Château Grand Corbin-Despagne 2020

A St.-Emilion with a solid core of fruit, fresh herbs, walnuts and hazelnuts. Medium to full body with layers of tannins and a juicy finish. Chewy at the end. 75% merlot, 24% cabernet franc and 1% cabernet sauvignon. From organically grown grapes. Give this three to four years to soften and come together.

A strong effort, the 2020 Grand Corbin-Despagne wafts from the glass with aromas of sweet blackberries, plums, bay leaf and spices. Medium to full-bodied, fleshy and layered, it's seamless and enveloping, its vibrant core of fruit underpinned by melting tannins. This improving estate is situated on sandy soils over blue clay just across the border from Pomerol.

A terrific showing on multiple occasions, the 2020 Château Grand Corbin-Despagne boasts a deep purple hue as well as a rich, fresh, yet powerful style in its earthy red and black fruits as well as notes of graphite, chocolate, and background oak. It starts out rich and decadent, yet like a lot of 2020s, it shows more and more freshness and vibrancy as it sets in the glass. Along with the 2019, I suspect it’s one of the top wines from this estate.

This has depth and intensity that holds the line from beginning to end. Majors on blue and black fruits, fairly angular and austere in its tannic structure - this has less easy approachability than some, with clear acidity on the finish, but also waves of juicy minerality when you give it time. Good stuff from owner François Despagne. A yield of 36hl/ha. Drinking Window 2028-2042.