2020 Bourgueil Mi-pente

There's a notable purity to the 2020 Mi Pente. The vines sit on pure limestone, which imbues the wine with fine-grained tannin. It's savory, with notes of licorice, pencil lead, meat and black olives. Rich yet balanced, there is a massive amount of intensity and concentration, with fine sinew. I've been troubled by Brett in the past—this is certainly cleaner than previous vintages but still not fault-free. If it were, its score would be much higher. This is a raw style in youth, all muscular Bourgueil that demands a patient drinker.