2020 Belgrave
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Tasting notes
Tasted blind. Deep crimson. Fragrant, a touch leafy, the tannins firm and chocolatey, not quite meshed between fruit and structure yet. Just enough freshness on the finish. (JH)
Critic scores
Average Score
James Suckling
Julia Harding MW, jancisrobinson.com
More reviews and scores
The 2020 Belgrave has a very attractive nose of blackberry and wild strawberry fruit commingling with undergrowth, cigar humidor and loamy scents. The oak is well integrated. The palate is medium-bodied with pliant tannins. It's not a complex Left Bank, and there is a touch of dryness on the finish, yet there is plenty of freshness, and I appreciate its classical bent. Give this two or three years. Tasted blind at the annual Southwold tasting.
The deep purple-hued 2020 Château Belgrave is another impressive wine that shows the quality (and style) of the vintage. Darker currants, plums, smoked earth, tobacco, and chocolate all define the aromatics, and it's medium-bodied, with a round, mouth-filling texture, remarkable purity, and enough building tannins to warrant 2-3 years of bottle age. This is beautifully done and well worth following for a solid 10-15 years.
The 2020 Belgrave has quite a potent, powerful nose with layers of blackberry and bilberry fruit, a light marine influence, though it needs a little more definition. The palate is medium-bodied with sappy black fruit, quite a muscular Haut-Médoc, firming up towards the finish that exerts a bit of grip. Afford this 3-4 years in bottle and you will have a very decent Haut-Médoc.
About the producer
With deep gravel soils and lying just across a stream from Saint-Julien, this Fifth Growth has been managed by the négociant Dourthe since 1979 – bringing expertise that has helped deliver on the site’s potential.