Glenelly Lady May 2020 Bottle size: 750ml

'The latest in a series of brilliant Lady Mays, the 2020 release is an assemblage of Cabernet Sauvignon, 23% Merlot, 13% Cabernet Franc and 5% Petit Verdot. Curated in 70% new wood, it's a bold, structured wine that wouldn't look out of place in Pauillac, with aromas of liquorice and five spice, remarkable density and palate weight, top notes of coffee bean and cedarwood and a core of inky black cherry, plum and cassis fruit. 2027-40' – Tim Atkin MW, SA Special Report 2024, 96/100

‘The vintage itself was far from straightforward – warm weather conditions and the challenges of lockdown made for a testing season – but then-winemaker Luke O’Cuinnegan, now at Vergelegen, seems to have managed adversity with aplomb. Cabernet Sauvignon is at its lowest ever in the blend at 59%, complemented by 23% Merlot, 13% Cabernet Franc and 2% Petit Verdot. The components were matured separately for 12 months in 30 – 40% new oak, then blended and returned to barrel (75% new) for another 12 months. While some 2020s can appear clumsy, this is relatively elegant. The nose is inviting with notes of red and black berries, fynbos, a touch of mint, floral perfume and pencil shavings. The palate is medium-bodied (alc: 14.43%) with fruit to the fore, bright acidity and fine, tightly packed tannins, the finish pleasantly austere’ – Christian Eedes, winemag.co.za, 94/100

'Due to be released next year, the 2020 Lady May includes the lowest percentage of Cabernet Sauvignon (59%) thus far. Aged for 24 months in 30-40% new French oak for the first year and 70% for the second, it has a detailed, complex nose of black fruit laced with cedar, black olive and a faint touch of licorice. The palate is medium-bodied with a finely structured entry. It's quite spicy compared to previous vintages, with impressive body and density and firm grip on the finish. Give this three or four years in bottle once released—it will mature with class. 2028-2044' – Neal Martin, Vinous, 93/100