Winemaker Notes
Chateau de Lussac produces some of the best wines in the Saint Emilion region, on a terrain of clay and loam.
Blend: 80% Merlot, 20% Cabernet Franc
Professional Ratings
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Wine Enthusiast
Dating back to the 19th century, this estate shows its pedigree in this still young, rich wine. It completes a trio of fine vintages from the producer, ripe with black fruits and still developing. Drink the wine from 2026.
Cellar Selection -
Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
Deep purple-black in color, the 2020 de Lussac needs a little swirling to unlock wonderfully pure notes of wild blueberries, black raspberries and fresh blackberries, plus suggestions of pencil shavings and bouquet garni. The medium to full-bodied palate is tightly wound with loads of black fruit and floral and herbs layers, framed by rounded tannins and plenty of freshness, finishing long and mineral laced.
Barrel Sample: 90-92 -
Jeb Dunnuck
Checking in as 80% Merlot and 20% Cabernet Franc, the 2020 Château De Lussac has a solid array of earth red and black fruits to go with notes of leafy tobacco, violets, and loamy earth. Medium-bodied on the palate, it brings plenty of mid-palate depth, ripe, supple tannins, and a good finish. It's impeccably made and will keep for 7-8 years or more.
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James Suckling
A medium-bodied red with juicy fruit and slightly austere tannins at the moment. This should come around with some bottle age.
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Wilfred Wong of Wine.com
The 2020 Chateau de Lussac is aromatic and bright from start to finish. This wine offers aromas and flavors of ripe blackberries, aromatic spices, and slight oaky notes. Enjoy this wine with a slow-cooked lamb stew. (Tasted: July 3, 2024, San Francisco, CA)
One of the world’s most classic and popular styles of red wine, Bordeaux-inspired blends have spread from their homeland in France to nearly every corner of the New World. Typically based on either Cabernet Sauvignon or Merlot and supported by Cabernet Franc, Malbec and Petit Verdot, the best of these are densely hued, fragrant, full of fruit and boast a structure that begs for cellar time. Somm Secret—Blends from Bordeaux are generally earthier compared to those from the New World, which tend to be fruit-dominant.
Marked by its historic fortified village—perhaps the prettiest in all of Bordeaux, the St-Émilion appellation, along with its neighboring village of Pomerol, are leaders in quality on the Right Bank of Bordeaux. These Merlot-dominant red wines (complemented by various amounts of Cabernet Franc and/or Cabernet Sauvignon) remain some of the most admired and collected wines of the world.
St-Émilion has the longest history in wine production in Bordeaux—longer than the Left Bank—dating back to an 8th century monk named Saint Émilion who became a hermit in one of the many limestone caves scattered throughout the area.
Today St-Émilion is made up of hundreds of independent farmers dedicated to the same thing: growing Merlot and Cabernet Franc (and tiny amounts of Cabernet Sauvignon). While always roughly the same blend, the wines of St-Émilion vary considerably depending on the soil upon which they are grown—and the soils do vary considerably throughout the region.
The chateaux with the highest classification (Premier Grand Cru Classés) are on gravel-rich soils or steep, clay-limestone hillsides. There are only four given the highest rank, called Premier Grand Cru Classés A (Chateau Cheval Blanc, Ausone, Angélus, Pavie) and 14 are Premier Grand Cru Classés B. Much of the rest of the vineyards in the appellation are on flatter land where the soils are a mix of gravel, sand and alluvial matter.
Great wines from St-Émilion will be deep in color, and might have characteristics of blackberry liqueur, black raspberry, licorice, chocolate, grilled meat, earth or truffles. They will be bold, layered and lush.