About the Wine

From the south-west of the Saint-Estèphe appellation, not far from Château Cos d’Estournel and Château Lafite-Rothschild, the estate of Lilian Ladouys is producing wines from Saint-Estèphe’s finest terroirs. In 2008, when the Lorenzetti family took responsibility for this historic property with viticultural roots that reach back to 1564, they fully restructured the vineyards and the cellars. 

Their work paid off. In 2020, Château Lilian Ladouys was classified as a Cru Bourgeois Exceptionnel! That same year, the Chateau made the commitment to convert their vineyards to 100% organic agriculture by 2023. The Lorenzetti family is taking this Domaine to new heights, and it's only a matter of time before they're firmly placed within the upper echelon of Bordeaux Chateau!

Chateau Lilian Ladouys is the estate’s Grand Vin, a Left Bank wine that’s a blend of mainly Merlot and Cabernet Sauvignon. The wine goes into gravity-fed vats and undergoes vinification with a partially gravity-based system, which is more sensitive to the integrity and subtleties of the grapes and the wine.

The result is a wine that has caught the attention of the world’s most prominent critics who sing the praises of this charming “perennial overachiever” that should continue to age nicely in the cellar for the next 10 years, at least.

2020 was a great year for Bordeaux. Vinous Media blessed this year with a 97-point review and said, "Two thousand-twenty is an exceptional vintage for Bordeaux, certainly the best in the 2018-2020 trilogy. Quality is very, very high."

Aging: 15 months in 30% of new barrels 

Tasting Notes: 50% Merlot, 45% Cabernet sauvignon, 4% Petit Verdot, 1% Cabernet Franc.
See Critical Reviews for detailed tasting notes.

Reviews

This estate continues to deliver the goods, and the 2020 Château Lilian Ladouys is another smoking wine readers will love. Lots of ripe black fruits, tobacco leaf, chocolate, and damp earth give way to a medium to full-bodied, nicely concentrated, textured, beautifully balanced red that will drink well for 20 years or more. ~92-94 Jeb Dunnuck

Deep garnet-purple colored, the 2020 Lilian Ladouys comes bounding out of the glass with exuberant notes of crushed black cherries, kirsch and warm cassis, plus hints of cinnamon stick, dusty soil and wild sage. The medium-bodied palate delivers mouth-filling black berry and earthy layers, supported by ripe, approachable tannins and a racy backbone, finishing on a lingering mineral note. A property to watch—in 2018, the Lorenzetti family purchased two neighbor estates, Château Clauzet and Château Tour de Pez, adding these to the Lilian Ladouys vineyard to almost double its planted area to 77 hectares. These additional vineyards are composed of gravelly soils of the same level as the best blocks of Lilian Ladouys. Soils are a typical Saint-Estèphe mix of sandy gravel and clay with some limestone deposits. It is planted at 8,500-10,000 vines per hectare, with an average vine age of 37 years in 2020. ~91-93 Robert Parker's Wine Advocate

A very pretty, medium-bodied wine with fine tannins, lovely fruit and a creamy finish. Nicely integrated for the vintage in this appellation. ~92-93 James Suckling