2020 Cadet Bon
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Tasting notes
The 2020 Cadet-Bon has turned out beautifully, exhibiting aromas of raspberries and cherries mingled with violets, orange rind and spices. Medium to full-bodied, dense and layered, with vibrant acids and refined tannins, it derives from four hectares of holdings on the limestone plateau of Saint-Emilion, and it incorporates some 15% Cabernet Franc.
Critic scores
Average Score
Jancis Robinson MW
Jeff Leve, The Wine Cellar Insider
More reviews and scores
A brilliant wine, the 2020 Château Cadet-Bon is based on 85% Merlot and 15% Cabernet Franc that was fermented with 10% whole clusters (Merlot only). The élevage was in 35% new French oak, with 10% in amphora as well as a small amount in larger barrels. Shining for its pure, medium to full-bodied, concentrated, and utterly classic style, it has lots of red and black cherry-driven fruit as well as undeniable minerality, ultra-fine tannins, a great mid-palate, and lots of floral, chocolaty, and loamy earth nuances that emerge with time in the glass. It's the finest wine I've tasted from this château. It's terrific today but will benefit from 2-4 years in the cellar and have two decades of longevity. Bravo.
The 2020 Cadet-Bon is a brooding, somber wine. Blackberry jam, scorched earth, incense, licorice, cured meats, grilled herbs and torrefaction notes reinforce that impression. I would cellar this for at least a few years, as there is a good bit of fruit lurking beneath the tannins.