CHÂTEAU PETIT VILLAGE

There is an unusual shape to this wine with ripe red and purple fruit (no black notes) and then a super-dry carapace to the flavour throughout the experience. It is not tannic per se, but it is very dry and drying! The fruit seems to be a little one-dimensional and the oak is not particularly evident, but the most interesting feature is the fruit tone and I would like to see this again to see in which direction it evolves. Rating: 17+ Matthew Jukes www.matthewjukes.com (Jun 2021)

The 2020 Petit-Village is a gorgeous wine. In fact, it is one of the best wines I have tasted here. Inky, aromatically expressive and beautifully layered in the glass, the 2020 is compelling right out of the gate. The 2020 boasts superb energy, tension and class. Could this be a turning point for the estate? We will see. For now, the 2020 is certainly compelling. The 2020 represents about 50% of the estate's production as opposed to two-thirds, which was more the norm when Petit-Village was part of AXA. Drinking range: 2028 - 2040 Rating: 92-94 Antonio Galloni, www.vinous.com (Jun 2021)

Having been acquired by the Moulin family, the 2020 Petit Village has undergone a makeover with a spanking new label and wax seal. As for the wine itself, the nose is fragrant and pure, featuring dark cherries, boysenberry, hints of marmalade and light estuarine scents. The palate is medium-bodied with a structured opening. This feels quite firm and contains that charcoal trait that I remarked upon apropos of the 2018. Fresh and full of tension, the Cabernet component drives the finish, traces of dark chocolate lingering on the aftertaste. I think the tannins here just need a little more refinement, and maybe that will come during élevage. This shows an improvement over underperforming recent vintages, but give it another 3–4 years to see what this Pomerol is really capable of. Drinking range: 2027 - 2045 Rating: 91-93 Neal Martin, www.vinous.com (May 2021)

Checking in as a blend of 60% Merlot and 40% Cabernet Franc, the 2020 Château Petit-Village should certainly be an outstanding wine, and then some. Brought up in 60% new French oak, with the sum of the Cabernet Franc and Merlot brought up in larger barrels, it has a terrific nose of ripe black fruit, chocolate, tobacco, and graphite. Medium to full-bodied on the palate, with a dense, concentrated mid-palate, it displays a rather focused, firm mouthfeel, ripe, building tannins, and a great finish. Rating: 91-93 Jeb Dunnuck, www.jebdunnuck.com (May 2021)

Plenty of changes to keep track of here, as they look to focus the blend on the historic heart of the vineyard (around 50% of the total), and also keeping separate any young vines (meaning under eight years), and any that have viruses. Elegant, inky damson colour, a ton of density and intensity, but the tannins are supple and fragrant, they cradle rather than close in. Pulses of saltine crackers ripple through the blackberry fruit, and this has a ton of charm. Aged in 50% new oak, and using some larger sized oak casks and a few amphora as an experiment. A yield of 27hl/ha. First year in organic conversion. Harvested 8 September to 15 for the Merlot, and for the Cabernets just one day on September 23. Technical director Diana Berrouet-Garcia. Rainfall low in both July and August as everywhere in Pomerol - 2mm in July and 25mm August. New owners (the Moulin family of Galeries Lafayette, shared with neighbouring estate Beauregard). 3.8pH. You will also find a slightly lighter bottle as of this vintage, and a new label. Drinking range: 2026 - 2038 Rating: 93 Jane Anson, Decanter (May 2021)

Black core right out to the purplish rim. Very ripe black fruit – damson and black cherry – sweet-smelling, and more so with the sweetness of the oak. Firm, dry, smooth texture, like many layers of paper. Big but with such refined tannin texture – and not what I expected when it smelt so ripe. Just enough freshness and lots of dark chocolate on the finish. For those who love balanced and elegant richness. Long and promising in that style. Drinking range: 2030 - 2040 Rating: 16.5++ Julia Harding MW, www.JancisRobinson.com (Apr 2021)