Château Langoa Barton Saint-Julien 2020 (13.5% ABV) — 92
SF | Graceful and elegant, with an ethereal lift which appears to defy the rigours of such a warm year. Spring flowers and red fruit, refined acidity and finely grained tannins, beautifully integrated. Perennially graceful above and beyond its due, the Langoa in 2020 once again demonstrates its class, without , for a moment undermining the more generous elements of this somewhat challenging year. 93
AJ | Dense, dark black-red Earthy, warm, rough-hewn, with less fruit focus and finesse than many of its St Julien peers, though attractive in a kitchen-hearth kind of way. This is exactly what you find on the palate, too. Much to enjoy in rough-hewn style. The austerity and acid bite of the finish makes it hard to give this wine a top score at this stage, but there are excellent raw materials and fruit density (both acids and tannins are impressive and engaged with the fruit) so I'm hopeful a decade of ageing may ease the tension somewhat.Drink Dates: 2026 - 2038.