has a perfumed bouquet with brambly red fruit, wild strawberry mixed with raspberry preserve and rose petal, hints of orange rind emerging with time. The palate is medium-bodied with fine grain tannins, classic in style with a fine bead of acidity that imparts plenty of freshness. More black fruit on the palate compared to the nose with a saline finish, this is a fine Margaux that has a suppleness suggesting it will drink early after bottling.

Deepest cherry red. Inviting and open nose of sweet and scented black and dark-red fruit and just a hint of oak's sweetness. On the palate, juicy with those same fruit flavours and lovely freshness to balance. The oak is carried lightly and is well integrated. The tannins fine and dry on the finish. (JH)