Chateau Clos de L'Oratoire Saint Emilion Grand Cru 2020

JS94-95: A rather mineral and spicy red with medium to full body, showing blackberries and black walnuts. There’s a deep, polished tannin backbone to this. Racy and fine.

JD93-95: This wine seems to always deliver, and I loved the 2020 Clos De L'Oratoire. Lots of black cherries, subtle cassis, notes of lead pencil and violets, medium to full-bodied richness, and a balanced, elegant texture all make for a beautiful Saint-Emilion. It picks up more minerality with time in the glass, and its purity of fruit is top-notch. It will keep for at least two decades.

VM94+: The 2020 Clos de l'Oratoire is a powerhouse. Blackberry, gravel, smoke, incense, crushed rocks and dried herbs hit the palate as this potent, structured Saint-Emilion opens up. This is an especially virile, tannic wine that is going to need time to settle down. The balance of fruit intensity and structure is compelling, to say the least. But this needs time.