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Tasting Notes
The 2020 vintage includes part of the Cabernet Franc that was replanted at the estate in 2018, bringing the total proportion up to 31% Cabernet Franc. The nose is wonderfully precise and delicate. There is an excellent core of refined fruit to the wine and good plushness to the mid-palate that glides to the finish. The chiselled tannins are equal to the weight of fruit on the palate. Blend: 69% Merlot, 31% Cabernet Franc
The overriding quality of 2020 Berliquet is its clarity and purity of fruit. Strawberry, redcurrant and blackberry fruit fills the palate, while a lifted florality on the nose is allied to darker, spice notes adds aromatic complexity. The tannins are fully resolved – silky, dense and well coated with the concentrated fruit and no drying elements. The wine is medium-bodied with excellent balancing acidity and while it doesn’t have the depth of neighbouring Ch. Canon, it does have a similarly elegant profile and freshness.
Critic Scores
Average Score
James Suckling
James Lawther MW, jancisrobinson.com
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Deep garnet-purple in color, the 2020 Berliquet, a blend of 69% Merlot and 31% Cabernet Franc, needs a fair bit of coaxing to bring out notes of blueberry preserves, black cherry compote, and blackberry pie, followed by hints of chocolate mint and lavender. The generous, full-bodied palate is jam-packed with ripe, seductive black and blue fruit preserves flavors, framed by velvety tannins and just enough freshness, finishing long with a spicy kick. This estate, recently acquired by Chanel, is already starting to show its true potential, and what a beauty!
The 2020 Berliquet is composed of 69% Merlot and 31% Cabernet Franc, weighing in at 14.5% alcohol. It is aging in French oak barrels, 50% new. Deep purple-black colored, it trots casually out of the glass with effortlessly flamboyant scents of stewed black cherries, warm plums and baked blackberries, plus hints of chocolate mint, violets and licorice with a touch of fertile loam. The medium to full-bodied palate is very tightly wound with layers of ripe black fruits and earthy accents, framed by finely grained tannins and tons of freshness, finishing long and fragrant.
A slightly cooler terroir than its sibling estate Ch�teau Canon, a little more clay-based which gives weight, depth and power while also being austere right now, with grippy tannins and a bite of blood orange. Great stuff, can start drinking this in five to six years to allow the structure to soften while keeping the appeal of the wild cherry and blackberry fruits. 50% new oak for 16 months.
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About the producer
The Chanel group – owners of Ch. Rauzan-Ségla and Ch. Canon – added Berliquet to their stable of wine estates in 2017. Since then, the team – led by Nicolas Audebert – has been transforming the property, gradually revealing this special Saint-Emilion site’s potential.