2020 Libournais (Merlot blend), Le Galouchey - Bordeaux

Situated in Beychac-et-Caillau, just north of the town of Libourne in the Libournais, Le Galouchey is a tiny micro-estate (under 1 hectare) perched on virgin land of clay-limestone-gravel soils, farmed organically with no chemical treatments. Managed by acclaimed sommelier-turned-vigneron Marco Pelletier since 2009, the project embraces principles of very low intervention—hand-harvested, indigenous yeasts, long barrel ageing in old Burgundy and Bordeaux wood, bottled unfined and often unfiltered. 

The 2020 vintage, offering about 13.5 % alcohol as usual, expresses the vintage’s ripe right-bank character yet retains freshness. On the nose you’ll pick up plush black-cherry and blueberry fruit, cedarwood, a hint of liquorice and graphite. The palate is smooth yet firm: supple tannins, dark plum skin, a touch of wild herbs and a clean mineral streak that gives a lively finish. Among drinkers the style is described as “very smooth, fruity, low-tannins … almost Beaujolais-like” in its drinkability. 

Food-wise this wine is terrific with dishes that match its velvety texture and dark-fruited drive: think rosemary-garlic roast lamb, confit duck leg with blackberry-sauce, or a mature goat’s-cheese tart on a winter evening. It also pairs beautifully with wild-mushroom risotto or a mushroom-and-truffle pasta for something more indulgent—its structure can hold up to meaty richness, yet its freshness keeps things lively.

In short: the 2020 Le Galouchey is a boutique, idiosyncratic Bordeaux from the right-bank terroir, offering approachable yet refined fruit, smart texture and genuine character—ideal for those who want something off-beat in the Bordeaux spectrum.