Endowed with charm, beautifully balanced ripeness, and structurally seamless are perhaps how this vintage could be appraised. It has been acclaimed as brilliant by many of the critics. The weather has created an intense and long-living vintage.
It is definitely a 'crowd-pleaser', and has been compared with both the 2009 and 2010, containing subtler tannins than the 2009 and more vibrancy than 2010. The winter was mild and dry, moving budbreak forward, that saw just enough rain fall during the spring to benefit a warm and dry summer.
For anyone wanting to drink deliciously superb wine in the mid-2030s onwards, then this vintage ticks that box.
A number of Bordeaux properties had orchestrated a tasting in London last month to display an array of recent vintages. I decided to focus on the 2019s to see if they were living up to expectations and when they might be ready for drinking.
Collectively, they were outstanding, with many only a smidgeon away from the cork being pulled.
Six wines really stood out, and they are available from a variety of different merchants. The prices quoted are on 04-Nov-23 when this missive was published.
1 - Château d’Aiguilhe, Côtes de Castillon
Lea & Sandeman - £25.95 - case price, can be bought by the bottle
88% Merlot, 12% Cabernet France. Another excellent wine from the Côtes de Castillon region, lying just east of Saint-Émilion. Merlot is the predominate grape here, with 88% in this 2019, the balance being Cabernet Franc. It is ready for drinking - a short period in a decanter would do no harm before serving - and will certainly age gracefully into the early 2030s. There are cherries and blackberries on the nose. The palate is rich and full-bodied, tempting you to buy a case and start consuming. However, seductive as it is today, another five or more years will deliver definitive benefits. Located on a small hill that was once used by the Knights Templar as a stronghold with the present chateau dating back to the 13th century. A wine for accompanying that rich lamb dish.
2 - Château Gazin, Pomerol
Farr - £640 - 12 bottles in bond
88.5% Merlot, 7% Cabernet Sauvignon, 4.5% Cabernet Franc. Owned by the Bailliencourts dit Courcol since the early 20th century, this is a large property at 26ha for the Pomerol appellation. An enticing nose with flavours of plums, raspberries and a hint of a tropical spice. Medium-bodied, the fruit caressing the fine tannins creating a silky refinement with tremendous length. If you have a significant birthday during the 2030s that you wish to celebrate in style, then put a few cases of this wine aside to enjoy with close friends and family. Will age gracefully into the late 2040s.
3 - Château Léoville Poyferré, 2eme Cru Classé - Saint-Julien
Berrys - £380 - 6 bottles in bond
67% Cabernet, 27% Merlot, 3% Cabernet, 3% Petit Verdot. From the original 1638 Léoville estate that was split into three components: Léoville Barton, Léoville Las Cases, and Léoville Poyferré. The latter being named Poyferré when Baron Jean-Marie Poyferré inherited the estate in 1840 along with his wife, who was the daughter of Jeanne de Las Cases. Classified as a second growth in 1855.
The château is today run by Sara Lecompte Cuvelier, whose family bought the property in 1920. Working alongside her is Isabelle Davin, the long-term winemaker.
The notes on their website draw direct comparisons to this wine and their 2009, expressed as 'On a multi-faceted terroir, the weather conditions were conducive to the development of a brilliant, expressive, and charming wine that delightfully illustrates the solar character of the vintage. The cool nights of September also endow this vintage with a very special aromatic freshness.'
Nose was somewhat closed, with a very dark red colour, but on the palate there was a richness and depth that engulfed an almost velvety structure with powerful tones of cassis and black berries perfectly balanced with fine tannins. The length was superb. Definitely not ready, probably needing another decade, but then going on well into the 2050s.
4 - Château Pontet-Canet 2019, 5ème Cru Classé - Pauillac
Berrys - £395 - 6 bottles in bond
65% Cabernet Sauvignon, 30% Merlot, 3% Cabernet France, 2% Petit Verdot. This property has just gone from strength to strength over the last thirty years. Classified as a 5th growth in 1855, it now firmly knocks on the doors of many 2nd growths, and could on occasions pitch in for 1st growth status.
It is a large estate at around 200 acres, and that creates all forms of problems, but the team here are very capable at delivering consistently excellent wine, supported by a well considered investment programme. These wines are for the long-haul.
There are some mixed notes on this wine from the critics, but my impression was one of a really delicious wine that had well-balanced extraction married with excellent tannins and acidity. Start pulling the cork from 2030, although I have to admit, I would have taken this bottle away and found a superlative steak with a rich béarnaise sauce to enjoy over lunch. It is very seductive. It is also exceptional value.
The sustainable credentials here are impeccable. In 2010, Pontet Canet was the first major Bordeaux producer to become organic and biodynamic certified. Horses plow about half of the estate. The winery is powered by geothermal energy.
5 - Château Smith Haut Lafitte, Pessac-Léognan Cru Classé de Graves
Bordeaux Index - £460 - 6 bottles in bond
59% Cabernet Sauvignon, 36% Merlot, 4% Cabernet Franc, 1% Petit Verdot. Intensity is the word used by Fabian Teitgen, SHL’s technical director, about their 2019 red.
I was having lunch in the brasserie of the chateau almost exactly two years ago, discussing with a friend why I had not more of this property’s wines in my cellar. We were drinking a variety of their wines and they were all flawlessly created.
Graves is an area often overlooked in England - apart from the stellar Haut-Brion and La Mission Haut-Brion - and this château, alongside Domaine de Chevalier and Haut-Bailly, make exceptional wines that I feel represent very good value compared to other areas within the other primary appellations across Bordeaux.
The team at SHL seem particularly pleased with this vintage, particularly the freshness that has evolved alongside the detailed intensity revealed in the classic flavours of cassis, dark berries, spices, broad complexity and unquestionable length. The average age of the vines is 48 years, and the rich concentration is evident. Probably best to leave in the cellar until 2025 at the earliest.
6 - Château Montrose, 2nd Cru Classé St Estèphe
Farr - £1,600 - 12 bottles in bond
64% Cabernet Sauvignon, 30% Merlot, 5% Cabernet France, 1% Petit Verdot. Montrose needs little introduction: you expect a great estate to make a great wine in a vintage such as 2019, and it has delivered the goods. Alongside Cos d’Estournel, these are the two stars of St-Estèphe, both classified as Second Growths in the 1855 Classification.
It was surprisingly forward, but the deep concentration of flavours dictates that it should be left in the cellar for at least another decade, even though it is very appealing today. Powerful, elegant, rich, classic and totally adorable with a finesse and potential that is just superb. If the bonus is good this Christmas, then add a few cases of this wine for that important event in the late 2030s or early 2040s.