2020 Chateau De La Dauphine (750ml)

Merlot from Fronsac, Bordeaux, France

B-21 Top Recommendation
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A newly arriving container filled with top rated Bordeaux, these 2020 Bordeaux selections boast outstanding quality across the board at unparalleled value pricing, from a vintage of “brilliant wines” according to the Wine Advocate’s William Kelley and described by Vinous critic Antonio Galloni as “a year brimming with phenomenal wines at all levels, from the big names down to bottles the average consumer can still afford to purchase by the case.”

Although there were no significant heat spikes throughout the growing season, 2020 was a warm growing season overall in Bordeaux, with generally well-timed rain in the Spring followed by extremely dry summer weather that prevented the development of mildew. While summer drought conditions led to smaller berries and yields for Cabernet Sauvignon, mid-August rains on the Right Bank plumped up Merlot and cool September evenings during the last phase of ripening preserved freshness in the wines. Inside Bordeaux’s Jane Anson noted that “clay-limestone soils did brilliantly against the heat of the summer, favoring the St Emilion plateau” with an impressive array of wines also coming from the gravel soils of Pauillac and St Julien. Describing the white wines of 2020, Anson declares there are “plenty of delicious bottles,” the earlier harvest delivering “exotic fruit flavors with grip and personality.” Describing 2020 as “an incredibly exciting vintage for Bordeaux,” Antonio Galloni of Vinous finds remarkable quality in each of the Left Bank appellations, while calling Saint Emilion “one of the sweet spots of 2020” and noting “readers will find a bevy of compelling wines from satellite appellations” including Haut-Medoc and Fronsac. Called “an incredible classic vintage” by Jeb Dunnuck producing “a solid swath of cellar-worthy buys in the $65-and-under range” according to the Wine Spectator’s James Molesworth, critic James Suckling summed up the vintage well, declaring “if you buy or drink a bottle of top-rated 2020 Bordeaux, you are going to be more than happy. In fact, you most likely will be elated” and noting “many of the wines give pleasure for a young wine but the best will age for decades ahead.”

Summing it up as “a great modern-day Bordeaux vintage,” Antonio Galloni notes the wines are “less extracted, more vibrant and, frankly, much more fun to drink,” this well priced, wide-ranging offer a terrific opportunity to stock up on an array of age worthy Bordeaux from an exceptional 2020 vintage that according to Neal Martin of Vinous “delivers the goods.”

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The best I've tasted from this Château, the 2020 Château La Dauphine offers a terrific array of red and blue fruits as well as some classic Right Bank chalky minerality, medium to full-bodied richness, a pure, concentrated profile, and some background floral nuances. Drink this smoking good Fronsac over the coming decade.

93 points, Jeb Dunnuck (Mar 2023)

The 2020 La Dauphine is positively stellar. Soft and voluptuous, with fabulous depth, the 2020 offers up a heady mélange of blackberry jam, chocolate, licorice, spice, new leather and incense. This extroverted, inviting Fronsac is just gorgeous.

93 points, Antonio Galloni, Vinous (Feb 2023)

The 85% Merlot in this superrich wine is what has pushed up the alcohol. It does give a powerful, juicy character to the black-currant fruits. Against the wood and tannins, this wine has density and a full ripe character. Worth aging, this fine, dense wine will be ready from 2026. Organic.

93 points, Roger Voss, Wine Enthusiast (Dec 2022)

This offers lots of spices, chocolate and earthy notes to its dark-fruited character. Medium to full body. Ripe, velvety tannins and round texture. Shows depth and intensity with a compact structure and lingering finish. 85% merlot and 15% cabernet franc. From organically grown grapes. Try after 2024.

93 points, James Suckling (May 2023)

The 2020 de la Dauphine is a blend of 85% Merlot and 15% Cabernet Franc. Deep garnet-purple in color, it comes barreling out with energetic blackberry pie and stewed plums notes followed by hints of potpourri, incense, and mossy tree bark. The full-bodied palate delivers impactful black fruit preserves layers with soft, rounded tannins and plenty of brightness on the finish.

93 points, Lisa Perrotti-Brown, Wine Independent (Mar 2023)

Alcohol By Volume: 15.0%

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$22.88

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