Château Petit-Village 2020

Que de caractère et de complexité dans le bouquet de Petit-Village 2020. Il révèle de subtiles notes fruitées et florales avec des parfums de baies noires et un peu de poivre de Sichuan ainsi que des notes de menthe et d’eucalyptus. L’attaque annonce de la finesse et de la subtilité. Le vin cumule ampleur et élégance. Sa puissance est mesurée ; elle incarne une forme de force tranquille, une attitude propre aux grands vins. C’est un Grand Petit-Village qui associe le charme du Merlot au côté ferme, mais assumé, de ses tannins aux grains fins. La finale est salivante, presque saline et persistante. Un très grand vin à en devenir avec une longue persistance fruitée. Je confirme ma note primeurs en soulignant le potentiel de ce vin. Tôt ou tard, il sera noté encore plus haut ! 2028-2047.

A creamy and velvety-textured red with chocolate, berry and walnut aromas and flavors. It’s medium-bodied with a nice fruit and soft tannin balance. Very long. Give this four to five years to come together. 60% merlot, 32% cabernet franc and 8% cabernet sauvignon. Best after 2027.

Since Guillaume Fredoux took control of the wine-making, “the iron man starts to smile”. Château Petit-Village 2020 retains the concentration and intense tannins; meanwhile, it features enough gentleness, just like putting a velvety coat on the muscular body. No matter how robust the body structure is, it always tastes tender and soft. Thanks to the cold maceration technique, this wine offers purely authentic fragrances with pieces of juicy berries and a strand of graphite towards the finish. A hint of saltiness on the aftertaste is just at the point, its profoundness so remarkable that it can easily take you to the sky.

The 2020 Petit Village was much talked about on the place de Bordeaux, so I was curious to taste it. On first encounter last summer, it appeared to be rather chunky and extracted, but while waiting for the delivery of a new novelty shape bottle, the wine was obliged to spend a prolonged period in tank, and it seems to have acquired some additional polish and integration in the process. Exhibiting aromas of minty blackberries, cassis, spices and creamy new oak, it's full-bodied, rich and layered, with a creamy, textural profile and good depth at the core. This is still a big-boned vision of Pomerol, but it has turned out better than I anticipated last summer. On March 2020, Petit Village was sold by AXA Millesimes to another winery in Pomerol—Château Beauregard. This estate has a lot of potential, and the ensuing breath-of-fresh-life includes plans for replanting and restructuring the vineyard. But the immediate uptick in quality for the 2020 vintage is the result of far stricter selection and a complete rethink of the final blend. "For the first time, we decided to lower drastically the volume of the grand vin, half of the regular production," said their new consultant, none other than Michel Rolland. "We used only the old vines situated on the east side of the property close to Vieux Château Certan. The wine has been redesigned; we have changed the balance between Merlot and Cabernet Franc. The new balance is 60% Merlot, 40% Cabernet Franc." Before I was even aware of any of these changes, I had tasted the wine and was taken aback by the obvious change in style and quality. I love the new direction here—a property to watch! - William Kelley.