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Tasting notes
This is really impressive. It’s instantly ripe and plush yet manages to maintain real elegance too. There’s a silkiness to the texture, with a weight of rich, ripe, plummy fruit. The density of fruit is balanced neatly by the juicy acidity, framed by a grip of velveteen tannins that are gorgeously ripe. Cherry, plum and bramble fruit mingle on the palate, and there’s a solidity to this – a broadness that shows great promise.
Critic scores
Average Score
James Suckling
James Lawther MW, jancisrobinson.com
More reviews and scores
Sappy, intense, beautifully fresh florals and well defined tannins, with the signature muscled broodiness of Le D�me. There is a gorgeous chalkiness on the finish giving clear uplift without taking away from the generosity of the blueberry and raspberry fruit. New cellars, designed by Sir Norman Foster, will be opening fully for the 2021 harvest, and there is a hope that Le D�me will be classified in next year's 2022 ranking (if so, this 2020 vintage would have the right to put it on the label). 80% new oak,
The 2020 Le Dome is a blend of 80% Cabernet Franc and 20% Merlot with an alcohol of 13.9% and a pH of 3.69. The Merlot was harvested on September 29th, with the Cabernet Franc on October 8th and 9th. It is being aged in 80% new French oak barrels. Deep garnet-purple in color, it comes storming out of the glass with thunderous scents of stewed plums, blueberry preserves and chocolate-covered cherries, followed by impactful, fragrant notions of rose oil, ground cloves, eucalyptus and pencil shavings. The palate is jaw-droppingly elegant, considering the power of the nose, featuring elegantly crafted black and red fruit layers with very ripe, finely grained tannins and tons of freshness, finishing long and perfumed. Le Dome is from the JCP Maltus portfolio of skillfully crafted Saint-Émilion wines. Neil White is the head winemaker and Thomas Duclos is a consultant here.
Jonathan Maltus’s 2020 Le Dôme looks to be a brilliant wine. Mostly Cabernet Franc from a site not far from Angélus, it has a beautiful array of darker berry fruit (as well as some blue tinges) to go with medium to full-bodied richness, a pure, seamless texture, and ultra-fine tannins. Thomas Duclos now consults here, and the wine today plays more in the finessed, elegant, classically styled end of the spectrum while not giving up much with regard to fruit, richness, or texture. The freshness and purity of this 2020 is something, and it’s going to shine with 4-6 years of bottle age yet keep for two decades.
About the producer
The man behind highly regarded Saint-Émilion wine Le Dôme is a Nigerian-born Brit who sold his engineering firm in 1992 to move to Cahors and restore a pile of ruins. After meeting a local vineyard owner at a dinner party, he ended up selling his production to Oddbins and was caught by the wine bug.