The 2020 Clos Saint-Denis Grand Cru is showing beautifully, wafting from the glass with aromas of rose petals, red berries, plums, blood orange, violets and raw cocoa. Full-bodied, layered and velvety, it's perfumed and seamless, with an ample core of vibrant fruit, powdery tannins and a long, resonant finish.

The 2020 Clos Saint-Denis Grand Cru has a touch of reduction on the nose. Pretty brambly red fruit underneath, mulberry and cranberry, touches of rose petals and peony emerging and enhancing complexity with aeration. There is a slight animal scent that I appreciate. The palate is medium-bodied with sappy red fruit, spicy and peppery. It tapers slightly towards the finish when I would have liked it to fan out. Possibly just closing down a little, hence my lower score and plus sign. Tasted blind at the Burgfest tasting.

Cask sample. Mid cherry, lighter and brighter than the Clos de la Roche; more open and floral; just peeping over the parapet of a lighter tannic structure. Very classy, beautiful grand cru. (MH)