Winemaker Notes
A great vintage of concentration. A pure and complex nose of ripe red fruits complemented by aromas of dried herbs and heather. The palate is precise, energetic, fruity, generous in flavor, well-structured, and open considering the density of the tannins. Fleshy, delicate, with concentrated ripe fruit and spices (blackberry, blueberry, roasted cocoa bean, pepper). The wine is open and flavorful. It expresses itself freely with great freshness. Very good balance. Long, taut finish.
Blend: 65% Cabernet Sauvignon, 30% Merlot, 5% Petit Verdot
Professional Ratings
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James Suckling
Plenty of chocolate and tobacco aromas with currants and blackberries. Medium-bodied with juicy fruit. Fine and creamy tannins. Savory and fruity finish.
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Wine Enthusiast
From convent vineyards that are managed by Domaine de Chevalier, this wine is elegant, with a good proportion of Cabernet Sauvignon and berry flavors to match the structure. It has an attractive, fruity backdrop. Drink from 2026.
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Decanter
Refreshing citrus and stone fruit (apricot and peach), within a cloak of soft and creamy oak. Lovely, gentle sweetness and touches of cool lemon, pineapple and bitter orange. Nuanced, although still quite closed, with cedar lingering.
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Jeb Dunnuck
The 2020 Domaine De La Solitude (Pessac-Léognan) is 65% Cabernet Sauvignon, 30% Merlot and the rest Petit Verdot, and in general, 2020 was a good year for Petit Verdot. Deep purple-hued, with a complex, pretty, perfumed bouquet of redcurrants, darker cherries, and sappy herbs, it has an almost salty, liquid rock-like minerality on the palate, is medium-bodied, and has fine tannins as well as outstanding balance. It should evolve for 15+ years.
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Wine Spectator
Shows sleek red currant and mulberry coulis notes that stretch out nicely, lined with red tea and mineral notes. Offers subtle toast, which lets this play out in an unencumbered manner. Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot and Petit Verdot. Drink now through 2033.
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.
Recognized for its superior reds as well as whites, Pessac-Léognan on the Left Bank claims classified growths for both—making it quite unique in comparison to its neighboring Médoc properties.
Pessac’s Chateau Haut-Brion, the only first growth located outside of the Médoc, is said to have been the first to conceptualize fine red wine in Bordeaux back in the late 1600s. The estate, along with its high-esteemed neighbors, La Mission Haut-Brion, Les Carmes Haut-Brion, Pique-Caillou and Chateau Pape-Clément are today all but enveloped by the city of Bordeaux. The rest of the vineyards of Pessac-Léognan are in clearings of heavily forested area or abutting dense suburbs.
Arid sand and gravel on top of clay and limestone make the area unique and conducive to growing Sémillon and Sauvignon blanc as well as the grapes in the usual Left Bank red recipe: Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Cabernet Franc and miniscule percentages of Petit Verdot and Malbec.
The best reds will show great force and finesse with inky blue and black fruit, mushroom, forest, tobacco, iodine and a smooth and intriguing texture.
Its best whites show complexity, longevity and no lack of exotic twists on citrus, tropical and stone fruit with pronounced floral and spice characteristics.