Les Hauts du Tertre 2020

Critic scores

• James Suckling95
• Wine Advocate93
• Jeb Dunnuck91-93
• Wine Spectator92
• Decanter90
• Wine Enthusiast90

The 2020 vintage in Margaux

Vintage benchmark: 94/100 (appellation benchmark, not a score for this wine)

Vintage character: An early, hot year, with a harvest under pressure: a dense, juicy classic, ripe without heaviness.

Overall reading of the year’s season across Margaux. 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

Second wine of the Grand Cru Classé Château du Tertre, Les Hauts du Tertre remains faithful to the spirit of the Grand Vin with which they share the terroir. Seductive, 2020 is based on a classic balance for this vintage, in almost equal proportion between the four grape varieties, Merlot, Cabernet franc, Cabernet Sauvignon, Petit verdot. Les Hauts du Tertre comes from plot selections, planted for around ten years and selected for their great organoleptic qualities. 2020, combines elegance, finesse and freshness with a generous finish. ageing, partly in new barrels, provides the expected complexity.

Blend of the 2020 vintage

Winemaking

Traditional wood and concrete tanks Thermoregulation temperature control

Ageing

In 20% new oak barrels ageing time 12 months

Terroir

These are the terroirs of Margaux at their highest point, and one of the highest gravel rises in the Médoc. The light and sunshine that bathe the vines protect them from late spring frosts. A stream acting as natural drainage separates the two rises. From it the vine draws the freshness essential to its development, sheltered from excess water as much as from drought.