In Bond per 12x75cl En Primeur
"Neal Martin, vinous.com 95-97/100
The 2020 Grand-Puy-Lacoste has a very refined, almost understated bouquet at first, but it opens in glorious fashion to offer precise blackberry and wild strawberry fruit, crushed stone and wild mint, gaining intensity at its own pace. The palate is beautifully balanced with fine-grained tannins, a keen thread of acidity, layers of intense black fruit and quite a spicy, vibrant and certainly persistent finish. This is a brilliant GPL from the Borie family. Drink 2027-2055.
Antonio Galloni, vinous.com 93-96/100
The 2020 Grand-Puy-Lacoste is an explosive, vibrant Pauillac. The bouquet alone is captivating. Lavender, grilled herbs, menthol, chocolate and crème de cassis all race out of the glass. A wine of vertical structure and precision, the 2020 is a total stunner. It simply dazzles from start to finish. Drink 2032-2050.
Jane Anson, Decanter.com 95/100
Enjoyable, powerful, concentrated, not the most generous of GPLs but they have captured the essence of Pauillac, and it's hard to resist. Sappy juicy finish, full of cassis, mint leaf and pencil lead along the way with a clear tightness to the tannic frame. A yield of 31hl/ha. 75% new oak for barrel ageing. Drink 2027-2046
James Lawther MW, JancisRobinson.com 17.5/20
Bright crimson hue. Classic in form and constitution. Firm and stately on the nose with graphite and dark-fruit notes. Juicy and fresh on the palate, the tannins smooth and refined but driving behind. Long, linear and persistent. Should age gracefully. (JL) 76% Cabernet Sauvignon, 24% Merlot. Cask sample. Drink 2028–2045"
Among Pauillac's wines, Grand-Puy-Lacoste is considered 'a great classic', capable of aligning its consistent character with the spirit of each vintage. Wines are the expression of their terroir, their climate and their grapes, but they also carry the mark of those who made it. So while showing the utmost respect for the gifts of nature, François-Xavier Borie will proudly refer to Grand-Puy-Lacoste's "signature", which is clearly evident in vertical tastings.
The wines have a beautiful, deep color, the aromas are very pure and complex, subtle and refined. Depending on the vintage, one's first impression may be of ripe fruit or flowers, often toasted notes, spice and vanilla... With time it develops a remarkably full, rich character. In the mouth one is struck by its elegant individuality from the very first impression through the last moments of a finish which affords continual and subtly changing pleasure. The flavours support and amplify its aromatic sensations with a notably large range of fruit, particularly cassis which develops with age. The wines are well-built, with a powerful tannic structure which never loses its silky smoothness.
The fourth dimension of Grand-Puy-Lacoste is time. By nature a wine for long ageing, it needs between eight and ten years to reveal its full potential, bringing power and harmony together. Each vintage fully develops after a period corresponding to its profile. 'Patience is rewarded with complex aromas of dried fruit, Havana tobacco and cedar wood, smooth tannins and an exceptionally long aromatic finish' Markus del Monego, world's best sommelier in 1998.
The vineyards extend to 90 hectares in a single block surrounding the Chateau planted with 75% Cabernet Sauvignon, 20% Merlot and 5% Cabernet Franc on deep coarse gravel. Following manual harvest and vinification the wines are aged in French oak (75% new barrels each vintage) for between 16 to 18 months depending on the vintage. Tues22
