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Bordeaux 2019: St Emilion

Written by JW. Posted in Bordeaux

There is no doubt that 2019 is an excellent vintage in St Emilion. There are many fabulous wines displaying beautiful fruit, concentration and supple tannins. Alcohols are high – fifteen degrees is not uncommon – but many wines still retain surprising freshness. With potentially high tannin levels, the foot has been held off the gas in the cellar by many properties, showing a more nuanced approach to winemaking here than perhaps a decade ago. It shows how the heady days of over-extraction appear to be behind us in the appellation. If 2019 doesn’t quite have the exuberance of 2018, or the heavenly balance of 2016, it could be seen as a hypothetical blend of the two, or a combination of 2009 and 2010, but without the late picking and extractive practices that characterized that period.

At the top end, I’ve already written on how Château Figeac has perhaps produced its best ever wine in recent years, but equally thrilling St Emilion has also been made in 2019 at Château Angélus, Château Beauséjour [HdL], La Mondotte, Château Canon-la-Gaffelière, Clos Fourtet, Château Larcis Ducasse, Château Pavie Macquin, Chateau Trotte-Vieille and Château Valandraud. If these are my stand-outs from what I have tasted, then hot on their heels are super impressive wines from Château Fleur Cardinale, Château Fonroque, Château Fombrauge, Château Magrez-Fombrauge, Château La Marzelle and Château Laroque. But the list could go on and on. Many properties have made wonderful wines in 2019 in St Emilion. They are wines of style and substance. Some have greater finesse than others but from the forty or so wines I’ve managed to taste, the appellation has appeal at all price points.

Ultimately it is a little difficult to gauge yet where the vintage sits on the last decade of riches in St Emilion. As I’ve written earlier, I don’t think 2019 eclipses 2016 in terms of balance and sheer wonder, but let’s see how the vintage develops during élevage. The samples certainly felt more settled than usual, largely because in tasting the wines in June instead of late March they are more complete with three months extra time in barrel. Châteaux generally have also offered 2019 at a discount to recent vintages and overall the vintage represents a good buy en primeur price wise [for all appellations], as I’ve discussed before.

In terms of samples, the following notes were all taken from bottles flown to London. Most were from full bottles, a small minority in halves. Some properties declined to send wine to taste and I hope to follow up with those and others that I have missed at a later date. I’m grateful to all the properties who did send samples and to the efforts of the Grand Cercle des Vins de Bordeaux who also sent a large range of wines from St Emilion and the right bank to taste.

 

I hope you find the notes below helpful. They are, by and large, in alphabetical order and the notes, as ever, are more important than the numbers.

Next up the St Emilion satellites before looking at the wines of Pomerol and Lalande de Pomerol in 2019.

Château Angélus, St Emilion Premier Grand Cru Classé, 2019

Vibrant and dense – looks glossy; black fruits on the nose; very focused; lots of depth; opens up well. This is classy; lovely entry – rather suave; saline notes – great polish here as usual and lovely purity; compact in the middle but with plenty of depth; long finish which echoes the strength of the Cabernet Franc. Works very well indeed. [27ha, 14.4% alc, 60% Merlot, 40% Cabernet Franc]. Tasted 28.5.20. Drink 2025-2045. 97-98+

Clos Badon, St Emilion Grand Cru, 2019

Deep and opaque; legs; earthy red purple at edge; glorious aromatics; ripe plum and cherry; some leafy notes; spices; really attractive and open; joyful wine; sturdy and juicy St Emilion; like the texture to the wine; it has amplitude; fresh and some grip to the tannins but plum and chocolate tones dominate the finish; gutsy with great typicity; has real zap and life. Tasted June 2020. Drink 2023-2035. 91-92+

Château Beauséjour Héritiers Duffau-Lagarrosse, St Emilion Premier Grand Cru Classé, 2019

Deep and opaque at core; glossy and alive; super concentrated aromatics; simply fabulous levels of concentration on the nose; mineral notes; wild black cherry and ripe black plums, even if something of a tightly packed ball of fruit to begin with; fabulous depth and concentration; schist; mineral notes; then some black plum again and dark chocolate tones; freshness on the finish; really comes together on the end; gripping wine this – a giant yet beautifully pure. Quite magnificent. Tasted June 2020. Drink 2026-2045. 97-99+

Château Bellevue, St Emilion Grand Cru, 2019

Deep; purple red at edge; legs; lovely fragrant Merlot on the nose; such joy; has freshness; depth; enticing; creamy black cherry fruit; a beauty; lovely stuff aromatically; sweet entry on the palate which has structure and is oak influenced; full; ripe fruit; cherry and black fruits again; not over dense and has delicacy; length; not remotely tiring; lovely texture to the tannins on the finish. Impressive. [6.82 ha 100% Merlot]. Tasted 5/6/20. Drink 2024-2040. 93-95+

Château Canon-la-Gaffelière, St Emilion Premier Grand Cru Classé, 2019

Deep but not as deeply coloured as Clos de l’Oratoire seemingly; backward initially; Cabernet tones emerge; leaf; spices; savoury characters; needed to be coaxed at first but after half an hour this was stylish and complex aromatically; spices; black cherry and plum; some sweet Cuban tobacco notes; fresh entry to the palate; has lots of zest and elegance; evident zap and life; fully organic now here; reminds me of grand cru Burgundy almost here. Like the 2016 here. Great depth and length. Opened up wonderfully over a few hours. [49% Merlot, 39% Cabernet Franc, 12% Cabernet Sauvignon, 51 hl/ha, 60% new oak, harvested 19 Sept – 7 Oct, cuvaison 35 days]. Tasted June 2020. Drink 2026-2045. 95-97+

Carillon d’Angélus, St Emilion Grand Cru, 2019

Vibrant in the glass; dark centre; rich seam of black fruit on the nose; very focused and layered; ripe black plums; lots of depth; good structure; this has stone fruit qualities; quite firm toward the finish; fresh palate; still needs to fill in; acidity is good and overall quite zappy. Moreish finish. [17ha 90% Merlot, 10% Cabernet Franc]. Tasted 28.5.20. Drink 2024-2037. 92-93+

Château Carteau Côtes Daugay, St Emilion Grand Cru, 2019

Deep and dark; earthy red at edge; black fruits; some tar; menthol; quite broad; ripe; fully entry; ripe and broad; some minerality; good extract and supple tannins; quite solid but feels precise, focused and well handled. Very good St Emilion. [70% Merlot, 25% Cabernet Franc, 5% Cabernet Sauvignon]. Tasted June 2020. Drink 2024-2038. 90-92+

Château Corbin, St Emilion Grand Cru Classé, 2019

Black at centre; earthy red purple at edge; plums and black cherry; plenty of inky intensity; little mineral note; cassis too; ripe and full entry; fruitcake and spice notes on the palate with good texture and savour; like this; feels positive on the palate; tannins ripe; plenty of extract; lovely fruit though. Some grip on the finish with black cherry and dark chocolate notes. Tasted June 2020. Drink 2024-2035. 91-93+

Château Côte de Baleau, St Emilion Grand Cru Classé, 2019

Deep; purple at edge; lovely fresh juicy Merlot on the nose; super juicy; little savoury tang too but nicely pure; lovely; some jam and juice; lovely fruit here; caressing red strawberry fruits; some schist texture; lots of depth; quite suave too; mineral on the palate; lots of extract and matter on the palate; lovely chew; like this wine; good purity; solid on the finish. Should be good value. Lovely extract and good grip. Tasted June 2020. Drink 2024-2037. 91-93+

Château La Croizille, St Emilion Grand Cru, 2019

Deep and dark; healthy looking; more cherry and berry notes; briary tones; black cherry; juicy; aromatic; cool and fresh palate; nice fruit tones; black fruits; cherry and some savoury fruit tones; has zap and life; clean finish. Spicy, briary and cherry St Emilion. Positive and refreshing. [Vineyard 70% Merlot, 30% Cabernet Savignon]. Tasted June 2020. Drink 2025-2038. 90-91

Château Daugay, St Emilion Grand Cru, 2019

Deep black/red; purple at edge; legs; more on the red fruit spectrum for me; ripe raspberry and redcurrants; some spices and undergrowth notes [23% Cabernets]; lovely entry; red fruits; some lift; quite easy on the mid palate; caressing; soft tannin; perhaps lacks some definition in the mid palate and has an easy, soft finish. Feels ready to drink almost. [9.69 ha, 77% Merlot, 15% Cabernet Franc, 8% Cabernet Franc]. Drink 2023-2035. 90-92+

Château Destieux, St Emilion Grand Cru Classé, 2019

Deep and darkly coloured: lifted; plums, lifted red fruits; satin tones and chocolate notes; sweet fruit and glossy palate; this has lots of red fruits on the palate – strawberries, raspberries and some ripe cherry notes; tannins fine; some extract on the palate. Lovely texture. Works well. [66% Merlot, 17% Cabernet Franc, 17% Cabernet Sauvignon]. Tasted June 2020. Drink 2026-2038. 91-93+

Château Figeac, St Emilion Premier Grand Cru Classé ‘A’, 2019

Opaque at centre; colour tight to the edge; legs; earthy purple at edge; reveals a focused seam of creamy blackcurrant fruit; super polished and suave; classic feel to the wine; initially a little tight on the palate with lovely purity; expect this to open out; has real balance and sap; tannins refined and polished; not at all dry on the end. Later the cool Cab fruit tones opened up with aeration – real intensity but the fruit is really ripe. Graphite, blackcurrants; cassis; lovely stuff; lovely balance and melted tannins; lovely purity and precision but very drinkable too. [36% Cabernet Franc, 34% Merlot, 30% Merlot, pH 3.7, 14.1% alc, 100% new oak]. Tasted June 2020. Drink 2025-2050. 96-100

Château Fleur Cardinale, St Emilion Grand Cru Classé, 2019

Deep at centre; dark; earthy purple at edge; beautifully seductive red fruits; glossy; polished; lovely unctuous fruit; really super; lovely purity; sweet ripe fruit; some new oak to integrate but the fruit seems to be soaking it up; opens up further in the glass; lush fruit here; inky; concentrated; certainly bags of extract; lots to this. Super stuff. Later on there was a satin quality here – super plush overall; evident layers and depth. Brilliant effort. Tasted June 2020. Drink 2024-2040. 95-96+

Château Fombrauge, St Emilion Grand Cru Classé, 2019

Deep and arterial; richly fruited; really full; fruit pudding notes; fruitcake spices; some liquorice and tar emerge; Pontefract cake notes; rich; sweet and velvet entry to the fruit; wonderfully plush and rich; this has thick pile fruit and velvet curtains to match; loads of extra and decidedly rich but the extract and matter is not dry or puckering despite the levels of concentration. Lots of fruit on the finish. Super Fombrauge. [Vineyard 89% Merlot, 8% Cabernet Franc, 2% Malbec, 1% Cabernet Sauvignon]. Tasted June 2020. Drink 2025-2040. 93-95+

Château Fonroque, St Emilion Grand Cru Classé, 2019

Deep and darkly coloured; lovely lush plummy fruit; hedonistic; lovely purity; like this; creamy plummy fruit with lovely purity; classy on the palate; lovely glass of fresh Bordeaux; plums, black fruits but also life and freshness; lovely sweet ripe tannins; quietly hedonistic in its way; some warmth here on the finish. Shows the power of the biodynamic approach here. Beneath the seductive fruit is a fine structure. Really impressive. [80% Merlot, 20% Cabernet Franc]. Tasted June 2020. Drink 20-25-2040. 94-96+

Clos Fourtet, St Emilion Premier Grand Cru Classé, 2019

Super colour; totally opaque at centre but fresh purple at edge; full and rich; almost cake-like nose; crammed with fruit and extract; some tar and liquorice; this has plenty of extract and tannin; pretty inky; fruitcake spices; caressing tannins; super concentrated Clos Fourtet. Jam-packed with fruit. Tasted June 2020. Drink 2028-2045. 96-97+

Château Godeau, St Emilion Grand Cru, 2019

Deeply coloured; really dark; colour up to the rim; rich aromas; full of ripe fruit; glossy; plums; sweet entry; nice fruit; plenty of it; some wet rock notes too; quite inky but tannins super soft; some chocolate; feels big; little warm on the finish; chocolate notes at the end. Solid feel to this. Little monolithic perhaps but nice texture to the tannins. Opened up nicely, revealing juicy, seductive plummy fruit. Lots here! [Vineyard 95% Merlot, 5% Cabernet Franc]. Tasted June 2020. Drink 2024-2035. 88-90+

Château Grand Corbin Despagne, St Emilion Grand Cru Classé, 2019

Deep at centre; colour tight to the rim; intense; black fruits, minerals and slight liquorice lift; little tighter overall; inky; sweet ripe fruit on entry which form the core of this; great ball of fruit; sweet tannins and texture; some menthol; quite concentrated; nice extra on the finish. Has good intensity and opens up nicely with great mid-palate richness and softness to the tannins. Good stuff. [75% Merlot, 24% Cabernet Franc, 1% Cabernet Sauvignon]. Tasted June 2020. Drink 2026-2038. 91-93+

Château Les Grandes Murailles, St Emilion Grand Cru, 2019

Deeply coloured; inky fruit; ripe cherry; lots of black fruits; molasses; some schist notes too; some zap on the palate; wet rock; extract; some tannin too; quite tannic and inky on the finish. Lots of extract and matter on the finish. Chewy. Huge volume of fruit here. Tasted June 2020. Drink 2025-2035. 88-90

Château Larcis Ducasse, St Emilion Premier Grand Cru Classé, 2019

Deep and healthy looking; opaque at centre; legs; lovely caressing ripe black fruits; voluptuous plum and black cherry fruit; wild strawberry hints; super deep and pure; love this; little tar and asphalt beneath; cassis; sweet entry to the fruit; lovely purity and freshness; with lovely tannins; texture is wonderful and the depth is impressive; more power here than 2016 or perhaps it is simply more evident; initially tauter than 2018 [obviously a different creature entirely] but this is beautiful and pure St Emilion; some chocolate finish and warmth on the end; brilliant stuff. Tasted June 2020. Drink 2025-2040 97-98+

Château Laroze, St Emilion Grand Cru Classé, 2019

Deep at entre; red purple edge: satin and schist; savoury and nicely composed; polished; fresh; some plum and ripe cherry notes and spices; quite full; but nicely layered aromatics; some stalky, savoury earthy notes revealed; like this; lovely entry; sweet ripe palate; some spices black fruits and undergrowth; little leaf and earth; really nicely balanced palate; earthier, savoury more spicy style; works very well. Lovely tannin management. Texture and nice tension on the finish. [68% Merlot, 24% Cabernet Franc, 8% Cabernet Sauvignon]. Tasted June 2020. Drink 2025-2038. 92-94+

Château Laroque, St Emilion Grand Cru Classé, 2019

Deep and saturated look; beautiful fruit on the nose; super refined; lovely plummy Merlot tones; nicely ripe but not at all overripe; another beauty here to rival the coquettish 2018; this is layered and lovely stuff; savoury tones on the palate; mid weight and more; simply wonderful balance and purity; top stuff again here from David Suire at the helm since the 2015 vintage. This ’19 is in a great double act with the ’18. This is a quietly terrific 2019. [61ha, 97% Merlot, 3% Cabernet Franc, 43hl/ha, 44% selected for grand vin, 14.5% alc, pH 3.44]. Tasted June 2020. Drink 2025-2040. 94-95+

Lynsolence, St Emilion Grand Cru, 2019

Deep and dark; red purple at edge; legs; thick and ripe; obvious depth even if it needs to unfurl; some creamy black fruits; ripe fruit with depth and plenty of texture and chew; solid; chocolate notes; structure is good; little dry on the finish; solid and chunky St Emilion. Later it opened up with some more savoury tones with liquorice and tar notes. Solid St Emilion. [100% Merlot]. Tasted June 2020. Drink 2025-2035. 88-90

Château Magrez-Fombrauge, St Emilion Grand Cru, 2019

Black and tight to rim; super dense looking; creamy black plum and eau de vie; strong wine; some chocolate; again fruitcake spices; lots of matter and extract here; little chewy and thick for me; but there is depth and enormous levels of extract; on the palate there is plenty of black fruits and spices; loaded with ripe tannin, which is a little present but they have evidently ‘gone for it’. I’ve only ever had this wine during primeurs and always rate Fombrauge higher for drinkability but this is obviously seriously good, if considerably extracted in style. I’d really like to see how this develops during élevage and in bottle. [Vineyard 80% Merlot, 20% Cabernet Franc]. Tasted June 2020. Drink 2026-2040. 93-95+

Château La Marzelle, St Emilion Grand Cru Classé, 2019

Dark at centre; earthy purple edge; lovely seductive fruit; real lift to the fruit; joyful and playful; summer fruit compote notes on the nose – this is moreish St Emilion; ripe Merlot but also some leafy savoury tones; lovely texture; quite mid weight in some respects although there is plenty of extract and ripe fruit here. Really composed and polished on the finish. Caressing St Emilion with plenty of lively lift. Tasted June 2020. Drink 2024-3038. 93-95

La Mondotte, St Emilion Premier Grand Cru Classé, 2019

Opaque and glossy; colour super tight to the edge; lovely seam of sweet black fruits; immediately enticing; wine rarely reaches much greater heights than this; what a beauty; this sample is certainly on song; beautiful seam of fruit; super pure and sleek; entry sweet and substantial but also super polished; this has structure, fruit and weight – but also exquisite freshness and twist on the palate; that classic iron fist in a velvet glove; real freshness on the end; super stuff. Great length too. In fact an almost endless finish. A marvellous foil to 2018. Again closer to 2016 in style. Returning to the bottle two hours later, the fruit continues to sing – this is a dreamy and voluptuous wine – amazing! Fully organic here again. [79% Merlot, 21% Cabernet Franc, 51 hl/ha, harvest 19 Sept – 7 Oct, cuvaison 35 days]. Tasted June 2020. Drink 2028-2045. 97-100

Château Moulin du Cadet, St Emilion Grand Cru Classé, 2019

Great colours again; deep; earthy purple at edge; plum and black fruits; spice; little marzipan and wet rock; lovely purity; sweet entry; oodles of soft fruit; extract is sweet and ripe; ripe tannin and sweet ripe fruit on the end. Works well in an inky 2019 way. Tasted June 2020. Drink 2025-2035. 91-93+

No 3 Angélus, St Emilion Grand Cru, 2019

Mid depth; lighter at core than Carillon; very pretty aromatics with elegant stone fruits; they ferment cooler [23C v 27-28C for the grand vin] with gentle extraction to emphasize the fruit; also no new oak [50% one year and the remainder in steel]. This results in a lively wine with plenty of life and freshness; refreshing and zappy finish. [5ha, 85% Merlot, 15% Cabernet Sauvignon]. Tasted 28.5.20. Drink 2023-2028. 90-91+

Clos de l’Oratoire, St Emilion Grand Cru Classé, 2019

Deep and lush looking; legs; vibrant purple at edge; ripe plums; black cherry; fresh; evident depth and layers here; more reticent than 2018 initially but still a seductive seam of black fruit on display; lovely fruit entry; suave; mid weight; nicely handled; quite moreish on the palate; not overdone in the slightest; quite a zesty red in fact; fresh finish; overall really positive and refreshing Clos de l’Oratoire. This wine is alert, bright and vibrant. [81% Merlot, 12% Cabernet Franc, 56 hl/ha, 30% new oak, harvested 23 Sept -7 Oct, 30 day cuvaison]. Tasted June 2020. Drink 2024-2038. 91-93+

Château Pas de l’Ane, St Emilion Grand Cru, 2019

Deepish; more life at the edge; glossy; savoury note; full; hint of oak; creamy and attractive; some violet lift; nice creamy entry to the fruit; texture and depth; oodles of fruit; big again but caressing on the palate; more savoury notes. Has plenty of fruit; some oak to integrate but plenty of black fruits and extract on the finish. Good effort! [55% Merlot, 45% Cabernet] Tasted June 2020. Drink 2024-3038. 89-91+

Château Pavie Macquin, St Emilion Premier Grand Cru Classé, 2019

Deep and dark; vibrant purple at the edge; little more oak lift here as ever at first; liquorice; but also spices and menthol; beautiful seam sweet blackcurrants and black cherry fruit beneath; chocolate; layer upon layer of fruit here on aeration; characteristically deep; seductive black fruits on the palate; this is another powerful wine to rival the 2016 in style; plenty of fruit but the structure is quite evident too; tannins ripe and oak is nicely woven in at the end; great chew to the tannins and plenty of extract here [but not extracted]. This surely ranks alongside the best Pavie-Macquins of recent years. Tasted June 2020. Drink 2025-2045. 97-98+

Château de Pressac, St Emilion Grand Cru Classé, 2019

Deep and darkly coloured; sweet ripe fruit; boatloads of it; dark black fruits but quite lush; some undergrowth and wet earth and dark chocolate notes; full; lovely sweet ripe entry to the palate; what a beauty; so full and lovely; satin quality to the fruit; this is delicious; melted tannins; glossy palate; a beauty; so full and rich; an opulent de Pressac; really well done. [Vineyard 65% Merlot, 18% Cabernet Franc, 11% Cabernet Sauvignon, 4% Pressac, 2% Carmenere]. Tasted June 2020. Drink 2027-2040. 93-95+

Château Roylland, St Emilion Grand Cru, 2019

Deep and dark at centre; red purple at edge; creamy ripe black fruits; some marzipan; spice; deep and opens up well; full; some spice; savoury notes too; full of fruit; tannin soft; complete in the middle. Finishes a little loose on the end perhaps but bags of fruit here. [85% Merlot, 15% Cabernet Franc]. Tasted June 2020. Drink 2024-2035. 89-91

Château Rol Valentin, St Emilion Grand Cru, 2019

Deep and dark; earthy purple at edge; unctuous ripe red fruits; strawberry; undergrowth; pretty full and rich; palate is ripe, satin strawberry notes; the fruit is glossy and caressing; spicy finish with some punctuation at the end. Works super well. Unctuously styled for sure – very open and forward – but has a satisfying finish. Really good. [90% Merlot, 10% Cabernet Franc]. Tasted June 2020. Drink 2025-2038. 91-93+

Château Sansonnet, St Emilion Grand Cru Classé, 2019

Dark and opaque at centre; legs; rich looking; ripe and saturated; creamy black fruits; some tar; real texture and chew; lots of extract; liquorice and Pontefract cakes; big; little monolithic perhaps on the palate currently; tannins ripe; lacks a bit of definition and amplitude; later the wine opened up considerably displaying more plummy briary fruit. Tasted June 2020. Drink 2024-2037. 91-93+

Château Soutard-Cadet, St Emilion Grand Cru, 2019

Deep again if slightly brighter at the edge; spice, tar, ripe plummy Merlot fruit with some freshness lifting the nose; creamy black fruits beneath alongside black chocolate notes; sweet ripe entry on the palate; very consistent; feels a little dry at the back but the fruit covers the structure; some chew here but concentration too. Tasted June 2020. Drink 2025-2035. 90-92

Château Tour Baladoz, St Emilion Grand Cru, 2019

Deep and dark; earthy purple at edge; black cherry and lifted oak; fresh; ripe plums; like this; sweet entry; black cherry again; some wood tannin to integrate; violet and black cherry tones; some savoury notes; texture on the finish. Little disjointed at present but fresh with lots of bright cherry fruit. [70% Merlot, 20% Cabernet Franc 10% Cabernet Sauvignon]. Tasted June 2020. Drink 2024-2035. 88-90

Château Trimoulet, St Emilion Grand Cru, 2019

Dark at centre; ripe aromatics; rich; black cherry and plum; lively and vibrant; sweet entry to the fruit; love the purity; lots of texture and extract; full certainly but tannin ripe; chocolate/mocha on the finish; quite positive on the end. Like the fruit. Tasted June 2020. Drink 2024-2034. 90-92

Château Trotte Vieille, St Emilion Premier Grand Cru Classé, 2019

Deep at core; red purple at edge; lovely creamy blackcurrant tones from the Cabernet Franc; nicely polished; deep aromatics; some pretty perfume here too; suave and savoury; ripe plums emerge in the glass and the wine fills in further; sweet entry; lovely fruit; purity; quite pretty Cab Franc; spices and some extract; nicely handled; tannins are firm but not overdone. Nice chew on the finish. Spicy finish. Some grip at the back. Little old fashioned perhaps stylistically [in a good way]. Fine and complete. [Blend 49% Cabernet Franc, 48% Merlot, 3% Cabernet Sauvignon, 15% alc, harvest 16-24 September Merlot and Cabernets 4-7 October]. Tasted June 2020. Drink 2028-2045. 94-95+

Château de Valandraud, St Emilion Premier Grand Cru Classé, 2019

Opaque at centre; colour tight to rim; purple edge; lovely creamy black fruits; super polished and laser focused as usual; such lovely lush fruit on the nose; super pure; terrific and so plush; despite this there is wonderful power beneath; lovely nose; lovely sweet fruit and oak so interwoven; caressing fruit on the palate; has real weight and intensity but this is so well managed in the cellar; has lots extract and matter; more menthol and spices; lovely wine; lots of extract on the finish and has a little tannin to resolve but that is the vintage. Fruit is lush. Bit of oak to integrate on the finish but overall this Valandraud is something of a transcendental experience! Tasted June 2020. Drink 2025-2045. 97-98+

Virginie de Valandraud, St Emilion Grand Cru, 2019

Deep and dark; intense and inky; spices; intense; deep; lots of extract and matter; little chewy in the finish. Let’s see how this develops. Tasted June 2020. Drink 2023-2028. 89-91+

Château Yon Figeac, St Emilion Grand Cru Classé, 2019

Deep at centre; red purple at edge; pure, creamy plummy notes; quiet lush with cool blue fruit tones; some schist notes; minerality; sweet entry to the palate; nice palate; schist; mineral; nicely composed palate; has texture and grip; really nice fruit; concentrated but also with weight [alcohol]; works well this. Opened up really well showing menthol, black fruits and savoury tones. Excellent St Emilion. [Vineyard 81% Merlot, 13% Cabernet Franc, 6% Petit Verdot]. Tasted June 2020. Drink 2026-2040. 92-94+

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