1 Château Les Carmes Haut-Brion, Pessac-Léognan
100 £115 (ib)-£170
The best 2020s seem to be confident without shouting too loudly and this Carmes does just that. Focused and precise, this is complex, vibrant with texture, making an impact straight away. Fresh black fruits, floral notes and sensational minerality – it has weight, density and structure, direction and persistence, building quickly then elongating with such clarity and purity. Cool, classic, sharp and decisive with a flawless texture. Whereas 2019 was more generous, this is more classic and easy to understand. Drink 2028-2048 Alc 13.5%
Château Mouton Rothschild, Pauillac 1CC
100 £498 (ib)-£916.67
Dark fruits on the nose, blackcurrants and cherries with savoury nuances of dark chocolate and tobacco. Fresh and forward, this hits you square on, very lean and direct, almost piercing and severe in its intensity and drive. Serious and focused yet full and layered, the texture is lovely, a slight graininess that lingers but it’s the acidity and the fruit purity – they give such a sense of vibrancy and make this wine so thrilling. You get a feeling of pent-up energy, but after a few minutes the density of the ripe fruit comes through, giving some plushness and weight. I love the Cabernet details and the mineral element that leaves the mouth cool and fresh. A well constructed, subtle beauty. Drink 2029-2050 Alc 13.1%
2 Château Troplong Mondot, St-Emilion, 1GCCB
100 £72 (ib)-£116.40
A sensational Troplong, vibrant and vivid, makes you smile from the first smell: milk chocolate, roses and lavender, wet stones, liquorice, cinnamon and ripe bramble fruits. Round on the palate, tannins are abundant with a chalky blueberry coolness and a salty tang. Lovely precision and purity of fruit; a sharp definition makes it less immediately charming than the 2019 but adds complexity. Deep but not heady, this is pure and detailed, with a leanness from the terroir really setting it apart. After a few minutes, the glamour appears, giving a salivating, succulent and moreish aspect to the2028-2047 14.5%
