Château de Sales - Pomerol 2020

Bettane & Desseauve

About the estate:

The long driveway leading to this 16th-century château beautifully frames Pomerol’s most striking building, which has been owned by the de Lambert family for five centuries. The family owns the largest estate in the appellation.

Decanter

About the wine:

A juicy intensity with bright, delicate, and lively red fruit in the glass—approachable yet with a salty licorice note that lends it a touch of gravitas. Refined and direct, yet polished and clean on the finish. A lingering warmth on the finish, but this wine is dynamic and well-structured, with bite and power. 2025–2040

Guide Hachette des vins

About the estate:

Vincent Montigaud has been the estate manager since 2017, succeeding Bruno de Lambert, who retired. With 47.5 hectares, making it the largest estate in the appellation, Château de Sales has been owned by the de Lambert family for 550 years. The estate is currently headed by a member of the family, Marine Treppoz. Two wines are produced here: Château de Sales and Château Chantalouette, the second wine.

Robert Parker - Wine Advocate

RVF - La Revue du Vin de France / Guide des Meilleurs Vins de France

About the wine:

The 2020 vintage in bottle remains true to this refined and distinguished style, as well as to the promise shown by the en primeur samples. It is a restrained, elegant, and tightly structured wine, full-bodied yet remarkably slender, with crisp, refined tannins. Its distinguished character is sure to blossom with age.

About the estate:

On the outskirts of the town of Libourne, with its majestic park stretching out before it, Château de Sales has been in the same family for five centuries. Defying the vicissitudes of history and inheritance taxes—which have become confiscatory for many winemaking families—the appellation’s largest wine estate has never felt the need to join the bidding war, the race for roundness and opulence. With its specific terroir of fine gravel, Château de Sales remains faithful to a refined, classic, delicate style, minimally influenced by oak, which is undeniably back in vogue and deserves the full attention of wine lovers. While the stylistic direction seems firmly maintained, 2017 is a vintage of change for this historic estate: a new president of the operating company—which brings together many cousins—Marine Treppoz, and a new director, Vincent Montigaud from Libourne.

Wine Spectator

Wine Enthusiast

About the wine:

The predominance of Merlot in the blend gives this wine both its richness and its velvety texture. The dark fruit and generous acidity are sure to come into their own. Best enjoyed starting in 2026.

James Suckling

About the wine:

A full-bodied, juicy red wine with aromas of blackberry, black olive, dark chocolate, and hazelnut. Creamy, round, and deliciously textured. It’s not an imposing or powerful wine, but it’s very appealing now and will continue to be so in the future. Charming in many ways. Best after 2026.

Yves Beck

About the wine:

The 2020 Château de Sales is the most accomplished vintage I’ve tasted since I first began sampling this wine. It displays subtlety and complexity. Everything is perfectly balanced, giving it a beautiful sense of precision. The bouquet reveals nuances of red berries, spices, and licorice. On the palate, the wine strikes a superb balance between finesse and richness. It is slender yet dense and, above all, perfectly balanced. A beautiful harmony between fullness and character. A wine that underscores the ambitious vision set forth at de Sales. 2027–2045

Tastingbook - Markus Del Monego

About the wine:

Deep purple in color with violet highlights and a black core. A wine of great purity, with a refined nose featuring elegant fruit—blackberries, cherries, and ripe plums—along with notes of chocolate, oriental spices, vanilla, and gingerbread, and floral undertones such as wisteria and violet. The palate is well-balanced and structured with ripe, silky tannins, wonderful freshness and precision, a subtle minerality, ripe fruit, and notes of licorice on the finish. Excellent and with a compelling length.