#18 Wine Spectator Top 100 of 2023
Grand-Puy-Lacoste 2020 is an example once again of a vintage marked by a significant proportion of Cabernet Sauvignon in the blend - 76%, which demonstrates the tremendous potential of its terroir and completed by 24% Merlot. It's a very beautiful vintage, more classic in terms of structure than the 2018 and 2019. The bouquet releases aromas of ripe red fruit, violets and spices. This is complemented by an attractive fresh minerality. The attack is precise, clean and long, with its ripe and melted tannins. Overall, this is a wine of great balance, allying charm, elegance and freshness; it is aromatic, with an aftertaste of considerable purity.
Blend: 76% Cabernet Sauvignon, 24% Merlot
97 James Suckling This full-bodied red builds on the palate in a fantastic way with tight, compact tannins that grow and grow on the finish. Plenty of blackcurrant and graphite character and a flavorful finish. Same level as the excellent 2016. Barrel Sample: 96-97
96 Wine Spectator A nice, tightly coiled Pauillac, with a blitz of iron and savory notes wrapped around a core of cassis, damson plum and black cherry. Sleek and tightly focused, with the iron note leaving a mouthwatering echo. Plenty tight through the finish too, so patience is needed here. Best from 2028 through 2042.
95 Decanter Enjoyable, powerful, concentrated, not the most generous of GPLs but they have captured the essence of Pauillac, and it's hard to resist. Sappy juicy finish, full of cassis, mint leaf and pencil lead along the way with a clear tightness to the tannic frame. Barrel Sample: 95
95 Jeb Dunnuck The 2020 Château Grand-Puy-Lacoste is a more fleshy, textured Pauillac that still plays in the concentrated, focused, structured style of the vintage. Ripe black cherries, currants, toasty oak, chocolate, and tobacco leaf notes give way to a medium to full-bodied, richly textured 2020 that has velvety tannins, good mid-palate depth, and a great finish. Do your best to hide bottles for 4-5 years and enjoy over the following 20-25 years or so. Barrel Sample: 92-95
94 Robert Parker's Wine Advocate The 2020 Grand-Puy-Lacoste is excellent, offering up aromas of cassis and plums mingled with pencil shavings, violets and loamy soil framed by a touch of creamy new oak. Medium to full-bodied, pure and fleshy, with lively acids, powdery tannins and good depth at the core, its supple, charming style belies considerable aging potential. Rating : 94+
