The 2020 Château Monbousquet is lights-out good, offering a full-bodied, concentrated, opulent profile as well as notes of ripe black cherries, cassis, chocolate, and leafy herbs. With terrific purity, velvety tannins, and incredible richness as well as a remarkable sense of freshness, it's going to evolve for 15+ years in cold cellars.

A lush wave of boysenberry, blackberry and black cherry reduction notes unfurls slowly over a refined spine of chalk, while sweet tobacco, violet, iris, licorice and apple wood notes fill in liberally. Everything stays in lockstep through the very long finish. Merlot, Cabernet Franc and Cabernet Sauvignon. Best from 2027 through 2042. — J.M.

Black cherries, black plums, espresso, smoke, licorice, and a touch of cocoa form the aromatic profile. The wine is lush, polished, sweet and fresh with polished- tannins and a vibrant, refined finish with a mild savory, minty, fresh note in the background in the finish. The reduction in the amount of new oak, which is now 50%, really helps with the freshness, texture and fruits here. This is a top vintage for Monbousquet that will be enjoyable in its youth, yet age for up to 2 decades as well. Drink from 2023-2040. Read more at:https://www.thewinecellarinsider.com/search-wine-tasting-notes/?szSearch=2020%20Monbousquet

(91-93+ points) The 2020 Monbousquet is a blend of 70% Merlot, 15% Cabernet Franc and 15% Cabernet Sauvignon, coming in with an alcohol of 14.69% and a pH of 3.75. It is aging in French oak barriques, 50% new. With a deep purple-black color, it prances out of the glass with showy scents of crushed black plums, mulberries and Morello cherries, plus touches of dried Provence herbs, charcoal and forest floor. The medium to full-bodied palate delivers expressive black and red berry layers, framed by plush tannins and just enough freshness, finishing on a fragrant earth note.- LPB

Perfumed and heady with blue fruits and bramble. Lean and straight, there’s a real austerity to this, serious liquorice on the palate, a touch dry, you get the feeling of heat and fruit. A little reserved right now; tense and serious, but has backbone and weight. It’s dark, savoury, coiled and tense, with drive and texture, displaying tobacco, graphite and an iron, mineral tang.

(92 + points) The 2020 Monbousquet is deep garnet-purple in color. It trots out with flamboyant notes of plum preserves, blueberry compote, and licorice, leading to hints of dark chocolate, tar, and black truffles. The medium to full-bodied palate offers lovely freshness with firm, rounded tannins and plenty of juicy black fruits, finishing with a mineral lift.

(VN 90-92 points) The 2020 Monbousquet is a heady, exotic wine. Blackberry jam, bittersweet chocolate, spice, new leather and espresso are all kicked up. Explosive and deep, the Monbousquet packs a serious punch. The tannins are pretty imposing today, but élevage should take care of that. -- Antonio Galloni