2020 Grand Village
Buying options
Tasting notes
Partly in Fronsac. Tasted blind. Very dark crimson. Masses of sweet spice on the nose and then black fruit with a light cedary note. Lighter-bodied than some, the oak quite marked but the fruit core can hold it. Tannins are slightly drying on the finish. (JH)
Critic scores
Average Score
Jane Anson, Decanter
Jancis Robinson MW
More reviews and scores
Tasted blind. Marked by a Sauvignon grassy aroma with a hint of stony minerality. Full and firm in the mouth, with good concentration on the mid palate. A bit sweet-sour on the finish. Slightly tart overall. (JH)
The 2020 Grand Village has a ripe nose with quite ebullient red fruit and well-integrated oak. It is more opulent than some of its peers, though it maintains delineation. The palate is well balanced with a slightly powdery texture and admirable depth. It is perhaps just missing a little grip, but it retains a degree of elegance and focus. This unravels a little in the glass, prompting me to dock a point. Tasted blind at the annual Southwold tasting.
A serious, more obviously structured effort than the suave 2019, the 2020 Grand Village offers up a smoky, dense bouquet with aromas of cherries, spices, flowers, lead pencil and dark wild berries. Medium to full-bodied, deep and concentrated, with rich, powdery tannins and a vibrant core of fruit, it concludes with an impressively long finish and superb controlled power. It clearly needs time to chill out.
About the producer
The Société Civile du Ch. Lafleur is the collective name for the Guinaudeau family’s wines and estates. These are some of the Right Bank’s most famous wines, including Ch. Lafleur and Les Pensées in Pomerol, along with Les Perrières, Les Champs Libres and Ch. Grand Village in Fronsac.