2020 Chateau Ripeau (750ml)

Merlot from Saint-Emilion, 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.”

96JD

94V

94WI

Cassis, black raspberries, tobacco, spicy wood, and beautiful floral notes all emerge from the 2020 Château Ripeau, a seamless, medium to full-bodied beauty with perfectly integrated oak, an elegant, layered mouthfeel, polished tannins, and a great finish. It's up with the finest vintages I've tasted from this estate and does everything right. It's already accessible given its purity and balance, yet I see no reason this shouldn't evolve nicely for a solid two decades.

96 points, Jeb Dunnuck (Mar 2023)

The 2020 Ripeau has a slight reduction on the nose, but there is real complexity and terroir expression underneath, with sous-bois and light Earl Grey scents. The palate is medium-bodied with pliant tannins, a fine bead of acidity, fresh and slightly savory, almost Pomerol-like on the finish. Bravo!

94 points, Neal Martin, Vinous (Feb 2023)

Deep garnet-purple in color, the 2020 Ripeau charges out with vibrant blueberries, black cherries, and raspberry preserves scents, followed by hints of cedar chest and iron ore with an earthy charcoal waft. Full-bodied, the palate is packed with red and black berry preserves layers, lifted by spicy cedar and toast notes, finishing long and hedonic.

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

Alcohol By Volume: 14.0%

#FRRIME20AE

$39.88

Compare At: $44.99

60+ bottles in stock. Ships in 1 to 2 business days.

This item is available in original wood case. Would you like to include the wood case in your order? There is an additional $12.00 shipping fee for wood cases.

Available in Original Wood Case of 6

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