Appellations

Vieux Chateau Mazerat 2020

St Emilion, Grand Cru

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Tasting Notes

The 2020 Vieux Château Mazerat is a pretty big wine. Then again, it has bits from Les Asteries and Les Carres, neither of which was bottled separately in this vintage. A blast of black cherry, graphite, menthol, sage, licorice and incense races across the palate. This explosive, heady Saint-Émilion packs a serious punch. Give the virile tannins a few years to soften. Vieux Château Mazerat is not subtle, but it will delight readers who enjoy full-throttle wines.

Score: 95 Antonio Galloni, Inside Bordeaux Maturity: 2025-2040 Date: 23 February 2023

The 2020 Vieux Château Mazerat is a bold, savory Saint-Émilion. Blackberry jam, chocolate, dried herbs, sage, mint and licorice all run through it. In 2020, it’s is a bit more nervy than usual. I would be prepared to cellar it for at least a few years. This is an especially taut style for Jonathan Maltus, but it works well.

Score: 91 - 93 Antonio Galloni, Inside Bordeaux Maturity: 2026-2040 Date: 01 June 2021

I have long enjoyed this wine, and if you do too, you should note a few changes from this vintage. It will now be made at Château Teyssier, leaving just Le Dôme produced at Foster-designed winery next to Château Angélus. The production of VCM will be increased at the same time, although still the heart will be from the old vines planted in 1947. There is less Cabernet Franc than usual bcause of the low yields in 2020. It remains an excellent quality wine, with supple tannins, plenty of fresh acidities, and plush damson fruits.

Score: 94 Jane Anson, Inside Bordeaux Maturity: 2025-2040 Date: 15 February 2023

An opulent, sexy, rich wine, this is a clearly seductive, but quite different style from the Vieux Châtau Mazerat that I have loved in the past. Powerfully dense fruits with a stacked wall of tannins. There was some mildew impact this year, along with the low yields, so neither Le Carré or Les Asteries were produced, and the remaining grapes went in here (or at least the Merlot, with the Cabernet Franc going into Le Dôme - it is unclear if this is in fact to be a permanent arrangement). Last year it was closer to 35% Cabernet Franc so this is really a new look, and it is successful, but more expansive in feel. 80% new oak, 25hl/ha yields (they rarely go above 30hl/ha anyway). Harvest September 29 to October 9, made in the brilliant new cellar for Le Dôme.

Score: 94 Jane Anson, Decanter.com Maturity: 2026 - 2042 Date: 20 May 2021

The 2020 Vieux Château Mazerat, a blend of 90% Merlot and 10% Cabernet Franc, has a pure bouquet of blueberry and crushed violet, though I would like to see a little more expression from the Cabernet Franc. The palate is well structured, with a gentle grip, quite sappy, with lighter tannins towards the slightly black peppered finish. This will need a bit of time to coalesce.

Score: 91 Neal Martin, Vinous.com Maturity: 2025-2040 Date: 08 February 2023

The 2020 Vieux Château Mazerat offers plenty of ripe black cherry, blueberry and crushed violets, all expressive and beautifully defined. The palate is medium-bodied with sappy black fruit on the entry and firm tannins, and quite saline toward the finish, which just needs to develop a little more delineation. At the moment, the aromatics show better than the palate, though they may change once in bottle.

Score: 91 - 93 Neal Martin, Vinous.com Maturity: 2025 - 2038 Date: 28 May 2021

The 2020 Vieux Château Mazerat offers plenty of ripe black cherry, blueberry and crushed violets, all expressive and beautifully defined. The palate is medium-bodied with sappy black fruit on the entry and firm tannins, and quite saline toward the finish, which just needs to develop a little more delineation. At the moment, the aromatics show better than the palate, though they may change once in bottle.

Score: 91 - 93 Neal Martin, Vinous.com Maturity: 2025-2038 Date: 01 May 2021

The 2020 Vieux Château Mazerat reveals a vivid purple hue to go with medium to full-bodied aromas and flavors of cassis, blueberries, scorched earth, and graphite. While Maltus’s Le Dôme gets most of the attention, I continue to just love this wine, and it shines in 2020 with both beautiful fruit and ample structure as well as one heck of a great finish. I’m not sure this will match the 2018 or 2019, but we’re certainly in the same ballpark, with the style being much closer to the more elegant 2019.

Score: 94 - 96 Jeb Dunnuck, JebDunnuck.com Date: 25 May 2021

The 2020 Vieux Château Mazerat is composed of 90% Merlot and 10% Cabernet Franc. The Merlot from this single vineyard was picked on September 29th, the Cabernet Franc on October 8th and 9th. The wine has 13.2% alcohol and a pH of 3.58, and it's being aged in French oak barrels, 80% new. Deep garnet-purple colored, it needs a little swirling to reveal notes of black raspberries, Morello cherries and wild blueberries, with an undercurrent of cinnamon toast, lavender and tobacco leaf with a touch of tilled soil. The medium-bodied palate is beautifully refreshing and delicately styled, offering soft-spoken black berry and earthy layers with a soft texture and oodles of freshness, finishing long and minerally.

Score: 93 - 95 Lisa Perrotti-Brown MW, Wine Advocate, RobertParker.com Maturity: 2025 - 2040 Date: 21 May 2021

90% Merlot, 10% Cabernet Franc. A Jonathan Maltus (Le Dôme) wine. Cask sample. Dark and reticent on the nose. Smooth attack, the tannins abundant and ripe. Then tightens but persists. Again, lots of tension, even a touch strict. Could do with a little more juice. Slightly chewy finish. (JL)

Score: 16 Jancis Robinson MW, JancisRobinson.com Date: 09 May 2021

A chewy, focused red with blackberry, blueberry and toasted-oak aromas and flavors. It’s medium-to full-bodied with savory fruit and a flavorful finish.

Score: 93 - 94 James Suckling, JamesSuckling.com Date: 20 April 2021