Château Chauvin 2020

Critic scores

• Jeb Dunnuck94
• Wine Advocate91-93
• James Suckling93
• Decanter93
• Vinous92
• Wine Enthusiast92

The 2020 vintage in Saint-Émilion

Vintage benchmark: 96/100 (appellation benchmark, not a score for this wine)

Vintage character: An early, dry year gave splendid wines, which many rank above 2018.

Overall reading of the year’s season across Saint-Émilion. An estate can depart from it sharply, in frost or hail years, where two neighbours did not make the same vintage. What this particular wine actually gave is on its technical sheet and in the scores above.

Tasting

Merlots bursting with fruit, combined with Cabernets impressive in their complexity and elegance, give rise to a great wine carried by the freshness and density of the greatest vintages.

Blend of the 2020 vintage

Figures from the 2020 sheet

• 28 yrsVine age

Winemaking

Cold pre-fermentation maceration for 2 to 5 days around 8°C Alcoholic fermentation in thermoregulated stainless steel vats Malolactic fermentation in barrels Vatting for 20 to 30 days - gentle and slow extraction

Ageing

ageing in barrels: 16 months 60% new barrels

Terroir

Château Chauvin lies in the north-west of the commune of Saint-Émilion, halfway between Cheval-Blanc and the Butte de Rol, close to the Pomerol appellation. Chauvin's terroir is of a clay-sand type; it benefits from the presence of pseudogley and of a crasse de fer (iron-rich hardpan) similar to that found in certain Pomerol terroirs. Thanks to its low water-retention capacity, the soil comes under water stress quickly, allowing the grapes to ripen faster. Effective drainage across the whole vineyard also ensures very good run-off during the wettest periods. The vineyard forms a single block around the property, which facilitates the meticulous vineyard work carried out by the château's teams throughout the growing season.