Languedoc | 2020 vintage
Contrary to other French regions, the winter of 2020 was rather mild but dry in Languedoc before the long-awaited rain came in spring. As a consequence, the water table was able to recover after it had become very low following the 2019 drought. The combination of humidity and clement temperatures created an ideal environment for fungal disease to form which ended up being particularly present in the south of the region, especially in Minervois. With the return of sunny, dry weather at the start of the summer, the vines were able to flourish. The heat didn’t reach the same extremes as seen in 2019, but the vines developed prematurely, particularly those close to coastline where the sea breezes were regular and intense. The situation was different in the areas where the temperatures were regularly over 30 degrees and a lack of water slowed down the vegetal cycle. Some welcome rain allowed the grapes to reach optimal ripeness, especially in the appellations contrôlées.
There is no doubt that these are elegant wines with the reds being beautifully ripe without showing an excessive amount of maturity. The preserved acidity creates more classically balanced wines than those from 2019. The 2020 vintage, without being an anthology, is reminiscent of 2001 and 2007 but perhaps a little fruitier. The tannins are fine, and success was seen in all regions. We would highlight the wines from Pic Saint-Loup, les Terrasses du Larzac and Faugères. The traditionally warmer areas such as Grès de Montpellier experienced very favourable conditions which added a beautiful balance to the wines. Moving on to the whites whose acidity was also retained mean that fresh cuvées with well-defined fruit aromas could be created.
