Lanessan Haut-Médoc 2020

92 points Antonio Galloni (Vinous): "The 2020 Lanessan is just as compelling from bottle as it was from barrel. Dark, virile and imposing, Lanessan offers up a mix of black cherry, plum, gravel, incense, tobacco, scorched earth and licorice. Firm tannins wrap it all together in style. This is a terrific showing. Drink: 2026-2040. (Feb 2023)"

92 points Georgina Hindle (Decanter): "Lovely texture here, deep and intense but also smooth, with high-toned blackcurrant and black cherry. There's a pleasing chalky dryness to the tannins and an appealing minerality that comes through. Solid core, well presented but not hugely long. Drinking Window: 2022-2030. (Jan 2022)"

90-92 points Jeb Dunnuck: "Readers looking for a great buy in the vintage should check out the 2020 Château Lanessan, which offers ample dark (almost blue) fruits, cassis, and spring flower notes to go with a medium-bodied, nicely concentrated, balanced beauty that has enough tannins and structure to warrant 2-4 years of bottle age. (6/4/21)"

90-92 points Chris Kissack (Winedoctor): "This cuvée, from a property located in the western parts of Cussac-Fort-Médoc, presents a wonderful pigment in the glass, a deep, regal, purple-black hue, with great colour right out to the rim. The nose is full of primary fruits, sweet blackcurrants, currants, tar and dried herbs, perfumed with violets and peonies. Medium-bodied at the start of the palate, this maintains a nicely framed and rather juicy style though the middle, with a combination of dark currant and blackcurrant fruits, set in a frame of ripe and tightly knit tannins, with a chalky sense of freshness. It has attractive tobacco and leather notes from the oak, an a very fine length filed with tight-knit tannins, juicy dark fruits and touches of praline and black pepper. This has a very fresh potential but I would like to see it fatten out a bit during the élevage. The alcohol here is 13.16%. (Apr 2021)"

91 points James Suckling: "This has aromas of blackcurrants, graphite, tomato leaves and iodine. Medium-bodied, with chewy, slightly rustic tannins. Clean, mineral and a little austere. Try in 2025. (1/17/23)"

91 points Neal Martin (Vinous): "The 2020 Lanessan has a very attractive nose, more floral than its fellow Haut-Médocs, focused and tensile with blackberry, pencil lead and light mint aromas. The palate is medium-bodied fresh and vibrant. Graphite and a dab of black pepper towards the persistent finish. This is a fine 2020 from the recently-sold estate. Drink: 2026-2045. (Feb 2023)"