Attractive black-olive and spice aromas and flavors. Medium body. Medium chewy tannins. Fine-grained texture at the end with lots of black pepper, white pepper and iron.

Tasted by Jane Anson(at Primeur week tastings in Bordeaux, 01 May 2021)

This has depth and intensity that holds the line from beginning to end. Majors on blue and black fruits, fairly angular and austere in its tannic structure - this has less easy approachability than some, with clear acidity on the finish, but also waves of juicy minerality when you give it time. Good stuff from owner François Despagne. A yield of 36hl/ha.

Drinking Window 2028 - 2042

Drink Date
2027 - 2047

Reviewed by Lisa Perrotti-Brown

The 2020 Grand Corbin-Despagne has a deep purple-black color and pronounced plum preserves, blackberry pie and cedar chest notes, with underlying hints of sandalwood, pencil lead and garrigue, with a waft of tobacco leaf. The medium to full-bodied palate is wearing a lot of oak at this stage, lending a chewiness to the tannins and somewhat swamping the pretty black fruit flavors, finishing long and spicy. It may take a little longer to come around than some other 2020s, but it should be worth the wait.

The 2020 Grand Corbin-Despagne is one of the most elegant, polished vintages I can remember tasting. Silky and beautifully perfumed, the 2020 is all class. Freshly cut flowers, mint, sweet red berries and licorice grace this wonderfully classy Saint-Émilion.

vinous.com

Very deep in color, the wine pops with its aromatic profile of flowers, wild cherries, blue fruit, licorice, smoke and cocoa. Lush, silky and polished, with velvety tannins and a finish that keeps on going due to all its layers of sweet, vibrant, red pit fruits and seductive textures. This is a nice step up in quality and concentration here. 92-94

A terrific showing on multiple occasions, the 2020 Château Grand Corbin-Despagne boasts a deep purple hue as well as a rich, fresh, yet powerful style in its earthy red and black fruits as well as notes of graphite, chocolate, and background oak. It starts out rich and decadent, yet like a lot of 2020s, it shows more and more freshness and vibrancy as it sets in the glass. Along with the 2019, I suspect it’s one of the top wines from this estate.

The 2020 Grand Corbin Despagne was tasted from two samples, the first showing a bit of oxidation, the second better, featuring blackberry and light meaty aromas, a little more feral than its peers. The palate is balanced with pliant tannins, a grainy texture and white pepper and Provençal herbs interlacing the black fruit on the finish. This is a fine Saint-Émilion, though I suspect it will show best in the next 8–10 years.

vinous.com

Full bottle 1,310 g. Cask sample taken 7 April. Certified organic.
Extremely deep, dark purple. Much subtler, deeper nose than many of its peers. You can be convinced that there are hidden depths here. Intense, ripe, supple purple-fruit flavours – even some very ripe cassis – and very persistent. This has the richness of late-20th-century St-Émilion but also has great freshness. Palate-coating with quite a charge of ripe tannins underneath. Impressive.