Château Villemaurine 2020

Vibrant and heady at the same time, lovely high acidity is matched with ripe, almost liqueur-like blackcurrant and black cherry flavours, so you’re getting a whole load of flavour with quite well-integrated tannins. It feels straight and direct, focused, with a vein of concentration. I like the sculpting here; it feels well made with purpose, and I like the salty tang you also get towards the finish, but the fruit feels super ripe and at the most alcoholic end of the spectrum.

This is perfumed with blue fruit, crushed violets, toasted spices and grilled herbs. Hints of walnut, too. Medium- to full-bodied with fine, creamy tannins and a polished texture. Shows crunchiness and juiciness to the dark-fruited palate. Lingering finish. Try after 2025.

80% Merlot, 20% Cabernet Franc. Cask sample. Slightly high-toned nose (oak?) but the palate is firm and fresh with adequate fruit. Clearly expressive of its chalky plateau terroir. A little glow of alcohol on the finish. (JL)

The 2020 Villemaurine has a lovely bouquet with fine delineation and terroir expression, red and black fruit, crushed stone and light orange pith aromas. A second bottle exudes more of the Cabernet Franc and imparts a Medocian tincture. The palate is medium-bodied with supple tannins, fleshy with a velvety texture, and great depth. It conveys wonderful detail on the finish. Excellent.

Richly colored, the nose is filled with dark chocolate, licorice, smoke, black cherry, plum and herbs get the wine moving. On the palate the wine is lush, fleshy, sweet, ripe and polished, finishing with opulently textured fruits and freshness. This is the last vintage for Justin Onclin as the owner. The estate was sold earlier this year. 93-95 Pts

Dark ruby, purple reflections, subtle brightening on the rim. Attractive floral notes underpinned by a red-berry bouquet, nuances of cloves and cinnamon, smoky herbal spice, zesty background, some vanilla, a versatile bouquet. Juicy red cherries, pleasant freshness, ripe, integrated tannins, a mineral-salty finish, a lemony aftertaste, an animating food wine.

The 2020 Château Villemaurine comes from an incredible terroir located just beside the village of Saint-Emilion and is 80% Merlot and 20% Cabernet Franc raised in 80% new French oak. Its dense purple hue is followed by a beautiful perfume of black raspberries, cherries, spice box, and smoked tobacco. This carries to a medium- to full-bodied Saint-Emilion with perfectly integrated oak, ripe tannins, and the pure, elegant, yet structured style of the vintage. It’s a beautiful wine to enjoy over the coming 15–20 years. This property was purchased by the Lefévère family (of Château Sansonnet, Soutard Cadet, and Moulin du Cadet) in 2021, with Marie-Benedicte Lefévère putting together the blend for the 2020. Given the quality of the dirt here, this is an estate to watch.

Deep purple with an opaque core and a delicate purple rim. An alluring bouquet of ripe Alpine blueberry, fresh morello cherry juice, and licorice, followed by seductive violet perfume and elderberry jelly. On the multilayered palate, a silky texture, wonderful concentration, a tightly knit tannic framework, balanced verve, and a well-toned body. The focused finish explodes with noble cassis spice, Brazilian tobacco, and Grethers pastilles. Back in the fast lane – chapeau!

Kunz barrel sample 2021: a velvety, fruity bouquet, cherries, blackberries, brown chocolate, vanilla, licorice. Balanced, medium-bodied palate with powerful, sweet fruit, fine tannins, creamy texture, spicy, fresh aromatics, velvety finish.

Velvety, fruity bouquet with cherries, blackberries, dark chocolate, vanilla and liquorice. Balanced, medium-bodied palate with powerful, sweet fruit, fine tannins, a creamy texture, spicy, fresh aromatics and a silky finish. 17/20 2026 - 2040

Enjoyable, poised, with raspberry and blackberry fruits laced with tar, soy and slate. Seriously enjoyable, tugs through the palate, full of limestone finesse. A well-located 7ha estate on the St Emilion plateau. The Lefevre family of Château Sansonnet took over as new owners in 2021 and have overseen the final ageing of this wine, with production taking place under former owner Justin Onclin.

Deep garnet-purple in color, the 2020 Villemaurine is a little shy and reticent to begin, soon unfurling to reveal notes of pencil shavings, Chinese five spice, and fallen leaves, followed by a core of Morello cherries, plum preserves, and lilacs. The densely laden, full-bodied palate is packed with black fruit and floral layers, framed by ripe, rounded tannins, finishing long and perfumed.

93-94

Power and character express themselves from the first notes of dark fruit, supported by peppery aromas. On the palate, a certain austerity is shaken up by vibrant fruit. The texture is delicate and silky, with remarkable tension. An elegant, precise and sensual wine.

Still showing clear influence from its élevage, Villemaurine reveals peppery nuances and a hint of red berries. The palate is supple and harmonious. Its tannins are well integrated, while the finish reflects the nuances of the élevage, complemented by a fruity touch.

The nose is fruity, elegant, and offers lovely freshness, nice tension, a slightly tight grain, depth, fine definition, and a certain complexity. It reveals notes of vibrant boysenberry, violet plum, and, more subtly, lily/lilac, combined with touches of cubeb pepper, crushed small red fruits, cherry blossom, as well as fine hints of licorice and an imperceptible hint of sweet baking spices/blond tobacco. The palate is fruity and balanced, with a mineral framework, juiciness, silkiness, good definition, a certain indulgence, some flesh, a slightly tight grain, and a certain tension. On the palate, this wine expresses notes of pulpy/juicy blackberry, violet plum, and, more lightly, pulpy/bright small blue fruits, combined with touches of pulpy raspberry and crushed redcurrant, as well as hints of chocolate, caramelization, blond tobacco, and a subtle hint of vanilla. The tannins are elegant, precise, racy, and supple. A fine chew and a very discreet hint of coffee on the finish.

Dark, intense, and vibrant color. Very pleasant nose of black fruits with a hint of vanilla. The palate opens opulent and seductive. The wine then becomes a bit austere on the mid-palate, before finishing tasty and ultimately without any graininess. An expression full of energy and rather different in Saint-Emilion.

This wine offers a lovely fleshy texture, subtly supported by maturation that never overwhelms it. The attack is silky and fruit-driven, with a very elegant tannic structure that outlines the wine without asserting itself. Despite the vagaries of the vintages, Villemaurine stands out as a safe bet, remarkable for its consistency.