2020 Clos du Marquis, St Julien, Bordeaux

The 2020 Clos du Marquis is plush, sensual and inviting, with soft contours that make it a real pleasure to taste today. Inky red/purplish fruit, lavender, spice, rose petal, mint and cedar all take shape as this sexy Saint-Julien shows off its allure. All the elements are so nicely balanced. In 2020, only 25 of the 46 hectares of the property were used for the Grand Vin.Drink from 2026 to 2040antonio_galloni, Vinous.com (June 2021)

The 2020 Clos du Marquis was picked September 11–29 and matured in 40% new oak with 13.57° alcohol. This Saint-Julien displays copious blackberry and raspberry scents on the nose, intermingling with freshly rolled tobacco and subtle estuarine aromas. There is something almost... gentle about the aromatics. The palate is medium-bodied with satisfying sappiness on the entry that gets the saliva flowing. Quite classic in style, in keeping with the leitmotif of the vintage, this fans out toward the finish while retaining ample structure and a sense of linearity. This excellent Clos du Marquis brims over with breeding and should drink well for 20–30 years. Drink from 2027 to 2050Neil Martin, Vinous.com (May 2021)

Pure crème de cassis, tobacco, black cherries, lead pencil, and a wonderful sense of minerality emerge from the 2020 Clos Du Marquis, and it's medium to full-bodied, with a pure, elegant texture, plenty of ripe tannins, and the vibrant, focused, lengthy style of the vintage front and center. It's going to need 4-6 years of bottle age, possibly more, but the balance, purity, and precision are all brilliant. The blend is 61% Cabernet Sauvignon, 33% Merlot, and the rest Cabernet Franc, raised in 40% new French oak. The technical information checks in with the alcohol at 13.57%, pH of 3.76, and an IPT of 84. This will be a long-lived Saint-Julien!jeb_dunnuck, jebdunnuck.com (May 2021)