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Jeremy Chasseuil continues to make a brilliant, ripe, incredibly sexy Pomerol that always seems to put a smile on my face. His 2019 Château Feytit-Clinet is inky-hued and has a blockbuster nose of ripe black fruits, damp earth, chocolate, and tobacco. This all carries to a full-bodied Pomerol with background oak, ripe, velvety tannins, a great mid-palate, and one heck of a finish. I wish there were more wines like this in the vintage. It offers pleasure today yet will benefit from 4-6 years of bottle age and cruise for over two decades. Bravo!Jeb Dunnuck | 97 JDRich and layered red with black olive and walnut on the nose, as well as blackberry. Full-bodied and powerful with superb depth and richness. Walnut and chocolate, too. Opulent, yet fresh. Try after 2026.James Suckling | 97 JSThe 2019 Feytit-Clinet is superb. In most vintages, Feytit-Clinet is one of the more intense and tannic Pomerols. In 2019, though, some of that intensity is dialed down. On the plus side, though, that means the 2019 will drink well with minimal cellaring. Inky dark fruit, licorice, graphite, lavender, dried herbs and rose petal build into the sumptuous, creamy finish. Usually I advise cellaring Feytit-Clinet, but that will be less necessary in 2019. As always, Feytit-Clinet is one of the most distinctive wines in the Right Bank.Antonio Galloni | 95 AGEvocative and expressive nose full of dark chocolate and clear truffle aromas with red cherry nuances. This has a nice svelteness, supple tannins but there is also a serious aspect to this - a straightness and linearity right now . Definitely on the dark spectrum with clear liquorice, coffee, black cherries, figs, prunes and raisins as well as black pepper and some bitter dark chocolate too. Heady and powerful, oaky and tannic but lifted by excellent acidity. Drinking Window: 2027 - 2045Decanter | 95 DECThe 2019 Feytit Clinet delivers aromas of rich, chocolaty berry fruit, plums, fig jam, espresso roast and toasty new oak. Full-bodied, deep and layered, it’s muscular and extracted, with broad shoulders, soft acids and plenty of powdery, youthfully chewy tannin, concluding with a heady finish. To my taste, this flirts with over-ripeness; but it held up well over several days in bottle, inclining me to give it the benefit of the doubt.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 93 RPSpicy and full of dark fruits, this is setting out to be a richly balanced wine. Blackberry and plum skin flavors have a hint of chocolate, supported by ripe, textured tannins. There is good aging potential here. Wine Enthusiast | 93 WE

An array of fresh dark and blue-fruit aromas, together with hints of baking spices, chocolate and crushed rocks. Full-bodied and compact with firm, polished tannins and delicious, succulent fruit. Refined and firm on the finish. 86% merlot and 14% cabernet franc. Drinkable now, but better in 2025.James Suckling | 93 JSThe 2019 Château Puygueraud is also terrific, with ripe darker cherry, plum, leafy tobacco and hints of chocolate on the nose. This medium-bodied, rounded, supple, elegant beauty has soft tannins, wonderful balance, and a great finish. Drink it over the coming decade.Jeb Dunnuck | 92 JDFragranced milk chocolate and black cherries on the nose - a gorgeous smell. Rush of fresh fruity flavours on the palate - blueberries, raspberries and blackcurrants alongside hints of minty, stony bitterness that edge the fruit giving texture and tang. Round with silky tannins. Easy to drink and easy to recommend. (Drink between 2023-2029)Decanter | 92 DECComposed of 86% Merlot and 14% Cabernet Franc, the 2019 Puygueraud was harvested from the 27th of September to the 11th of October. Yields were 47 hectoliters per hectare this year. Medium to deep garnet-purple in color, it leaps from the glass with vibrant black cherries, crushed plums and black raspberry scents with hints of black truffles, fertile loam and wild thyme plus a hint of crushed rocks. The medium to full-bodied palate delivers loads of earth-laced black fruit layers with a seriously refreshing line and firm, chewy tannins, finishing on a compelling wild mushroom note. About 15,500 cases are anticipated to be made.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 89-91+ RPThis full Merlot from the far east of the Bordeaux vineyard, is suffused with ripe, smoothly textured dark fruits. It has a touch of spice at the end from the Cabernet Franc. Structured tannins come at the end.Wine Enthusiast | 90 WE

Château Canon has been taking off over the past few years, and here you see why. Just so much complexity, depth, power, interest in the whole thing. This buzzes with life, rises above the palate, full of gunsmoke, truffle, raspberry, blueberry, so delicious. | 100 JASleek, elegant and appealing even before you get your nose near the glass. Aromatically it is deep and rich, and then it revs up and takes off. Dense, compact and intense, zingy limestone vibrancy and grip. Winemakers say they are looking for balance all the time, but here you feel it, with tiny pulses of electricity that appear from beginning to end of the palate. Salinity on the finish with gunsmoke and extremely moreish blueberry and blackberry fruit, with a creamy texture as things open up. 50% new oak. Thomas Duclos consults. (Drink between 2028-2050)Decanter | 98 DECThe 2019 Canon is creamy and layered. A wine of immense charm and sensuality, the 2019 is immediately appealing today, but also clearly has the potential to age for many decades. The 2019 is not as exuberant as most recent vintages, and yet its balance is simply magnificent. Readers can expect an aristocratic Saint-Émilion that is holding so much in reserve. Patience is key. Tasted three times.Antonio Galloni | 98 AGThe 2019 Château Canon is another brilliant wine from this talented team that delivers everything you could want from this incredible terroir located on the upper limestone plateau. Based on 74% Merlot and 26% Cabernet Franc, it has a pure, incredibly refined, yet still powerful profile that takes time to unwind. Offering up beautiful notes of black raspberries, wild strawberries, spring flowers, chalky minerality, and graphite, it hits the palate with medium to full-bodied richness, a layered, multi-dimensional mouthfeel, ultra-fine tannins, and a finish that’s something to behold. This isn’t the massive style of the 2015 and reminds me slightly of the 2016. It’s perfectly balanced and, again, the purity and finesse are off the charts. It needs to be forgotten for 4-5 years and enjoyed over the following 2-3 decades. Hats off to Nicolas Audebert for another sensational wine.Jeb Dunnuck | 98 JDBlackberries, blueberries and dark chocolate with bark, mushrooms and chalk. Lavender, too. Full-bodied with firm tannins that are polished and velvety. White pepper, gesso and crushed stone. It’s full-bodied and layered with tightness and focus and a long finish. It’s solid and stalwart, as usual. Reminds me of the very special 1955. One for the cellar. Give this until 2026 to see what it really has.James Suckling | 97 JSThe 2019 Canon has turned out brilliantly in bottle, wafting from the glass with complex aromas of raspberries and red plums mingled with notions of raw cocoa, dark chocolate, pencil shavings and rose petals. Medium to full-bodied, seamless and multidimensional, it’s one of the most refined, elegant right bank wines of the vintage, with a deep core of fruit, beautifully refined tannins, lively acids and a long, perfumed finish. This is a superb achievement for Nicolas Audebert and his team.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 97 RPViolet, cassis, plum purée and blackberry reduction notes are layered together without being compacted, giving each space to breath and unfurl while letting the fine lacy thread of chalky minerality to flow in between. This shows the heat and slight grain of this distinctive vintage, but manages those aspects better than most. Merlot and Cabernet Franc. Best from 2025 through 2038.Wine Spectator | 95 WS

A serious, brooding nose, darkly seductive with touches of sweet oak and black berries. Alive and fruit forward on the palate but also quite linear and direct. The instant generosity of fruit flavours is really appealing, the mouth is filled with bright summer berry touches and the tannins are ample and supple coating the tongue yet this still has an aerial quality. Feels suave and charming - well worked with lots of precise details with such a minty fresh finish. Excellent ageing potential. Drinking Window 2025 - 2045.Decanter | 96 DECThe 2019 De Sales has a deep garnet-purple color, rolling effortlessly out of the glass with impressively intense baked cherries, plum preserves and fruitcake scents with nuances of potpourri, licorice, chocolate box and fragrant earth. The medium to full-bodied palate is chock-full of ripe, seductive black fruit preserves, framed by rounded tannins and seamless freshness, finishing long and perfumed.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 91-93 RPA combination of floral and earthy character here, with aromas of ripe dark and blue fruit and hints of licorice, nut shell and wet earth. Cigar box, too. Medium-bodied, chewy and lingering with bright, vibrant fruit. It has a firm, savory finish with hints of crushed stones. Very typical and true to its terroir. Try after 2024.James Suckling | 93 JSThis powerful wine with layers of new wood and dense black fruits is setting out for serious aging. It comes from one of the largest estates in Pomerol, less well known than it should be. Drink this wine that has great potential from 2026.Wine Enthusiast | 93 WEThe 2019 Château de Sales offers raspberry ripple and crushed strawberry on the pretty, if slightly straightforward nose. The palate is medium-bodied with light tannins and moderate depth. I would like to see more grip and complexity on the finish. A second bottle direct from the château showed a little more depth.Vinous Media | 88-90 VMA stylish, understated wine, featuring gentle cherry, raspberry, incense and savory notes that glide through easily, with the savory note lingering on the silky finish. Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon and Cabernet Franc. Drink now through 2028. 10,000 cases made, 1,500 cases imported. Wine Spectator | 90 WSA classic, fresher, elegant Pomerol from the vintage, the 2019 Château De Sales has a ruby hue as well as a pretty nose of red, black, and blue fruits intermixed with sappy herbs, flowers, and cedar pencil. Medium-bodied, elegant, very pretty, and lightly textured, I love its purity of fruit as well as its balance, although I’d like to have seen a touch more richness and depth. Drink bottles over the coming 10-12 years.Jeb Dunnuck | 90 JD

An utterly brilliant Pomerol and the finest wine from this estate to date, surpassing even the 2016, the 2019 Château La Conseillante checks in as 84% Merlot and 16% Cabernet Franc and was raised in 70% new French oak. A wine of incredible finesse, purity, and precision, its deep purple hue is following by an incredible array of blueberries, crème de cassis, spring flowers, damp earth, and violets. Flawlessly balanced, full-bodied, and concentrated on the palate, it has a beautiful mid-palate, ultra-fine, utterly seamless tannins, and a heavenly finish. It doesn’t have the sheer density or outright power of some of the other top Pomerols, but as I wrote in the barrel sample review, no one marries elegance with opulence as well as Conseillante. This magical Pomerol will take a decade to hit full maturity and will evolve for 30 years or more. This is haute couture at its absolute pinnacle, and as I wrote in the barrel review, hats off to Marielle Cazaux for producing one of the top wines of the vintage.Jeb Dunnuck | 100 JDThe 2019 La Conseillante is performing brilliantly and rivals the 2016 as Marielle Cazaux’s finest vintage at this leading Pomerol estate to date. Wafting from the glass with striking aromas of raspberries, plums, violets, raw cocoa, sweet soil tones and licorice, framed by a deftly integrated touch of classy new oak, it’s full-bodied, ample and enveloping, its broad attack segueing into a seamless, layered mid-palate that’s vibrant and concentrated, framed by powdery tannins and lively acids, before concluding with a long, saline finish.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 99 RPThe transparency and vibrancy here is impressive. From the very start it’s so aromatic, showing crushed-berry, dark-chocolate, coffee and cedar character. Full-bodied, yet tight and wonderfully tailored, with tannins that are fine-textured, but intense and so long, giving this wine great length. A joy to taste, but needs many years to soften and come together. Wonderful development here. Try after 2028.James Suckling | 99 JSThe 2019 La Conseillante is elegant and nuanced, just as it was from barrel. All of the freshness and energy that was present en primeur comes through in the bottle. There is an element of sophistication, of reserve, that needs time to be fully expressive. The 2019 is a wine of linear precision more than volume or density. It should age exquisitely for many years to come.Antonio Galloni | 98 AGVivid red pink in the glass with an expressive nose filled with softly fragrant red cherries, raspberries and purple flowers. This has a lovely texture and appeal straight away - it’s juicy and lively all the way through from start to finish but with a rich, mineral, wet stone core balanced by silky tannins. Detailed and graceful with presence and a satisfying weight on the tongue edged with lashings of black liquorice and slate. Star quality and such Pomerol glamour here with such a long finish. Lots of life ahead. A gorgeous wine. (Drink between 2030-2050)Decanter | 97 DEC95–97. Barrel Sample. While the wine is dense, there is a gentle richness here. It shows ripe tannins and soft black plum flavors. At the same time, the wine’s potential is obvious and powerful. It has balance, ripeness, structure and a fine future.Wine Enthusiast | 96 WE

Forest-fruit aromas of blackberries and strawberries with some bark and pine cone. Black licorice, too. Full-bodied and chewy with lots of fine tannins and a juicy finish. Traditional and fascinating. Drink after 2026.James Suckling | 95 JSThe 2019 La Pointe offers impressive clarity on the nose of perfumed red fruit, raspberry and cranberry intermingling with truffle and light crushed stone aromas. The palate is medium-bodied, taut and fresh, and quite saline, with fine-grained tannins and a cohesive and more sophisticated finish than any recent vintage. Maybe it just needs a little more persistence; otherwise, this is a top-notch La Pointe. Vinous Media | 94 VMRipe black cherries, hints of plums, damp earth, tobacco, and some floral notes all emerge from the 2019 Château La Pointe, a pure, elegant, seamless, medium to full-bodied Pomerol. I love its overall balance, the tannins are fine and polished, it has a great finish, and it’s going to cruise for 15-20 years in cold cellars.Jeb Dunnuck | 94 JDHigh toned and vibrant cherry and raspberry fruits on the nose. Polished on the palate, this is sleek and well worked with a core of rich, liquorice-edged strawberries and black cherries with a gorgeous minerality that comes across as wet stone and graphite. A strong, well built wine but presented delicately with refinement. Definite power here but also glamour and a vein of gently warming spice from start to finish that lingers on the tongue providing a dominant base for the fruit. (Drink between 2025-2045)Decanter | 94 DECPresents a tasty mix of juicy and gently mulled black cherry, blackberry and boysenberry flavors, laced with red tea and a twinge of iron through the focused finish. Merlot and Cabernet Franc. Drink now through 2032. 5,330 cases made. Wine Spectator | 91 WSThe 2019 La Pointe wafts from the glass with aromas of plums, raspberries, sweet spices, tobacco and licorice. Full-bodied, broad and fleshy, with velvety tannins, lively acids and a nicely defined if somewhat fleeting finish, it’s a succulent, giving Pomerol that will drink well with minimal bottle age.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 90 RP

The 2019 La Vieille Cure is just as fabulous from bottle as it was in barrel. Super-ripe red cherry, mocha, spice, new leather, licorice, tobacco and cedar are all dialed up in this decidedly flamboyant Fronsac. All the elements are so well balanced.Antonio Galloni | 93 AGA year-in, year-out best value, the 2019 Château La Vieille Cure is another winner from this château that does everything right. Revealing a deep ruby/purple hue as well as great aromatics of black cherries, tobacco leaf, spicy oak, and loamy earth, it’s medium to full-bodied, perfectly balanced, has silky tannins, and a great finish. It’s just an impeccably made, satisfying, classic Right Bank beauty to drink over the coming 10-12 years. Bravo!Jeb Dunnuck | 93 JDVibrant nose of wild raspberries, brambleberries, lemon zest, thyme and sandalwood. It’s medium-to full-bodied with firm, tight-grained tannins and bright acidity. Vibrant and fragrant. Firm yet elegant finish. Drink after 2024.James Suckling | 93 JSStylish, with crushed plum and lightly warmed cassis flavors infused gently with dark earth and tobacco accents, followed in the end by a hint of cast iron. Merlot, Cabernet Franc and Cabernet Sauvignon. Best from 2023 through 2032. 5,180 cases made, 500 cases imported.Wine Spectator | 92 WS

Baked-plum aromas., together with candied spices, earth, tobacco and light coffee, following through to a full body with firm yet polished tannins and a fresh, vivid finish. It really builds and shows loads of structure and intensity. Give it time to soften slightly, but the flavors and texture are already balanced and sophisticated. Classic style to this. The palate really builds. Try after 2026.James Suckling | 98 JSThe 2019 Larcis Ducasse is magnificent. Deep and beautifully layered, the 2019 offers tons of youthful resonance wrapped into a super-classic frame. There is a feeling of translucence here that is so beguiling. Sweet dark cherry, tobacco, cedar, menthol and dried flowers are some of the many aromas and flavors that take shape over time. Regal and refined, with an elegant, polished finish, Larcis is magnificent in 2019. Aging in equal parts barrique and 500L tonneaux (which are rare in Bordeaux) helps preserve vibrancy. Larcis Ducasse might be the single most under the radar wine in all of Bordeaux!Antonio Galloni | 96+ AGThe 2019 Larcis Ducasse has turned out beautifully, wafting from the glass with aromas of cherries, wild berries, burning embers, spices and licorice. Full-bodied, sumptuous and enveloping, with a fleshy core of fruit, ripe tannins and succulent acids, it’s a giving, generous wine that’s softer and rounder than Pavie Macquin, its stablemate. This beautiful vineyard, managed by Nicolas Thienpont, is located on the limestone slopes of Saint-Émilion, sandwiched between Pavie and Bellefont-Belcier.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 95 RPLushly layered with dark plum, fig and blackberry compote flavors, this is inlaid with singed alder and licorice root notes. Sports a burst of tobacco and warm earth hints through the finish, all while the fruit keeps pace. A lingering echo of violet is a sign of some buried purity as well. Merlot and Cabernet Franc. Best from 2025 through 2038.Wine Spectator | 94 WSMoving to the Grand Vin, the 2019 Château Larcis Ducasse sports a deep ruby/plum color as well as a reserved bouquet of ripe black cherries, leafy tobacco, graphite, and damp earth. Medium to full-bodied and nicely concentrated, with clean, ripe tannins, it’s holding things relatively close to its vest and is going to benefit from 5-7 years of bottle age. I don’t see it matching the greats from this estate, but it’s a beautiful wine. The blend is 88% Merlot and 12% Cabernet Franc, and there are just under 3,000 cases produced.Jeb Dunnuck | 94 JDCoffee and liquorice on the nose with some dark chocolate and black cherries. Wow, a deep, dark style here, majoring on liquorice but just gently spicy and quite savoury with some truffle and cedar notes. Really well defined, this has a lovely precision to it - you can feel the polish. Tannins are quite mouth filling and this feels like a fairly serious wine with so much potential. Potent is the word, with such a long lasting flavour. Needs time to come around but will be excellent. (Drink between 2025-2038)Decanter | 94 DECThe wine’s richness shows from the start with dense black tannins and great structure. It is a powerful wine, concentrated and full of potential. The black fruits are open, generous. Drink from 2026. ROGER VOSSWine Enthusiast | 94 WE

The 2019 Château Pavie is another beauty that offers more density and sexiness than just about every other wine in the vintage, yet it is still an unnecessarily restrained expression of this terroir, which is the fad in Bordeaux these days. Based on 50% Merlot, 32% Cabernet Franc, and 18% Cabernet Sauvignon that was brought up in 80% new French oak, this deep purple-hued effort has a great bouquet of ripe black cherries, darker currants, tobacco leaf, violets, and graphite, with a beautiful sense of minerality and salinity on the palate. Full-bodied, concentrated, and powerful, it has plenty of background oak, a deep, layered mid-palate, terrific tannins, and a great finish. It shows the more understated, elegant style of the vintage yet is still pure Pavie. Hide bottles for 5-7 years and enjoy over the following 30+.Jeb Dunnuck | 99 JDLots of blackberry and grilled meat with earth and spice. Some smoky undertones, too. Blackcurrants. Complex. Full-bodied with round, juicy tannins, yet they turn extremely fine and very linear and go on for minutes. Great length. A blend of 50% merlot, 32% cabernet franc and 18% cabernet sauvignon. Try after 2027, but already a joy to drink.James Suckling | 98 JS97–99. Barrel Sample. This wine has an aristocratic air. The tannins and fruit flavors are rich but not showy, indicating how this estate has found its stride. With its firm structure and bold black fruit tones, it is going to be a wine for long-term aging.Wine Enthusiast | 98 WEThe 2019 Pavie is incredibly elegant right out of the gate. Aromas of crushed rose petal, cedar, mint and sweet pipe tobacco are immediately alluring. The 2019 is sensual and inviting, with no excess weight and fabulous overall balance. Blood orange, red/purplish fruit, cinnamon and mint develop effortlessly. Time in the glass brings out Cabernet Franc aromatics and structure, leading to a feeling of vertical intensity that is hugely appealing.Antonio Galloni | 97 AGDreamy right from the start, with a seductive mouthfeel to its mix of raspberry puree, cassis and creamed plum flavors infused with rooibos tea, black licorice and alder accents. Long and extremely fine-grained through the finish, with subtle floral lift and a lingering hint of chalky minerality. Gorgeous. Merlot, Cabernet Franc and Cabernet Sauvignon. Best from 2025 through 2040. 8,000 cases made. Wine Spectator | 97 WSSuch an expressive nose, especially after five minutes, dark black bramble fruits with raisins and plums on the nose alongside touches of tobacco and coffee too. Quite refined on the palate, less upfront plump fruit and chewiness, more knitted and focussed with a juicy core yet still powerful, underlying and driving. It’s serious, muscular and strong, really a vein of direct fruit coated in wet stone minerality. I love the tension and acidity with the heady density of fruit and soft perfume around the edges. So much going on here. It’s a bold, confident style, but overall feels well made and purposeful. (Drink between 2026-2046)Decanter | 96 DECWhile the 2019 Pavie does display a touch more restraint that the wines produced here a decade ago, it remains one of the most powerful, extracted wines in all of Bordeaux, exhibiting a glass-staining, opaque purple-black color and a rich bouquet of cherries, blackberries and berry fruit liqueur mingled with sweet spices, loamy soil, licorice and rose petals. Full-bodied, powerful and muscular, it’s thick and textural, with a layered, multidimensional mid-palate laden with ripe fruit and rich, chewy tannins, concluding with a long, youthfully grippy finish. The evolution of the early Pese-era wines at age 20 leads me to suspect that time will be kind to this 2019, but couldn’t this great site—which naturally delivers elevated maturity combined with low pH—be rendered with more charm and sensuality?Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 94+ RP

Plum, mushroom and bark aromas with some wet earth. It’s medium-to full- bodied with round, medium-chewy tannins that are polished and creamy in nature. Vivacious tannins. Very young and delectable at the same time. Try after 2025.James Suckling | 96 JSSweet exotic spices on the nose, cinnamon, cumin, turmeric, sweet orange rind - it smells wonderful. Chalky tannins are at the fore right now alongside juicy blackcurrant fruit and soft salinity. Great freshness, the acidity is high, touching on mouth watering while the tannins come in to support and cool mint takes effect. There’s a real minerality to this also which gives a clean feeling to the finish. Each element feels well handled and presented, there’s lots going on. Fine, precise and focussed with just a touch of austerity that will soften in time. (Drink between 2027-2044)Decanter | 95 DECAttractive aromas of plums, currants and spices introduce the 2019 Petit Village, a medium to full-bodied, sumptuous and enveloping wine with a fleshy core of fruit, succulent acids and polished tannins. Gourmand and generous while remaining nicely balanced, this is a fine effort from an improving château.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 93 RPThe 2019 Petit-Village is soft, creamy and open-knit, all of which give it quite a bit of appeal. Succulent dark cherry, plum, licorice, spice and menthol are pushed forward in this decidedly open-knit, soft, Pomerol. The 2019 has come together quite well during élevage.Antonio Galloni | 93 AGBased on 75% Merlot and the rest Cabernet Franc and Cabernet Sauvignon, the 2019 Château Petit-Village offers a spicy, already complex, medium to full-bodied style to go with notes of mulled red and black fruits, cedary herbs, loamy earth, and chocolate. More restrained and elegant now from bottle than barrel, it’s still beautifully textured, has ripe, supple tannins, a great mid-palate, and one heck of a finish. It’s another awesome Pomerol to drink any time over the coming 15-20 years.Jeb Dunnuck | 93 JD

A rich, full and heady nose. On the palate there’s ripe blackcurrant, red cherries, raspberries and strawberries but also some mint, black pepper and truffle. Excellent precision and density with a seductive dark chocolate edge. Feels well handled with a sense of classicism. A powerful, muscular and confident wine, but with suppleness - this has density but also grace with a cooling finish comprising liquorice, mint and soft salinity. A great wine. (Drink between 2025-2047)Decanter | 97 DECThe 2019 Gazin has a convincing, perfumed nose of beautifully defined red fruit, light estuarine aromas, touches of crushed stone and even a hint of fig. The palate is medium-bodied with sappy red fruit. There is very good depth and substance here, and veins of dark chocolate and allspice toward the finish. The only minor quibble is that it needs a little more finesse. But it is a superb Gazin and a great Pomerol.Vinous Media | 95 VMA perfumed nose of mulberries, plums, chocolate orange and cloves. Hints of toffee, too. Medium-to full-bodied with firm, ripe tannins. Caressing, velvety and rich core of dark fruit. So supple and polished. 88.5% merlot, 7% cabernet sauvignon and 4.5% cabernet franc. Drink after 2024.James Suckling | 95 JSThe 2019 Gazin is a fleshy, dramatic wine that wafts from the glass with aromas of ripe berry fruit mingled with subtle hints of truffle and violets, its new oak already entirely integrated. Medium to full-bodied, velvety and seamless, it’s broad and textural, with lively acids, powdery tannins and fine length on the finish.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 94 RPWhile the 2019 Château Gazin isn’t going to match the 2018, it’s an elegant, solid Pomerol delivering spicy red and black cherry fruits, notes of cedary herbs and flowers, medium-bodied richness, silky yet building tannins, and a great finish. This elegant, nicely structured, balanced beauty will benefit from 3-5 years of bottle age and keep for 15-20 years.Jeb Dunnuck | 94 JD

The 2019 Fombrauge is one of the best wines I have tasted from this property in some time. It shows all the richness that is typical of Bernard Magrez’s style but with less heaviness and a good deal of aromatic presence that helps balance things out. Sweet dark cherry, chocolate, leather, licorice and mocha build into the resonant, super-expressive finish. The 2019 is a classy Fombrauge.Antonio Galloni | 94 AGThe 2019 Château Fombrauge is terrific and has a good mix of richness, concentration, and elegance. Giving up notes of mulled ripe cherries, Asian spices, blackberries, tobacco, and cedar pencil on the nose, it hits the palate with medium to full-bodied richness, a seamless, layered, pure mouthfeel, ripe tannins, and just beautiful overall balance. It’s already drinking beautifully today yet will evolve positively for 5-7 years and hold for another 15-20 years. It’s another brilliant Saint-Emilion in the vintage. This seemed more modern and polished from barrel but shows a very classic style now from bottle.Jeb Dunnuck | 94+ JDWhile this wine is tightly structured, it also has plenty of generous black fruits that give succulent ripeness. The wine should certainly age well.Wine Enthusiast | 94 WEThis rolls through with a cashmere grace, offering cassis, steeped plum and blackberry purée flavors infused with black tea and incense notes. A late alder thread keeps this nicely grounded. Suave. Merlot and Cabernet Franc. Best from 2023 through 2035. 23,000 cases made.Wine Spectator | 93 WSPerfumed nose of dried flowers, sandalwood, pine cones, currants, cassis, cloves, walnuts and spiced plums. It’s medium-to full-bodied with polished, ripe and creamy tannins. Plush and velvety with a supple, fresh finish. Drink from 2024.James Suckling | 93 JSFull, rich and ripe nose. This is heady with great drive and definition, a full, bold style with tannins and mouth watering acidity taking the fore right now leaving some astringency on the palate still. There is generous and ripe fruit - cherries, figs, blackcurrants underneath the tannins and a lovely fresh mint tone as well as liquorice to it but it needs at least a few years to soften and integrate. The length is impressive and overall it’s well structured suggesting a long life ahead. Drinking Window 2025 - 2038.Decanter | 92 DECThe 2019 Fombrauge exhibits rich aromas of cherries, dark chocolate, plum preserve, licorice and new oak, followed by a full-bodied, rich and fleshy palate that’s soft and fleshy, with a sweet core of fruit, ripe acids and rich, powdery tannins. This is a generous, front-loaded Saint-Émilion from Bernard Magrez.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 90 RP

The 2019 Château Nenin is truly fantastic, and my money is on it being the finest vintage to date for this estate. Based on 70% Merlot and 30% Cabernet Franc brought up in just 45% new French oak, it offers a pure, medium-bodied, ethereal style carrying gorgeous red and black fruits, spring flowers, damp earth, and chocolate aromas and flavors. It’s not a blockbuster and is all about purity, finesse, and elegance, yet it still brings beautiful richness and length. This gorgeous, seamless 2019 will drink well for 20-25 years.Jeb Dunnuck | 96 JDPerfumed nose of crushed stones, blackberries and violets. Medium-to full-bodied with very fine tannins and fresh, minerally undertones. So long, showing bitter chocolate that turns to hazelnut and cocoa bean. Tight and precise at the end. 70% merlot and 30% cabernet franc. Try after 2025.James Suckling | 95 JSThe layers of fruit come through strongly on the nose. Plum and raspberry richness wrapped up with raspberry leaf and sage, this just gently tiptoes through the palate. Extraction is careful and delicate and yet there is a lot of power. This is always a Left Bank style of Pomerol giving a restrained savoury feel with freshness and classicism. Opens slowly in the glass and needs time over ageing. In the cellar, they cut the extraction time down by half compared to 2018, because the skins were so thick. 40% new oak. (Drink between 2026-2040)Decanter | 94 DECThe 2019 Nénin has turned out very well. A burst of red berry fruit, blood orange, mint, sweet spice and floral accents gives Nénin its effusive, charming personality. Best of all, the 2019 will be easy to drink pretty much upon release. All the elements are impeccably balanced throughout.Antonio Galloni | 93 AGA Merlot-dominant blend complemented by 30% Cabernet Franc, the 2019 Nenin offers up notes of sweet berries and plums framed by creamy new oak. Medium to full-bodied, supple and fleshy, it’s rich and enveloping, with an ample core of fruit and supple structuring tannins. Four hectares on gravel soils adjacent to Trotanoy lend structure, but the 2019 is so polished out of the gates that it might be easy to miss it.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 92 RP91–93. Barrel Sample. This Pomerol estate, owned by Domaines Delon, has produced a structured, dense wine, dominated by 70% Merlot. Rich tannins and black currant fruits are knit together by the wood aging that shows in the spiciness. The wine’s core of tannins is sure to give it aging potential. Wine Enthusiast | 92 WEDelivers warm plum sauce and blackberry reduction flavors that cruise through, with a velvety structure and a finish marked by licorice root and anise accents. A solid, forthright Pomerol. Merlot and Cabernet Franc. Best from 2023 through 2035. — JMWine Spectator | 91 WS

A terrific effort from this large and immaculately maintained property on the clay-limestone slopes of the Côtes de Castillon, the 2019 d’Aiguilhe exhibits aromas of cherries and cassis mingled with notions of burning embers, licorice and warm spices. Medium to full-bodied, layered and concentrated, with lively acids, powdery tannins and a mineral finish, it’s intelligently matured in tank and large-format oak as well as small barriques.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 92 RPThe 2019 d’Aiguilhe has a really lovely bouquet of ample black cherry, mulberry and light floral scents, very pure and delineated. The palate is medium-bodied with cedar-infused red fruit. While not as exuberant as the aromatics, this is nicely detailed and quite poised on the finish. No, I still cannot pronounce its name, but this Castillon Côtes de Bordeaux is well worth seeking out.Vinous Media | 92 VMBlack cherries, spicy oak, chalky minerality, and hints of white truffle all emerge from the 2019 Château D’Aiguilhe, an elegant, beautifully balanced, seamless 2019 from the Castillon region. It has plenty of ripeness, medium body, present tannins, and the balance and class to keep for 10-15 years.Jeb Dunnuck | 92 JDBrilliant wine maintaining clear grip from start to finish, powerful black fruits with a silky smooth texture. Clear austerity with fresh acidities, this is mouthwatering on the finish and totally moreish. (Drink between 2023-2036)Decanter | 92 DECAromas of ripe blackberries, grilled plums, tobacco and dark chocolate. It’s medium-bodied with firm, chewy tannins. Compact and structured. Drink after 2024.James Suckling | 92 JSRestrained but with good inner juiciness to its plum and cassis notes, while red licorice and red tea hints chime through. Shows a subtle chalky minerality that lengthens the finish. Merlot and Cabernet Franc. Drink now through 2026. 26,540 cases made, 2,200 cases imported. Wine Spectator | 90 WS

The 2019 Château Clinet is brilliant stuff and another classic Pomerol from the talented Ronan Laborde. Deep purple-hued, with awesome notes of crème de cassis, mulberries, tobacco leaf, chocolate, and damp earth, it hits the palate with full-bodied richness, a round, seamless mouthfeel, and gorgeous tannins. It delivers that rare mix of elegance and sexiness that only Pomerol can. It needed plenty of air to show at its best and needs a good 4-6 years of bottle age, but it’s going to evolve for 20-25 years or more. I love everything about this wine, and it’s certainly in the same ballpark as the 2015, 2016, and 2018. And it remains incredibly well-priced given the quality. Don’t miss it.Jeb Dunnuck | 98 JDA full-bodied Pomerol with dark-fruit, coconut, chocolate and hazelnut character on both the nose and palate. Fine-tannined with an intensely tight and chewy texture. Spice at the end. Very flavorful and muscular, yet it’s balanced and precise with well-toned form. Needs five or six years to resolve. Try after 2027.James Suckling | 98 JSThe 2019 Clinet is showing beautifully in bottle, wafting from the glass with aromas of plums, cherries and berries mingled with hints of violets, licorice, subtle spices and smoke. Full-bodied, sensual and velvety, it’s seamless and vibrant, with lively acids, ripe tannins and a long, resonant finish. This precise, concentrated wine is the finest young Clinet I’ve ever tasted, and it exemplifies the tremendous progress that Ronan Laborde has made at this estate over the last decade.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 97 RPSo seductive and heady on the nose, depth and layers of aroma, really quite captivating, luring you in. Excellent tension and clarity on the palate while also having a plump and fruity core and a softly voluptuous mouthfeel. There is an undercurrent of fresh minerality giving a sense of linearity and precision with juicy, ripe, fragranced fruit filling the palate giving body and weight so you get this push pull interplay of cool, wet stone grip and playful yet dark and seductive fruit. Tannins are ripe and supportive again giving structure but not too much weight. Such Pomerol glamour on show in the best way. It’s a dark style, one where you feel the ripeness and the alcohol a touch on the finish but well packaged and presented. I really love it. Drinking Window: 2026 - 2046Decanter | 97 DECThe 2019 Clinet is fabulous, just as it was in barrel. A wine of substance and depth, the 2019 has a sense of poise that is so appealing. Crushed flowers, spice, menthol and dried herbs add pretty savory top notes. The 2019 is impeccable from start to finish.Antonio Galloni | 95 AGOffers the lush, dark, warm fruit profile of the vintage, with crushed plum, blackberry puree and black cherry reduction flavors, all without the toothy, baked hints that mark many of its AOC peers. Glides through with refinement and grace on the finish, which is laced with black tea and incense. Merlot and Cabernet Sauvignon. Best from 2024 through 2036. 4,125 cases made, 800 cases imported.Wine Spectator | 93 WS

Almost all Merlot, the 2019 Château Franc Mayne is a ripe, beautifully textured 2019 that does incredibly well in the vintage. Giving up lots of ripe black fruits, tobacco leaf, chocolate, and floral notes, it hits the palate with medium to full-bodied richness, the vintage’s pure, elegant texture, building tannins, and plenty of classic chalky minerality on the finish. It’s beautifully done. This estate has played on a different level starting in 2018, and these wines deserve your attention!Jeb Dunnuck | 94 JDThe 2019 Franc Mayne is a real head-turner. Ample and full bodied, Franc Mayne brings tons of black cherry/plum fruit, espresso, chocolate and licorice to the fore. The 2019 is sumptuous and exotic, with tons of intensity, with all the elements impeccably put together. It’s a terrific Franc Mayne.Antonio Galloni | 93 AGGorgeously rich, medium to full intensity in colour with plum fruit on the attack. This has extremely well judged balance between the exuberant fruit that Franc Mayne has as its signature and a more restrained supple frame in its tannins and lift. A really enjoyable wine, one of my favourites at this property. Winemaker Sophie Mage joined in 2018 from Frederic Engerer’s Rhône estate Fortboneau. Thomas Duclos new consultant also since last year. A yield of 43hl/ha.Decanter | 93 DECA fragrant nose of plums, dark cherries, blackcurrants, violets, bark and spice box. It’s full-bodied with fine tannins. Balanced and velvety with a caressing texture. Plush and layered. 100% merlot. Drink after 2024.James Suckling | 93 JSThe 2019 Franc-Mayne is supple and charming, wafting from the glass with aromas of sweet cherry and berry fruit mingled with hints of cocoa nib, warm spices and vanilla pod. Medium to full-bodied, broad and velvety, with ripe tannins and succulent acids, it’s a generous, polished wine that will drink well with minimal bottle age. From a site next to Beau-Séjour Bécot that spans the limestone plateau, the slope and sandy clay below, it’s 100% Merlot, but Cabernet Franc has been replanted and will soon contribute to the assemblage.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 92 RPMade entirely from Merlot, this is rich in vibrant black fruits. Spice and plenty of dark tannins are there to backup to what is going to be a full-bodied wine for medium-term aging.Wine Enthusiast | 92 WE

Lovely soft spicing on the nose, liquorice touches and bramble fruits - gorgeous aromatics on show. Excellent clarity on the palate, this has a silky smooth texture with bright fruit flavours. Extremely youthful and brimming with energy. Fruit forward with cherry and cherry stone nuances. Really quite playful in the best way with charming fragrant touches from start to finish, - 2019 was the ’year of perfume’ according to Alexandre Thienpont. So much to like here.Decanter | 94 DECThe 2019 La Gravette De Certan is a solid second wine offering plenty of up-front richness and suppleness as well as classic Pomerol darker cherry and currant fruits, notes of damp earth, tobacco, and hints of flowers, beautiful balance, and enough ripe tannins to keep it drinking well for over a decade. I’d be thrilled with a bottle on the table.Jeb Dunnuck | 93 JDThe 2019 La Gravette de Certan, 100% Merlot, is deep garnet-purple in color. It races out with bright, expressive notions of black cherries, raspberry preserves, and fresh plums with hints of crushed rocks and black olives. The full-bodied palate delivers a lively backbone and nice ripe, approachable tannins with a lifted finish.The Wine Independent | 93 TWIThe 2019 La Gravette de Certan is a fleshy, charming wine, bursting with aromas of cherries, minty blackberries and licorice. Medium to full-bodied, ample and giving, it’s sensual and succulent, with an enveloping core of fruit, supple tannins and lively acids. It’s entirely composed of Merlot this year and largely derived from vines planted in 2010, supplemented by a plot planted in 1998.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 92 RP

Lovely intensity on the nose, rich and dark with blackcurrants and some wonderfully attractive floral aromas. Excellent follow through on the palate, this is direct and precise with a good drive of black fruit flavours into a long finish. Fresh acidity underpins the fruit and there is an appealing undercurrent of minerality that is so refreshing. Liquorice spice marks the finish with a touch of dryness from the acidity. A lovely impactful wine with a flavour that goes on and on. Sophisticated, sculpted and well defined. Drinking Window 2027 - 2044.Decanter | 95 DECA riper, richer wine in the vintage, the 2019 Château Bellevue offers up lots of blackberry and currant-like fruits as well as spicy oak, chocolate, and chalky minerality. Medium to full-bodied on the palate, it has ripe, polished tannins, shows the purity of the vintage, and just has loads of character. I like this today, but it should evolve positively over the coming 4-5 years and hold at a plateau for 15+.Jeb Dunnuck | 94 JDSweet berries and flowers, such as violets and lavender. Medium-to full-bodied with firm, creamy tannins and a long, caressing finish. Really polished. Drink after 2024.James Suckling | 93 JSThe 2019 Bellevue is super-distinctive. It offers a striking combination of rich, deep fruit mixed with the intense mineral notes that are such a signature of this cool micro-climate. That makes for a fascinating Saint-Émilion full of intrigue. Red cherry, sage, chalk, dried flowers and white pepper punctuate this decidedly bright, chiseled Saint-Émilion.Antonio Galloni | 93 AGUnfurling in the glass with aromas of crème de cassis, sweet spices, loamy soil and creamy new oak, the 2019 Bellevue is medium to full-bodied, lively and tensile, with a bright spine of acidity and long, mineral finish. It will likely flesh out with a bit of bottle age.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 91+ RP

One of the unequivocally great wines of the vintage is the 2019 Cheval Blanc, a stunning young Saint-Émilion that wafts from the glass with aromas of wild berries and plums mingled with notions of lilac, pipe tobacco, violets, raw cocoa, licorice, crushed mint and burning embers. Full-bodied, layered and enveloping, it’s deep and intense, with beautifully rich, powdery tannins and vibrant flavors. Concluding with a long, saline finish, this rivals the 2016 as the finest Cheval Blanc of the decade, and in many respects it might be thought of as the latter vintage’s sun-kissed cousin. Bravo to Pierre-Olivier Clouet and his team!Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 100 RPThe 2019 Cheval Blanc is a stunning, riveting wine. There is simply nothing like a great Cheval in all of Bordeaux. Soaring aromatics are immediately alluring. Bright red-toned fruit, blood orange, cinnamon, espresso and dried herbs build in a Cheval that possesses tremendous layers and exceptional balance. Clean, mineral notes lend tension and drive. The 2019 is a bit strict today and not ready to show all its cards, but it is very clearly a special, special wine in the making. In 2019, the Grand Vin represents 82.5% of the estate’s production, a very high amount by any measure. I wouldn’t dream of touching a bottle anytime soon. The 2019 is an eternal Cheval Blanc.Antonio Galloni | 100 AGBlackcurrants, cassis, graphite and earth on the nose, then changing to roses, violets and berries. Full-bodied with incredible energy of fine tannins and lively acidity. It grows on the palate and escalates to the summit of perfect wine. Very powerful at the end. Holding back and a great finish. Quantity and quality. Menthol. Cool. One of the greatest young Cheval Blancs I have ever tasted. 58% merlot, 34% cabernet franc and 8% cabernet sauvignon. Great finish. Give it time. Try after 2028.James Suckling | 100 JSReminding me slightly of the 1990, the 2019 Château Cheval Blanc is a brilliant, brilliant wine from this estate that’s up there with the true greats. It shows the purity, finesse, and elegance of the vintage beautifully yet backs it up with density, concentration, and depth, revealing a stunning nose of red and black currants, tobacco leaf, new saddle leather, and spring flowers, with absolutely perfect ripeness. As complex and nuanced as only Cheval Blanc can be, even at this young age, it hits the palate with full-bodied richness, abundant opulence, fat, and sweetness, polished tannins, and a gorgeous finish. It’s almost in a class all its own. It deserves at least 5-7 years of bottle age and will shine for 30+ years. Hats off to Pierre-Olivier Clouet, who continues to keep this estate at the top of the pyramid in Saint-Emilion!Jeb Dunnuck | 99 JDA sexy, direct and precise Cheval with a seriously expressive nose of dark chocolate, blackcurrants and perfumed red cherries. The palate starts off slow and delicate and builds in the mouth, gaining in character and intensity. The acidity is more marked after a few sips, mouthwatering and juicy, giving the palate real life and verve as the generous fruit flavours come into play, a lovely strawberry and raspberry vein with some mint notes all the way through giving such freshness and cooling sensations in the mouth, while soft tannins balanced by acidity give length and direction. Real weight and depth but also delicacy – concentration and restraint – lift, but such coolness. A sensational wine with pure energy. Cheval, 58% Merlot, 34% Cabernet Franc, 8% Cabernet Sauvignon. Drinking Window: 2030 - 2050Decanter | 99 DECThis has loads of dark currant, fig and blackberry preserve notes that are supported by dense waves of loam and warm gravel, all hallmarks of the 2019 growing season. But there’s an extra dimension here, thanks to its remarkably lush and fine-grained texture, with endless ripples of tobacco, bay and singled sandalwood and balsam wood through the finish. In the end, it’s the combination of power, refinement and expressing an essentially unharnessable vintage that sets this red apart from the pack. Merlot, Cabernet Franc and Cabernet Sauvignon. Best from 2025 through 2045. 10,000 cases made.Wine Spectator | 97 WSThe wine has power. It is dense but with such concentration along with a fine perfumed character from the Cabernet Franc in the blend. The wine’s richness is impressive while leaving plenty of room for fruit. This fine wine will age well. Drink from 2026.Wine Enthusiast | 97 WE

Powerful and explosive in the glass, the 2019 Clos de l’Oratoire possesses tremendous depth and density from start to finish. Black cherry, chocolate, licorice, spice, menthol and lavender are all amplified in this potent, structured Saint-Émilion. Give it a few years to soften. Antonio Galloni | 94 AGAromas of blackberries, blackcurrants, plum leaves, violets and bitter chocolate. Medium-to full-bodied with firm, compact tannins. Very solid with a dense core of dark fruit. Chewy finish. Try in 2026.James Suckling | 94 JSStephan von Neipperg’s 2019 Clos de l’Oratoire has turned out very nicely in bottle, opening in the glass to reveal aromas of sweet wild berries, cherries, loamy soil and raw cocoa. Medium to full-bodied, ample and fleshy, it’s broad and succulent, with lively acids, powdery tannins and a nicely defined finish. It’s produced from holdings on sandy-clay soils in the northeast of Saint-Émilion.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 93 RPSweetened and silky berry fruits, lovely combination of juice and tension alongside firm tannins and a confident overall feel. Impressive stuff from Neipperg at this rather under-the-radar classified estate. Drinking Window 2024 - 2038.Decanter | 93 DECShows steeped red and black currant fruit that mingles with tobacco, worn cedar and savory notes, with a streak of warm cast iron through the finish. Slightly rustic in feel but has character and range, with good energy throughout. Merlot and Cabernet Franc. Best from 2023 through 2035. 4,600 cases made, 400 cases imported.Wine Spectator | 92 WSRipe black fruit (there’s some red fruit as well), tobacco leaf, damp earth, exotic flowers, and some chocolaty notes all emerge from the 2019 Clos De L’Oratoire, another beautiful wine from the Neipperg family and team. Rich, medium to full-bodied, and seamless on the palate, I love its mid-palate, it has gorgeous tannins, no hard edges, and a great finish. This is clearly a great vintage for this cuvée. Hide bottles for 4-5 years, and it’s going to have 2-3 decades of longevity, and probably a gradual decline after that as well. It’s beautiful.Jeb Dunnuck | 91 JD

I continue to love the wines from this château. The 2019 Château Chauvin shows an impeccably balanced, elegant, yet still concentrated style that’s well worth seeking out. Mostly Merlot (there’s some Cabernet Franc as well as a tiny amount of Cabernet Sauvignon), its deep purple hue is followed by a clean, pure, medium to full-bodied wine offering classic ripe darker cherry and currant fruits as well as spicy oak, chalky minerality, and hints of tobacco. It’s still closed and reserved today, yet the balance is spot on, it has beautifully ripe tannins, and a great mid-palate. It’s going to benefit from 4-5 years of bottle age and have at least two decades of prime drinking. It’s wonderful stuff.Jeb Dunnuck | 94+ JDExtremely aromatic with chalk and dried flowers, as well as blackberries and blueberries. It’s medium-to full-bodied with a steady layer of medium, round and chewy tannins and a long, spicy finish of white pepper and dark fruit. Try after 2026.James Suckling | 94 JSThe 2019 Chauvin has a lovely bouquet of pretty brambly red fruit, rose petal and light sous-bois aromas, fragrant and floral. The palate is medium-bodied, crisp and taut, quite classic in style, with fine tannins and a structured, off-dry finish. Give this 3–5 years in bottle because there is a lot of substance here.Vinous Media | 93 VMHigh toned cherry fruit on the nose, smells lively. Lovely purity on the palate and also some perfumed aspects which I really like. Nice solid core of flavour - elegant and refined. Textured almost like chewing grape skins with the dryness but also the flavour at the same time. Good overall impression and one for earlier approachability. Drinking Window 2023 - 2041.Decanter | 93 DECA ripe, fruity and smoky wine, this is a solid example of this vintage. The black fruits are open and luscious, giving juicy berry flavors. The tannins lurk underneath where lies the power and aging potential. This Sylvie Cazes wine is all set for medium-term aging.Wine Enthusiast | 92 WEA success from proprietor Sylvie Cazes, the 2019 Chauvin delivers aromas of rich berries and plums mingled with hints of sweet spices and dark chocolate. Medium to full-bodied, lively and seamless, it’s layered and nicely concentrated, with bright acids and powdery tannins. This will merit a bit of patience.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 91+ RP

The 2019 Côte de Baleau is classy, super-polished and ready to offer pleasure. Bright floral and spice accents lead into a core of sweet red/purplish berry fruit, spice, mocha, tobacco, licorice and incense. The 2019 has gained a bit of weight in élevage, but it remains gracious and understated in bearing. I loved it.Antonio Galloni | 93 AGThe 2019 Château Côte De Baleau shows beautifully, with lots of spicy red and black fruits, subtle background oak, medium to full body, and a great finish. I loved the 2016 and 2018, and this is certainly in the same ballpark.Jeb Dunnuck | 91-93 JDDisplaying an opaque purple color, the 2019 Cote de Baleau bursts with plum preserves, baked blackberries and blueberry pie scents plus nuances of mocha, bouquet garni, tapenade and woodsmoke. The medium to full-bodied palate is coated with rich, dark fruits and oodles of freshness, framed by plush tannins and finishing on a lingering aniseed note.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 89-91+ RPPine needles, bark, potpourri, blackberries and currants on the nose. It’s medium-bodied with tight, chewy tannins. Fleshy, textured finish. Try after 2024.James Suckling | 91 JSAustere attack to the wine, with cassis and blueberry fruits that show salinity and mouthwatering qualities but also the flipside of pronounced acidity. This has plenty of life ahead, with a texture that softens as the charred oak adds sweetness and width. Owned by the Cuvelier family with Michel Rolland as consultant. (Drink between 2025-2040)Decanter | 90 DEC

The 2019 Clos Fourtet is positively stellar, just as it was from barrel. It presents a beguiling mix of dense, plush fruit packed into a classically structure frame. The first impression is one of opulence, until the minerality of Saint-Émilion’s famed plateau begins to emerge. Black cherry, plum, leather, exotic spice, licorice and blood orange build into the statuesque, explosive finish. The 2019 is a magnificent effort from the Cuvelier family and long time consulting winemaker Stephane Derenoncourt.Antonio Galloni | 97 AGThe 2019 Château Clos Fourtet is another gem from the Right Bank that delivers the goods. From the upper, limestone plateau and always a bigger, richer wine than its neighbors (Canon, Beau-Séjour Bécot), it still shows incredible minerality and limestone character in its deep black cherry, currant, and mulberry fruits as well as scorched earth, chalky minerality, roasted herb, licorice, and white flower-like aromas and flavors. Rich, full-bodied, concentrated, and structured on the palate, it’s flawlessly balanced, has ripe, broad, building tannins, an expansive mouthfeel, and a great, great finish. It needs a decade of bottle age, but it’s truly brilliant stuff.Jeb Dunnuck | 97+ JDDeliciously seductive nose, heady! Crystalline texture and purity here with a pulsing drive from start to finish. The fruit is super glossy and shiny, it feels precise and purposeful with blackcurrant and black cherries at the fore. Tannins are well integrated, just perceptible giving a nice weight and frame to the palate. Succulent and sophisticated. (Drink between 2025-2045)Decanter | 97 DECThis is a ripe and structured wine that has a dense structure and concentrated blackberry fruit, yet it still shows the freshness typical of the vintage. It has an excellent long-term aging potential. Wine Enthusiast | 97 WEAttractive aromas of wild berries, pencil shavings, vine smoke, black truffle and violets introduce the 2019 Clos Fourtet, a medium to full-bodied, deep and seamless wine with a concentrated core of fruit, beautifully refined tannins and lively acids, concluding with a long, saline finish. Elegant and complete, this is a brilliant wine from this 19-hectare vineyard situated on the limestone plateau of Saint-Émilion, just outside the village, which has been on a qualitative roll since the 2001 vintage.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 96+ RPLots of purple fruit with white pepper and crushed stones in the nose. It’s full-bodied, yet tight and poised with a very chalky and salty undertone to the purple fruit. Flavorful finish. Linear and long. Try after 2026.James Suckling | 96 JSThere’s ample dark cherry, plum and boysenberry compote flavors in this red, along with a rare hint of brightness for the vintage. Licorice root and applewood accents fill in through the finish, while an underlying chalky minerality gives this additional form as well. Very solid. Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon and Cabernet Franc. Best from 2025 through 2038. 3,500 cases made, 500 cases imported. Wine Spectator | 95 WS

The 2019 Faugères is one of the most elegant wines I have ever tasted from Silvio Denz’s Saint-Émilion estate. Silky, aromatic and super-expressive, Faugères is absolutely exquisite. Crushed red berry fruit, mint, dried flowers and cinnamon are some of the many nuances that open in the glass. There is plenty of the textural richness readers have come to expect over the years, but the 2019 is less over the top than some previous vintages. And that’s a good thing.Antonio Galloni | 95 AGA full-bodied red with fine tannins and plenty of plum, milk-chocolate and walnut aromas and flavors. It’s creamy and attractively textured. Rather flamboyant for the vintage. Generous and formed. Drink after 2024.James Suckling | 95 JSBroad and extracted in feel, this pushes dark fig, black currant and bitter plum paste flavors to the fore, along with notes of espresso crema, alder and vanilla. Stays rich yet focused through the finish, leaving a lightly toothy echo at the end. Merlot, Cabernet Franc and Cabernet Sauvignon. Best from 2024 through 2037. 10,800 cases made.Wine Spectator | 93 WSI always love this wine, and the 2019 Château Faugères is no exception. A big, pleasure-bent beauty, it’s loaded with darker, chocolaty fruit as well as leafy herbs and some classic Saint-Emilion chalkiness and rocky mineral notes. More spice, tobacco, and leather notes emerge with time in the glass, and it’s medium to full-bodied, has a plush, sexy, rounded texture, no hard edges, and a great finish. It’s a beautiful Saint-Emilion to enjoy over the coming 10-15 years.Jeb Dunnuck | 93 JDLovely perfumed cherries on the nose, so aromatic and pleasing. This is upfront and juicy straight from the get go, with real purity of juice, crystal clean and bright. Tannins are fine and firm, supportive, but it’s the red cherries and strawberries taking centre stage while the oak edges and cinnamon spice come in after a minute or so alongside some dark chocolate notes adding structure and complexity. Perhaps needs a little longer to meld together a bit more but this is lively and fun. (Drink between 2025-2036)Decanter | 93 DEC

The 2019 Grand Mayne has a beautifully defined, pure bouquet of black cherry, blueberry, crushed violet and mineral aromas. The harmonious palate is medium-bodied with fine definition, crisp acidity and touches of dark chocolate toward the finish, which displays both power and elegance. This is a superb Grand Mayne courtesy of Jean-Antoine Nony.Vinous Media | 95 VMThe 2019 Château Grand Mayne showed brilliantly. Very much in the more elegant, classic style of the vintage, it’s medium to full-bodied and straight and focused on the palate, yet brings plenty of mid-palate depth as well as ripe, polished tannins. Black cherries, new leather, dried herbs, and Asian spice notes all define the bouquet, and this is going to benefit from 3-5 years of bottle age and keep for two decades.Jeb Dunnuck | 94 JDIntense and full of character on the nose. Excellent energy here - the fruit is bright and upfront though gets a little overwhelmed by the supple tannins that come in almost straight away. You can feel the liquorice and dark chocolate edges to the black fruit which give the overall frame texture and depth and it has freshness throughout. Just needs time to soften. Drinking Window: 2024 - 2038Decanter | 92 DECThis estate’s proprietor, Jean-Antoine Nony, is a passionate wine lover with a fine palate, so when he asked me to revisit the 2019 Grand Mayne, I was happy to oblige his request. Offering up notions of sweet black fruits and blueberry preserve framed by a generous application of creamy, spicy new oak, the wine is full-bodied, rich and textural, with a lavish core of ripe fruit, impressively lively acids and a long, vanillin-laden finish where powdery tannins assert themselves much more gently than was the case six months ago. While it is indeed somewhat less extracted than I had perceived, it remains somewhat jammy and creamy, and even if it’s a well-made effort in this style, I can’t help but think that the site could deliver more.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 91 RP