Following his three-part analysis of the 2025 cru bourgeois reclassification, db's Bordeaux correspondent finds there is much to be impressed with in by the consistent value for money that these wines represent even in current market conditions.
Tasting notes – properties listed alphabetically by appellation
It is perhaps important note that all of the wines tasted below come from the (excellent) 2020 vintage. They are about as good as we can expect wines at this level to be.
A second point to note is that these wines belong to the 2020 classification in that their labels reflect the results of that classification exercise. But none of these wines were of course tasted in the process producing the 2020 classification (since the fruit from which they would be made had not, at that stage, even been harvested).
Ironic though it might seem, however, each of these wines was tasted by the panel in determining the results of the 2025 reclassification (even if the results of that exercise can only be used on labels from the 2023 vintage onwards).
It is for that reason that I list below both the 2020 classification (as it appears on the labels of the 2020 vintage of these wines) and the results of the 2025 reclassification (in which these wines were assessed).
| Chateau |
AOC |
2020 classification |
2025 classification |
Rating |
| Du Cartillon |
Haut-Médoc |
CB Supérieur |
CB Exceptionnel |
88 |
| Cissac |
Haut-Médoc |
CB Supérieur |
CB Supérieur |
89 |
| Malescasse |
Haut-Médoc |
CB Exceptionnel |
CB Exceptionnel |
92 |
| De Malleret |
Haut-Médoc |
CB Exceptionnel |
CB Exceptionnel |
91 |
| Paloulmey |
Haut-Médoc |
CB Supérieur |
CB Exceptionnel |
89 |
| Sénilhac |
Haut-Médoc |
CB |
CB |
88 |
| Du Taillan |
Haut-Médoc |
CB Exceptionnel |
CB Exceptionnel |
93 |
| Lalande |
Listrac-Médoc |
CB |
CB |
87 |
| Reverdi |
Listrac-Médoc |
CB Supérieur |
CB Exceptionnel |
88 |
| D’Arsac |
Margaux |
CB Exceptionnel |
CB Exceptionnel |
91 |
| Mongravey |
Margaux |
CB Supérieur |
CB Exceptionnel |
93 |
| Paveil du Luxe |
Margaux |
CB Exceptionnel |
CB Exceptionnel |
90 |
| Fleur de Motte |
Médoc |
CB Supérieur |
CB Supérieur |
92 |
| Pierre de Montignac |
Médoc |
CB Supérieur |
CB Supérieur |
91 |
| Preuillac |
Médoc |
CB Supérieur |
CB Supérieur |
89 |
| St Bonnet |
Médoc |
CB |
CB |
87 |
| Lalaudey |
Moulis-en-Médoc |
CB Supérieur |
CB Supérieur |
92+ |
| De Côme |
St-Estèphe |
CB Supérieur |
CB Supérieur |
91 |
| Le Crock |
St-Estèphe |
CB Exceptionnel |
CB Exceptionnel |
93+ |
| Laffitte-Carcasset |
St-Estèphe |
CB Supérieur |
CB Exceptionnel |
91 |
Du Cartillon 2020 (Haut-Médoc;
cru bourgeois supérieur and, from the 2023 vintage, newly promoted to
cru bourgeois exceptionnel; 31% Cabernet Sauvignon; 49% Merlot; 20% Petit Verdot; 12.5% alcohol). A very ‘classical’ 12.5% alcohol – low, in the vintage for a wine with nearly 50 per cent Merlot. Light, fresh, bright and direct but quite acidic too, almost to the point of a mild astringency above all on the finish. This is fine and pure, with a certain creaminess on the attack and an impressive clarity on the mid-palate. But I find the tannins increasingly coarse and even a touch dry towards the, admittedly long and tapering, finish. This will need a few more years in bottle.
88.
Cissac 2020 (Haut-Medoc;
cru bourgeois supérieur; 57.5% Cabernet Sauvignon; 38% Merlot; 4.5% Petit Verdot; a final yield of just 21 hl/ha due to significant mildew losses; 13% alcohol). Classical and stylish, with a pleasingly dark briary fruit, plenty of fresh wild heather and herbal elements and a plush and plump mid-palate generously filled with fresh juicy berry fruits. It’s maybe just a little strict on the finish, but there’s lots of like here – notably the sapidity and the freshness.
89.
Malescasse 2020 (Haut-Médoc;
cru bourgeois exceptionnel; 58% Merlot; 37% Cabernet Sauvignon; 5% Petit Verdot; 13.5% alcohol). Malescasse is reliably excellent and there is certainly no disappointments here in this fantastic vintage. A lovely deep and intense wine, with quite voluptuous damson, plum and bramble fruit and a little cassis leafiness bringing additional lift and interest. Soft, cool at the core, yet plump and plush with grainy tannins picking out the details like a pointillist’s brush work. Sapid and long on the finish.
92.
De Malleret 2020 (Haut-Médoc;
cru bourgeois exceptionnel; 60% Cabernet Sauvignon; 37% Merlot; 3% Petit Verdot; aging in oak barrels, 30% of which are new). Another wine that very comfortably passes the
cru bourgeois reclassification ‘sniff test’ – in the context of this tasting it is, clearly, ‘
exceptionnel’. With Stephane Derenoncourt as the consultant and its record of consistently over recent vintages, that is no great surprise. This is a little more open-textured than most, a little more dense, compact and chewy than some and with a little more oak influence too – though the wood is already well integrated in the quite hedonistic depths of the mid-palate. This is very much at the top end of the spectrum and remains, despite the oak, quite a classic expression of its
terroir. Black cherries, cedar, graphite, a twist of black pepper and super-svelte if considerable tannins – what’s not to like? Needs a little more time in bottle and will surely go the distance.
91.
Paloumey 2020 (Haut-Médoc;
cru bourgeois supérieur and, from the 2023 vintage, newly promoted to
cru bourgeois exceptionnel; 50% Cabernet Sauvignon; 44% Merlot; 3% Cabernet Franc; 3% Petit Verdot; 14% alcohol; Axel Marchal is the consultant here). Plummy and quite spicy at first but with plenty of seemingly herb-encrusted dark berry fruits filling the palate as this builds with a little aeration. Impressively dense and compact if a little austere in the context of the vintage with lift and a pleasing menthol note on the finish. Another very reliable wine. Rich and generous in this vintage with quite a refined finish.
89.
Sénilhac 2020 (Haut-Médoc;
cru bourgeois; 41% Cabernet Sauvignon; 49% Merlot; 10% Petit Verdot; 13% alcohol). Dusty, earthy with quite a pleasingly wild and savage, almost moorland, streak to it. This comes from Saint Seurin-de-Cadourne, to the north of Saint Estèphe and it tastes like it. There’s almost a hint of iodine and sea-spray in the air up here and the wines are a little more austere and foursquare in personality. But the tannins are soft on the attack and there’s plenty of energy to this. Not as complex as some and a little more coarse on the finish, but this certainly deserves its place in the classification.
88.
Du Taillan 2020 (Haut-Médoc;
cru bourgeois exceptionnel; 89% Merlot; 11% Cabernet Sauvignon; 14% alcohol). From Le Taillan-Médoc right on the outskirts of Bordeaux itself (we’re closer here to the congestion of the
rocade than to Château Cantemerle!). There’s a lot of Merlot in this and that explains the slightly higher level of alcohol. Axel Marchal is the consultant here which shows both a certain sense of ambition on the part of the property and the interest in the project and the potential seen by one of Bordeaux’s most solicited talents. And this is definitely a standout wine in the tasting. Plush, plump, quite exotic and seductive – a word one doesn’t often associate with the
cru bourgeoisie. The oak is present but very cleverly used here, serving to reinforce gently the more floral elements. Plums and dark berry fruits and, unusually for the Médoc in this vintage, a little black cherry too. Chocolate and black forest
gâteau. Hedonistic, quite indulgent and highly accessible already but fresh and lithe. A great advert for the classification.
93.
Lalande 2020 (Listrac-Médoc;
cru bourgeois; 65% Merlot; 30% Cabernet Sauvignon; 5% Petit Verdot; 12.5% alcohol). Contiguous, as the name perhaps implies, with the perhaps better known Mayne-Lalande. Interestingly, and alongside du Cartillon, this is almost a full degree of alcohol less than any of the other Merlot dominated wines. One of the lightest and most translucent of the entire tasting in the glass. Aerial, certainly, but a little wisp-ish and lacking in depth and intensity. Lightly spiced with fresh red berry fruits – raspberries and strawberries, but also redcurrant and cranberry. This is pure and precise but a little strict with even a touch of astringency on the finish.
87.
Reverdi 2020 (Listrac-Médoc;
cru bourgeois supérieur and, from the 2023 vintage, newly promoted to
cru bourgeois exceptionnel; 35% Merlot; 30% Cabernet Sauvignon; 35% Petit Verdot; from a tiny property of just 3 hectares; 13.5% alcohol). We have an extraordinary 35% Petit Verdot here, bringing a slightly bulby floral note and a good scratching of fresh black pepper. There’s also an intriguingly briny, saline, almost iodine note to the minerality. Raspberry and redcurrant, bright and crisp and fresh. I rather like this. It’s very honest and authentic, but the high proportion of Petit Verdot here makes this a little difficult to appreciate at this still early stage. It comes across just a little vegetal and stern, above all on the finish. But it will round off in time. Maybe not the most refined wine in the line-up but this certainly has plenty of character.
88.
D’Arsac 2020 (Margaux;
cru bourgeois exceptionnel; 72% Cabernet Sauvignon; 28% Merlot; a final yield of 40 hl/ha; 13% alcohol; Stephane Derenencourt is the consultant here). There’s lots to like here – above all the signature florality and minerality of the
appellation. A delicate peony and iris note draws you into the aromatics where it enrobes and enriches the dark briary fruits. With aeration, wild herbs – above all thyme and rosemary – reveal themselves. They are rapidly joined by the violets that stamp their identity on this wine. Gracious and refined on the soft, again somewhat delicate, entry. But don’t be deluded into thinking that this is a wine with no aging potential. For there is quite a tannic volume here ensuring that this will have a long life ahead of it. Subtle rather than exuberant, but exuding harmony and poise. Another excellent wine from a now extremely reliable address.
91.
Mongravey 2020 (Margaux;
cru bourgeois supérieur and, from the 2023 vintage, newly promoted to
cru bourgeois exceptionnel; 70% Cabernet Sauvignon; 28% Merlot; 2% Cabernet Franc; 13.5% alcohol). From Arsac and just a stone’s throw away from Château d’Arsac, also tasted. And there are certain similarities, both in terms of
terroir (the fine gravel of the
plateau of Arsac) and composition (the only difference really being a tiny splash of Cabernet Franc). Yet this is a somewhat more effusive and exuberant wine and I sense both just a little more extraction and a little more use of oak (though all in moderation). But we have a wine here that is just as expressive of its
appellation, with a very evident parfumier’s florality, a little hint of spice box and a lovely plump and velvety mouthfeel. Soft and well-sustained on the finish, with a lovely return to the violet florality right on the finish, this richly deserves its promotion to
cru bourgeois exceptionnel.
93.
Paveil de Luze 2020 (Margaux;
cru bourgeois exceptionnel; 80% Cabernet Sauvignon; 20% Merlot; aging in oak barrels, 40% of which are of one use only). A pretty, archetypally Margaux nose, with lovely notes of fresh wild herbs, moor-side heather and spring flowers with cherry, bramble and blueberry fruits. Plush and with a lovely mouthfeel, this is not massive but very fine and sinuous – just as a fine Margaux should be. Fresh, bright and a super expression of the vintage and of its
terroir. There’s just a little hint of dryness on the finish.
90.
Fleur la Mothe 2020 (Médoc;
cru bourgeois supérieur; 45% Merlot; 40% Cabernet Sauvignon; 15% Petit Verdot; 13.5% alcohol). There’s been a very steep progression here in recent years and the promotion to
cru bourgeois supérieur in the last reclassification – and its reaffirmation in the new classification – are certainly merited. A wine owned and made by a group of consultant
oenologues – and it really shows! This is characteristically open, expressive and interesting aromatically, with plenty of vibrant spicy notes, but also a pleasing bright red berry fruitedness and generous floral and more herbal elements. There’s a lovely lavender and wild rosemary note that builds with aeration. Glassy and limpid on the elegant attack, with a well-defined and initially quite slender frame which builds and builds over the palate as the tannins grip and sculpt this. Very impressive and, above all, long on the finish. A candidate for promotion next time?
92.
Pierre de Montignac 2020 (Médoc;
cru bourgeois supérieur; 50% Merlot; 45% Cabernet Sauvignon; 5% Petit Verdot; 13.5% alcohol). This is lovely aromatically, with a radiantly dark berry fruit generously enrobed in cedar and with subtle floral hints. There’s a touch of graphite too. Supple, soft and beguiling on the entry with a well-defined central spine tightly wrapped in those dark berry fruits – though they seem to lighten in hue as the wine breathes and starts to exhale. Menthol and eucalyptus bring lift to the finish. Very elegant and stylish.
91.
Preuillac 2020 (Médoc;
cru bourgeois supérieur; 67% Merlot; 33% Cabernet Sauvignon; 13% alcohol). Not a wine, to be fair, that I know well. From a well-situated vineyard of 30 hectares on a combination of gravel and clay-limestone
terroirs in Lesparre, it was classified amongst the
crus bourgeoisie in 1932 and upgraded in 2020. I find this nicely expressive aromatically, with a distinct almost estuarine ferrous twang to its minerality, a gentle sweet spice and plenty of ripe red and darker berry and stone fruits. If anything, I find this even more impressive in the mouth. The tannins are finely-grained and there’s a plump succulence to this that I like very much. It lacks a certain complexity, but it’s certainly very well made.
89.
St Bonnet 2020 (Médoc;
cru bourgeois; 60% Merlot; 40% Cabernet Sauvignon; from 133 hectares on clay-gravel soils at Ordonnac, north of St Estèphe; 13.5% alcohol). Light, bright and quite aerial but lacking a little density and concentration in comparison to most of the wines in this tasting. Aromatically, there’s a pleasing hint of the cedar notes to come as this ages. Nicely made, this is limpid and luminous, refreshing and fruit-forward. Accessible now, this will drink well over the next 5 years but it lacks a little complexity.
87.
Lalaudey 2020 (Moulis-en-Medoc;
cru bourgeois supérieur; 55% Cabernet Sauvignon; 40% Merlot; 5% Petit Verdot; 14% alcohol). A lovely cassis fruit, evident even through the cork taint masking the aromatics (if only lightly) of the first bottle (and, of course, much more so from the second). Sultry, beguiling in its very intense dark berry fruitedness and seductive – not a word one associates often with the
cru bourgeoisie (who can be a little austere and ‘proper’ at times)! I love the hint of green Szechuan peppercorn and the really leafy cassis notes – with almost a touch of redcurrant leaf and tomato stem reinforcing the tactile sense of freshness. A little trace of cedar too. This is a seriously beautiful bottle of wine and one of the highlights of the entire tasting. It’s no great surprise to find that Eric Boissenot is the consultant here (both in the sense that he is quick to spy potential and also fabulous in encouraging the very best of choices). I’d easily place this amongst the
crus bourgeois exceptionnels, but it’s perfectly possible that this is classed ‘
supérieur’ simply because that’s the classification level the property sought. But, if so, and on the evidence of this vintage, they should be even more ambitious! Competitive for ‘wine of the vintage’ status in the
appellation (alongside Branas Grand-Poujeaux, though the wines are very different).
92+.
De Côme 2020 (St-Estèphe;
cru bourgeois supérieur; 45% Merlot; 45% Cabernet Sauvignon; 10% Petit Verdot; 13% alcohol; certified organic; Eric Boissenot is the consultant). Bright, crisp, fresh, and distinctly herbal aromatically with a very northern Médocain briny and earthy mineral edge to it – indeed, this is actually quite saline and iodine-scented. Fresh with crunchy dark berry fruits and a hint of sage. Limpid and pure on the finish. I like the quality of the tannins and the distinct
terroir signature that reminds me a little of Cos Labory.
91.
Le Crock 2020 (St Estèphe;
cru bourgeois exceptionnel; 47% Cabernet Sauvignon; 40% Merlot; 7% Cabernet Franc; 6% Petit Verdot; 13.5% alcohol). Dark-hued and charged with very dark berry and plum fruits with an earthy-gravelly note too and that rich, gamey, slightly ferrous-saline minerality of the
appellation. A hint of cedar and a touch of sweet spice from the oak, but it’s less perceptible in the sultry depths of the mid-palate. Very lively and engaging, charged with dark berry and stone fruits – brambles, blackcurrant, black cherries and baked plums – and big, bold and with more density and concentration than either the 2018 or 2019. This is very impressive – it’s always a stylish and refined wine but there is plenty of depth and substance to this too. The tannins, though considerable, are extremely fine-grained and they contribute to the cool and focussed precision of the juicy finale. A star of the classification and of the
appellation. This is to Léoville-Poyferré what de Pez is to Pichon Comtesse de Lalande.
93+.
Laffitte Carcasset 2020 (St Estèphe;
cru bourgeois supérieur; 53% Cabernet Sauvignon; 44% Merlot; 3% Cabernet Franc; 13.5% alcohol; Hubert de Boüard is the consultant here). Rich, spicy, creamily textured and enticing aromatically, this is a soft and initially seductive St Estèphe in this vintage with generous but ultra-fine-grained tannins. The attack is quite ample but the beady tannins immediately take things in charge coaxing and coercing the fruit until it straps itself quite tightly to a well-defined central spine. The effect is to remind one where this comes from and to render the wine a little austere by the time we arrive at a nicely-sustained finish. There’s lots of
terroir and
appellation character here and this feels (as it should in a way) slightly wild and untamed. Another wine that is made to go the distance and that will need a year or two in bottle before it is really accessible.
91.
