2020 Château Sansonnet En Primeur
There has also been a great buzz around Château Sansonnet in Saint-Émilion in the last few years. Run by Marie-Bénédicte Lefévère, whose family bought the estate in 2009, previous vintages of Sansonnet have been appealing blockbusters which have won over consumers and critics. Recent vintages have edged more towards elegance, but this is still very much a wine to open with friends and see beaming smiles across their faces. Offered at £336 per dozen, several critics place it in the 94-96 point range.
Bordeaux En Primeur, Landing in spring 2023
Limited availability. To order, e-mail us at sales@richardkihl.ltd.uk
Producer Profile
Château Sansonnet, Saint-Émilion
Sansonnet is a Grand Cru Classé estate in Saint-Émilion. Owned since 2009 by the Lefevre family, the estate has been rapidly improving. The 7 hectares of vines are at the top of the Saint-Émilion plateau, on thin clay over limestone. The vineyard is planted to 85% Merlot, 8% Cabernet Franc and 7% Cabernet Sauvignon. The estate is run by Marie-Bénédicte Lefévère.
Incidentally, 'sansonnet' translates from French as 'starling', though we are not quite sure how the estate got its name.
| RED | 2020 | 1 case | Château Sansonnet | 75cl | £336 per case of 12 | Château Sansonnet 2020 / 1 case / 75cl £336 per case of 12 |
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Tasting Notes"Sansonnet is once again terrific in 2020. It offers up copious inky dark fruit, chocolate, blackberry jam, spice, mint, licorice and espresso. As always, this is a big, extroverted Saint-Émilion built on richness and texture. The oak needs time to fully integrate, but it always has in the past. Tasted two times. 93-95 points" Antonio Galloni, Vinous.com------"The 2020 Sansonnet has a tightly wound nose that opens nicely with aeration, revealing blackberry and wild hedgerow, light rose petal and iris scents and a touch of potpourri; the oak is very well assimilated. The palate is medium-bodied with a sapid entry and lightly spiced with a dash of white pepper. A classically-styled Saint-Émilion that continues a strong run of form for the estate. Excellent. 93-95 points" Neal Martin, Vinous.com------"A powerful and intense red with blackberry, blueberry and ultra fine chewy tannins. It’s so long and energetic. Dense center palate. 94-95 points" jamessuckling.com------"Deep purple-black colored, the 2020 Sansonnet needs a bit of swirling and coaxing to release its beguiling nose of black cherry preserves, bursting ripe blueberries and stewed plums, with hints of star anise, violets, dark chocolate and cardamom, plus a waft of wood smoke. The rich, decadent, full-bodied palate (15% alcohol) delivers impactful, mouth-coating black fruits, framed by velvety tannins and seamless freshness, finishing with lingering exotic spices notes. This 35+-year-old, 6.96-hectare vineyard is planted to 6,000 vines per hectare on thin clay and limestone soils atop the Saint-Émilion plateau, just across the road from Château Trotte Vieille. This 2020 blend is 95% Merlot, 3% Cabernet Sauvignon and 2% Cabernet Franc, aging for around 16 months in French oak barrels, 80% new. Drink 2026-2045. 94-96 points" Lisa Perotti-Brown, RobertParker.com------"Always a gem in the vintage, the 2020 Château Sansonnet is another winner offering a terrific bouquet of red, black, and blue fruits as well as tobacco, violets, and classy oak. Possessing full-bodied richness, a pure, seamless, polished texture, terrific tannins, and a great finish, this rock star of a Saint-Emilion will benefit from 3-5 years of bottle age and keep for two decades or more. 94-96+ points" Jebdunnuck.com |
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