2020 de La Dauphine (Fronsac)

Austere in all the right ways, with blueberry and redcurrant juice flowing through coiled tannins. Pretty concentrated overall, this is sappy with a silky texture, pulled in on the finish and has clear limestone influence. A yield of 30hl/ha. 30% new oak. Certified organic. Julien Viaud consultant (who has now fully taken over the Michel Rolland consultancy). 93 points

Deep purple-black in color, the 2020 de la Dauphine opens with expressive notes of baked blackberries, prunes and Christmas pudding, leading to hints of eucalyptus, tar and dusty soil. The full-bodied palate is rich and decadent, delivering impactful exotic spice-laced black fruit preserves with just enough freshness and a velvety texture, finishing long and opulent. 90-92 points

85% Merlot, 15% Cabernet Franc. Cask sample taken 14 April. Aged for 12 months in barrel (30% new). Certified organic. Blackish purple. Some real energy on the nose. Then succulent fruit on the palate before some well-managed tannins. This needs quite a bit of time, and is a particularly dramatic vintage, but it is clearly capable of delivering quite a bit of pleasure eventually. 16.5 points