(Saint-Amour- Domaine des Billards) I last tasted a bottle of the 2019 Saint-Amour from Domaine des Billards in October of last year, but was happy to have a chance to revisit it and see how six months more bottle age had affected it. As readers may recall, Saint-Amour was one of the crus that that did not benefit from the August rains of 2019, so this wine is stylistically reflective of the drought conditions that prevailed before more fortunate communes received their timely dose of precipitation. So, this is a big and powerful vintage for this bottling, coming in at 14.5 percent alcohol. The nose is deep, precise and complex, delivering scents of red and black cherries, spit-roasted pigeon, pomegranate, dark soil tones, violets, peonies, a whisper of thyme, raw cocoa and plenty of upper register smokiness. On the palate the wine is deep, full-bodied and tangy, with a gorgeous core of fruit, superb mineral drive and grip, impeccable balance and a long, complex, chewy and intensely-flavored finish. The past six months of bottle age have really let this wine snap into place and it is a seamless, powerful beauty. It will demand some cellaring to let its tannins soften up, but it is a stellar wine in the making and I clearly underestimated it a touch when I last opened up a bottle! (Drink between 2030-2075)John Gilman | 93+ JGBehind the tsunami of ripe raspberries are some nice tannins and healthy acidity that keep this generous Saint-Amour right on track. Long and generous finish, where you don’t taste the 14.5% alcohol. But I wouldn’t wait for this one. Drink now.James Suckling | 91 JS
