Château Dauzac 2020
• Domaine: Château Dauzac
• Appellation: Margaux
• Classification: Fifth Growth, 5ème Grand Cru Classé
• Origin: Left Bank, Bordeaux, France
Château Dauzac is a Margaux Fifth Growth estate that holds great promise. With a long history that dates back to 1622, Château Dauzac has changed hands many times. Yet with the present ownership and influence of Laurent Fourtin, one cannot help but be optimistic about what the future holds for this Left Bank estate. The grand vin from Château Dauzac has a purity to it and a gentle freshness that encapsulates the nuance so often associated with great Margaux terroir. With the increasing investments that have been put into the property, quality continues to increase yet prices remain affordable. To all buyers who love the elegant finesse of a great Margaux for a reasonable price, consider the offerings of Château Dauzac.
Château Dauzac was originally owned by Jean Cousseau and sold to Carmelite Nuns in the early 1600s. Fifteen years later, Pierre Drouillard purchased the property and partnered with the Jean Baptiste Lynch, the mayor of Bordeaux. The Lynch family was a well-known name in the wine trade, famous for their ownership of Château Lynch Bages and Château Lynch-Moussas. Shortly after it was classified as a Fifth Growth estate in 1855, Château Dauzac was acquired by the Johnston family who were proud owners of the Saint Julien powerhouse, Château Ducru-Beaucaillou.
Throughout the 19th and 20th Centuries, Château Dauzac passed through the hands of several owners. One of which was Jean-Jacques Bernat, a well-known ice cream manufacturer who used blocks of ice to regulate the temperature in his stainless-steel vats during fermentation. This paved the way for a viticultural practice called thermoregulation in winemaking. The current CEO is Laurent Fourtin, who joined Château Dauzac in 2013. Fourtin was moved by the uniqueness of the terroir at Château Dauzac, and the Fifth Growth producer affects him on a very strong emotional level. His goal is to restore Château Dauzac to its rightful place as one of the best Margaux Fifth Growth estates and it is clear he is well on his way. Château Dauzac is presently owned by Christian Roulleau, the head of the Samsic Group.
In 2004, the facilities at Château Dauzac were upgraded and a modern gravity flow winery was introduced. Their vineyards are planted in one single block – quite a rare occurance in the Margaux appellation. Of their 120 hectares of farmland, 49 are planted with Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot vines. The vines are a bit older here, and some of the oldest vines are 80 years old. It is a bit warmer at this property, and harvest usually begins a bit earlier than in other parts of Margaux. Château Dauzac is experimenting with biodynamic farming on a tiny, .6-hectare parcel of Cabernet Sauvignon in their vineyard. All the vines are harvested by hand and in 2016 the property invited everybody who was friends with them on Facebook to join their harvest, making them a true estate of the modern age. Given the recent changes implemented at the estate, one can only imagine what excitement the future holds.
Tasting Notes
''A terrific effort from this Margaux château, the 2020 Château Dauzac has a plump, medium-bodied, rounded style that gives it plenty of accessibility even today. Ripe black cherries, currants, smoked tobacco, and chocolate notes define the aromatics, and it has supple tannins, plenty of mid-palate depth, and outstanding length. I'd happily drink a bottle today, but it will evolve for 15+ years or so.'' - Jeb Dunnuck, 2020 Bordeaux from Bottle, (03/29/2023), Ratings: 93, Drink: 2024-2039
"An attractive welcoming nose, plenty of bright perky fruits with floral peony and rose aromatics. Still clear austerity in the tannins but wrapped up with balance, classicism and elegance. Feel some bounce through the tannins here, with the emphasis on a cool blue rather than ripe black side of the fruit. A yield of 47hl/ha. Ageing for up to 16 months." - Jane Anson, (05/25/2021), Ratings: 93
"The 2020 Dauzac has a harmonious black cherry, boysenberry and cedar bouquet, touches of iodine and violets emerging with aeration; this nose has a lot of panache. The palate is medium-bodied and quit dense, offering supple tannins, a fine bead of acidity and superb mineralité and breeding on the finish, which is almost pixelated in style. This is an outstanding Margaux from the Dauzac team, one that punches above its weight." - Neal Martin, Vinous (05/27/2021), Ratings: 92-94