Château des Places 2020 En Primeur at Home

Early this summer, I tasted a selection of bottled 2019 Graves red and white wines. Among them were the wines of Château Lagrange, acquired in 2015 by the of family-owned Vignobles Reynaud. When Fabrice Reynaud, the fifth-generation custodian along with his brother Philippe, asked if I would be interested to taste their flagship estate's 2020 en primeur wines, I was happy to do so. 

Sure, I was interested to taste some Graves wines from Bordeaux's excellent 2020 vintage, but I was also deeply curious to taste wines from Château des Places. Because in 1859, a large stash of Roman coins - one of the largest found in France - was found in the vineyards that a few years later began the legacy of this château. A Roman winemaker is purported to have buried them in 49 BC. How could a history buff refuse?

White
91
Château des Places 2020 Graves Blanc 12.5%
This is a vibrant, lemon lime-flavored wine with perky, crunchy acidity nicely contrasted by a delightful mid-palate creaminess with hints of less. Nimble in its medium body thanks to a lilting acidity and total absence of tannins, this is very moreish. A caressing stroke of glycerol animates the lingering flavors of lime leaf, pomelo and verbena tea. This is a very classy blend of 50% Sémillon, 40% Sauvignon Blanc and 10% Muscadelle.
Drink: 2021-25 

Reds
89
Château des Places 2020 Graves Rouge 14%
With about 30 minutes in the glass, this deeply-colored red Graves opens up nicely. Eventually, mild evergreen notes surface, giving this a firmly Bordelais aroma. Made of slightly more Merlot than Cabernet Sauvignon, this wine is aged in French oak - about one-third new - for twelve months. This wine's wild berry fruits and cola-esque exuberance are nicely balanced by sleek, reined-in tannins and vivid yet integrated acidity. The layered, lingering finish shows notes of graphite along with tart elderberry and pomegranate.
Drink: 2021-26 

88
Château des Places 2020 Graves Rouge Agora du Château des Places 14.5%
Deep purple at the core with a pronounced, mulberry-colored rim, this effusively ripe blend of old vine Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot has robust fruit concentration that is set to dazzle. (The wine is made from the estate's oldest vines and best grapes.) Tasting of Damson plums and sloe with a bitterness akin to black plum skins and dark chocolate, the palate is a bit awkward at this young stage. The fruit is plump and well-suited to handle plenty of structure, but the acidity is acutely pungent and the tannins are thoroughly tight and drying. Some earthy tones juxtaposed by sweet oak come through on the moderate finish. This likely just needs time to settle down.
Drink: 2022-25