Château de Sales - Pomerol 2020

Bettane & Desseauve

About the estate:

The long driveway leading to this 16th-century château beautifully sets the stage for Pomerol’s most stunning building, which has been owned by the de Lambert family for five centuries. The family owns the largest amount of land 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 seriousness. Refined and direct, yet polished and clean on the finish. A lingering hint of 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 director of operations 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 family member, 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, once bottled, remains true to this refined and distinguished style, just as the en primeur samples promised. It is a restrained, elegant, and tightly structured wine, full-bodied yet particularly slender, with crisp and 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, the 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 race for roundness and opulence. With its distinctive terroir of fine gravel, Château de Sales remains faithful to a refined, classic, and delicate style, with minimal oak influence—a style that is undeniably back in vogue and deserves the full attention of wine enthusiasts. While the stylistic direction appears firmly maintained, 2017 marks a year of change for this historic estate: Marine Treppoz, a new president of the operating company that brings together numerous cousins, and Vincent Montigaud, a native of Libourne, as the new director.

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 flavors and generous acidity are sure to blossom. 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 delightfully textured. It’s not an imposing or powerful wine, but it’s very appealing both now and for 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 began sampling this wine. It displays subtlety and complexity. Everything is perfectly balanced, giving it a lovely 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 elegant 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 notes in the background, 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, with a compelling length.