A Cellar Gem with Decade-Long Potential
We always overbuy Poujeaux en primeur. Why? Because we know how beautifully it evolves and how deeply our customers appreciate a Left Bank Bordeaux that drinks like a classed growth without the sticker shock. We like to think of it as our secret weapon—a go-to red that punches well above its weight. We’ve kept a close eye on this estate ever since the Cuvelier family—also owners of Clos Fourtet in Saint-Émilion—acquired it in 2008. Under the guidance of Mathieu Cuvelier and the expert hand of consulting oenologist Stéphane Derenoncourt, Château Poujeaux has entered a new era of quality and precision.
And now, with a few years of bottle age, the 2020 Château Poujeaux is entering a beautiful stage of drinkability. It's one of the wines we’ve been excited to “mine from the cellar” and bring forward as a gem of the vintage.
Poujeaux’s vineyard sits on prized Günzian gravel soils in a single 70-hectare block—rare for the region—where 30-year-old vines enjoy ideal drainage and sun exposure. These are the same gravelly soils that define the Médoc’s greatest wines, allowing Cabernet Sauvignon to ripen to concentration and finesse.
The 2020 vintage had its challenges—heavy spring rains followed by a hot, dry summer—but careful vineyard management and precise harvest timing resulted in gorgeous concentration and aromatic complexity. The Merlot is plush and ripe, the Cabernet delivers backbone and elegance, and a small amount of Petit Verdot adds spice and lift.
Château Poujeaux 2020 is a wine we’re genuinely excited about—not only for its current drinking appeal but also for the way it will evolve over the next decade. Whether you’re looking to lay down a few bottles or serve something special this weekend, this is a bottle that will more than rise to the occasion. We’re thrilled to bring it forward from our cellar and into your glass. As always, quantities are limited, and the vintage is drinking beautifully.
93 Points, James Suckling
This has a dusty character with black cherries and currants, as well as hints of cocoa, wet earth and raw mushrooms. Medium- to full-bodied with ripe, plush tannins that continue to build up throughout the deep, dark-fruited palate. It’s a muscular Poujeaux with a spicy and chocolatey finish. Try after 2026.
91 Points, Robert Parker
The 2020 Poujeaux is a strong follow-up to the excellent 2019. Wafting from the glass with aromas of cherries, minty blackberries, pencil shavings and licorice, it's medium to full-bodied, deep and lively, with excellent concentration, refined tannins and a penetrating finish. A touch more tightly wound out of the gates than the 2019, it will reward a few years' patience with a broad drinking window.
