2020 Sarget de Gruaud Larose

The 2020 Sarget de Gruaud Larose initially has an attractive bouquet with cassis and touches of violet. It's slightly herbal in style, and this becomes more pronounced with aeration, fraying at the seams. The palate is medium-bodied with decent concentration on the entry and fine backbone, if just missing a little focus on the finish. Tasted blind at the annual Southwold tasting.

The 2020 Sarget de Gruaud Larose is the best vintage when compared directly with 2018 and 2019. This has more freshness and tension on the nose, understated in some ways, delicate tobacco-tinged black fruit. The palate is medium-bodied with grainy tannins, fine depth, nicely focused with a cleaner finish than the previous years. This will do nicely. Drink over the next decade.

Touch of reduction on the first nose, opens to show precision and purity, with plenty of grip as it unrolls. Cassis, mint, soot and liqourice, with a ton of St Julien typicity, understated. 15% new oak, organic conversion as of 2019, with certification due in 2022 for the vineyard. Virginie Sallette winemaker, 31hl/h yield.