CHÂTEAU ROC DE CAMBES

The 2020 Roc de Cambes opens with a huge bouquet of scorched earth, tar, licorice, gravel and incense. A rich, explosive wine, this is going to need at least a few years to come together, but it is impressive even in the early going. Inky red/purplish berry fruit, spice, leather and floral accents linger on the substantial finish. There is a lot of wine here. Drinking range: 2030 - 2045 Rating: 92-94 Antonio Galloni, www.vinous.com (Jun 2021)

The 2020 Roc de Cambes has a glorious , irresistible bouquet of ravishing dark cherries, blueberry, crushed violets and incense aromas; the oak here is very nicely enmeshed. The palate is medium-bodied and finely tuned, displaying supple tannins and a silky texture. There is wonderful harmony and palpable energy toward the finish. This actually challenges Tertre-Rôteboeuf, as if to say, why should you take the gold medal every year? It's that good. Drinking range: 2026 - 2040 Rating: 92-94 Neal Martin, www.vinous.com (May 2021)

The perfume is astounding on this succulent wine with coffee beans, dark chocolate, Mirabelle plums and blackberry jelly confounding the senses. The oak is typically strident, too, with lashings of carpentry jousting with the fully ripe fruit. Of course, it is all in balance in spite of the overt enthusiasm of the components and, in common with the finer wines of this vintage, there is a cool, refreshing, mint-spiked finish that snaps the palate back into shape. While this may not be the most detailed Roc de Cambes in recent vintages it certainly provides a lot of fun on the palate and I applaud its generosity and joie de vivre. Rating: 17.5+ Matthew Jukes www.matthewjukes.com (May 2021)

Smoky character on the attack, carefully interplayed with cloves, grilled tobacco, damson and red cherry fruits. Good stuff, nuanced and mouthwatering. Drinking range: 2022 - 2030 Rating: 92 Jane Anson, Decanter (May 2021)