An elegant expression of a legendary terroir, the Château Coudert 2020 - Saint-Emilion Grand Cru AOC celebrates the art of characterful Bordeaux: generous yet controlled. On these venerable slopes, Merlot, supported by Cabernet Franc and complemented by a touch of Cabernet Sauvignon depending on the blend, reveals deep fruit and a carefully rounded structure. Hand-harvesting preserves the raw material, vinification in concrete tanks refines the purity of the fruit, and ageing in barrels, with a high proportion of new oak, brings contour and velvety texture. 2020 is a luminous vintage where ripeness harmonises with a fresh thread, giving rise to a broad, long Grand Cru with a finely polished tannin grain. For the enthusiast, it promises a wine that is both hedonistic and precise, suited to gastronomy as well as the cellar, an invitation to extend the tasting into conversation, a dish, a memory.

Blend and winemaking

Respecting Saint-Emilion traditions, this red wine is based chiefly on Merlot, supported by Cabernet Franc and completed, depending on the vintage balance, by Cabernet Sauvignon. Hand-harvesting preserves the integrity of the berries. Vinification in concrete tanks favours a clear expression of the fruit and precise extraction. Barrel ageing, with a high proportion of new oak, imparts discreet toasted and vanilla notes, adds texture and provides a calm length. Each lot is monitored rigorously to assemble a straight and harmonious profile, faithful to the architectural elegance of great Saint-Emilions, where maturity meets restraint and velvety texture meets structure. The result is a wine of detail, both caressing and structured, built to stand the test of time without losing its aromatic brilliance.

Tasting notes

• Appearance : Deep ruby with violet highlights, impeccable clarity and fine legs on the glass, announcing density and brightness. This dark robe edged with purple nuances testifies to full ripeness and perfectly controlled extraction.
• Nose : Precise bouquet of ripe black fruits, blackcurrant, blackberry, black plum, and fleshy cherry, highlighted by dark chocolate, a hint of chocolate-mint, black olive, warm spices and finely toasted-vanilla oak. With aeration, notes of blond tobacco, cedar and a balsamic hint appear, promising attractive complexity to come.
• Palate : Broad, juicy attack, a savory mid-palate carried by dense, luminous fruit. The tannins are elegant, tight without harshness, unfolding a structured framework typical of Saint-Emilion. The finish is clean and dry, extending the dark fruit with a delicate spicy signature, uplifted by fine echoes of cedar and tobacco as the wine evolves.

Serving temperature and tips

Serve this Grand Cru between 16 and 18°C in tulip or Bordeaux glasses to showcase the bouquet and texture. Aeration or decanting for about 1 hour will reveal the full complexity of the 2020 vintage without masking the freshness of the fruit. Store bottles on their side, away from light, between 12 and 14°C with stable humidity. The drinking window extends over 5 to 15 years depending on your storage conditions, letting you enjoy today the charm of succulent fruit or, later, the patina of tertiary notes, more oaky, smoky and spicy. Each service should be savoured without haste, as a pause to let the wine and time speak.

Food pairings

• Aperitifs : charcuterie board, country terrine with herbs, Comté gougères, to highlight the fruit without weighing down the palate.
• Starters : slow-cooked egg with mushrooms, lightly seasoned beef tartare, wild mushroom pie, poultry pâté en croûte.
• Main courses : grilled rib steak, roasted rack of lamb with thyme, braised chuck, glazed duck with mild spices, veal in morel sauce.
• Cheeses : mature Comté, Tomme de Savoie, Ossau-Iraty, Cantal Entre-Deux, which converse with the tannic structure and spicy background.
• Desserts : a piece of lightly sweetened dark chocolate, chocolate-hazelnut entremet, to consider as an end-of-meal tasting to prolong the chocolate notes of the bouquet.

Occasions

The Château Coudert 2020 partners brilliantly with dinners where attention to detail meets generous sharing. It belongs in a cellar built patiently, like a library of flavours, and makes an elegant gift to mark an event. It is a wine that brings people together, by the brightness of its fruit as well as by its poise, for convivial and discerning tables.

• To celebrate a special occasion with roasted meat and carefully presented service.
• During a gourmet dinner where the wine's structure supports the cuisine without overpowering it.
• As a thoughtful gift for a Bordeaux lover seeking emotion and balance.

Characteristics

• Name : Château Coudert 2020, Saint-Emilion Grand Cru AOC
• Appellation : Saint-Emilion Grand Cru AOC
• Type : Red wine, Fine Bordeaux wine
• Vintage : 2020
• Grapes : Majority Merlot, Cabernet Franc, complemented by Cabernet Sauvignon
• Winemaking and ageing : concrete tanks, then barrel ageing with a high proportion of new oak barrels
• Harvest : hand-harvested
• Cellaring : 5 to 15 years depending on storage conditions
• Serving temperature : 16 to 18°C, aeration recommended
• Alcohol content : depending on the vintage, see label