The 2020 Les Gravières is one of the most distinctive Saint-Émilions readers will come across. Black cherry, graphite, dried herbs and a host of savory and mineral inflections are all beautifully delineated. Vivid and wonderfully persistent, the 2020 is a knock-out.
94 points, Antonio Galloni, Vinous (Feb 2023)
The 2020 Les Gravieres, 100% Merlot, is deep garnet-purple in color. Notes of blueberry compote, baked plums, and blackberry preserves leap from the glass, giving way to hints of violets, dark chocolate, and menthol. The medium-bodied palate is beautifully poised, with lively black fruits and a fine-grained texture, finishing long.
94 points, Lisa Perrotti-Brown, Wine Independent (Mar 2023)
Coming from Denis Barraud's tiny 4.52-hectare vineyard planted on gravelly, sandy soils, the 2020 Château Les Gravières offers a darker, richer, medium to full-bodied style as well as notes of black cherries, plums, toasted spice, and tobacco. Made from 100% Merlot that spent 14 months in 60% new French oak, it has beautiful integration of its fruit, tannins, and acidity, plenty of mid-palate depth, and a great finish. It's well worth seeking out and has a solid decade of prime drinking ahead of it.
92 points, Jeb Dunnuck (Mar 2023)
Notes of ripe plums and blackberries with licorice, dried orange peel and roselle flowers. Some cedar, too. Medium- to full-bodied with chewy tannins and an array of crunchy blueberries and dried herbs on the mid-palate. Flavorful and juicy yet slightly tight. Try after 2024.
92 points, James Suckling (Jan 2023)