2019 St. Emilion in Bottle Tasting Report, Buying Guide, Pt 2

0

As we mentioned previously because we tasted so many 2019 Saint Emilion wines, our coverage needed to be divided into 3 articles. This is 2019 St. Emilion Part 2 which covers all the best wines of the vintage, H-M.

For the other 2019 Saint Emilion wines, please read part 1, 2019 St. Emilion Wines A-G and Part 3 concludes with all the best 2019 St. Emilion Wines N-Z

For a review of the vintage conditions or to look at tasting notes and ratings for more than 750 wines The Complete Guide To all the Best 2019 Bordeaux Wines

All of the following 2019 Saint Emilion wines were tasted at my office in non-blind tasting conditions.

2019 Haut Brisson – I like how they backed off the oak, allowing more of the sweet, red cherries and herbs to shine. Medium-bodied, fresh, soft and just about ready to go, you can already enjoy the layers of ripe plums and black raspberries with finishing touches of espresso and chocolate in the endnote. Give it a year or two in the cellar and it will be even better. Drink from 2024-2033. 92 Pts

2019 Haut Veyrac – Dried flowers, roses, spicy red fruits with hints of savory herbs fill the perfume. On the palate, the wine is soft, fresh and loaded with sweet, ripe, lifted, fresh red fruits and silky tannins that linger. This should be quite nice for at least 12 years. Drink from 2022-2032. 91 Pts

2019 Haut-Sarpe – Medium-bodied, bright, vibrant, fresh and silky with a liberal dose of crushed rocks and stones to come along with the wines sweet, lively, polished, red fruits and salty tannins. Showing much better in the bottle than it did in barrel, this should age and evolve quite nicely. Give it a year or two in the bottle to age and it is going to be even better. Drink from 2024-2037. 92 Pts

2019 Jean Faure – With a nose packed with roasted nuts, espresso, truffle, flowers and dark red fruits, the wine is even better on the palate with its layers of ripe, sweet, silky-textured, red fruits. Soft, polished, fresh and fruity, you can drink this early, or age it for more secondary development. Drink from 2023-2035 92 Pts

2019 L’Eclat de Valentin – Chocolate covered cherries and plums with wet earth and licorice on the nose. On the palate, the wine is medium-bodied, soft, fresh, round and loaded with sweet, ripe, elegant red fruits along with a touch of savory herbs in the finish. This is quite nice now and with a year or two in the cellar, it will be even better. Drink from 2023-2034. 90 Pts

2019 La Commanderie – Roses, tobacco, herbs, forest floor, thyme and cherries permeate the perfume. On the palate, the wine is medium-bodied, fresh, sweet and vibrant with a polished, soft, black cherry and cocoa tinged, savory finish. Give this just a bit of time in the cellar and it will be even better. Drink from 2022-2034. 91 Pts

2019 La Confession – Flowers, smoke, licorice, espresso, and red cherries create the nose and palate. Round, soft, polished and fresh, with freshness, length and loads of sweet fruits on the palate and in the mineralistic finish, you can enjoy with just a few years of bottle age. Drink from 2024-2036. 93 Pts

2019 La Croix Younan – A bit oaky at the moment, so give it bit of time to better integrate, which will allow you to enjoy all the supple textured, fresh, lively red fruits on the nose and on the palate. 89 Pts

2019 La Croizille – Chocolate coated cherries, espresso, spice and fennel come through on the nose and medium-bodied, fresh, forward palate. The wine finishes with ample layers of sweet, juicy, ripe plums and savory black raspberries. This is going to be just great on release and for at least 15 years or so. Drink from 2022-2034. 90 Pts

2019 La Dominique – Texturally, this is just great with all of its soft, silky, polished nuances. Medium-bodied, fresh and vibrant, you find layers of black and red fruits, savory herbs, tobacco leaf, crushed stone and flowers all over the place. Elegant and refined, this is going to be even better with a few years of bottle age. Drink from 2023-2041. 94 Pts

2019 La Dominique Relais de – Medium-bodied with smoky, espresso-tinged red fruits on the nose and on the soft-textured palate make this perfect for current and near term drinking. Drink from 2022-2030. 89 Pts

2019 La Fleur Chantecaille – Medium-bodied, bright, fresh, crisp red fruits, espresso and licorice form the core of this wine. Not very concentrated, but the fruits are ripe, sweet and vibrant, however there is a lot of oak in the wine that might integrate with a few years of age. 2023-2030. 89 Pts

2019 La Fleur Perey – Medium-bodied, soft, round, lush and fruity with accents of cocoa, licorice and a touch of spice to round things out. The plummy finish with its chocolate accents is quite nice. Drink from 2023-2033. 90 Pts

2019 La Fleur d’Arthus – Deep in color, the wine offers a juicy, fruit-filled, richly textured blast of supple, textured, silky, fresh, sweet, ripe, dark plummy, chocolate and espresso covered berries with a hit of licorice in the finish. Full, rich, deep and hedonistic, this little-known wine deserves more attention. Drink from 2022-2035. 91 Pts

2019 La Gaffeliere – Showing better in the bottle than it did in the barrel, and it was already quite good in barrel, the wine pops with tobacco leaf, flowers, ripe red fruits, espresso, and thyme in the nose. Rich, fresh, vibrant, and with ample flesh and sweetness, the wine finishes with loads of sweet, ripe, dark red and black fruits. Give it a few years in the bottle, and it will really be rocking’! La Gaffeliere has really been on quite a roll since the 2015 vintage. Since 2015, each vintage seems to have gotten just a bit better, and 2019 clearly continues that trend. Drink from 2026-2050. 96 Pts

2019 La Grangere – Medium-bodied with a core of cocoa-covered plums, the wine also offers licorice, coffee bean, leafy herbs and spice. Already easy to like, you can enjoy this on release and over the next decade. Drink from 2022-2031. 90 Pts

2019 La Marzelle – Dark plums and even darker chocolate along with mushrooms, wet earth, licorice and smoke create the bouquet. The wine is rich, full, deep, fresh and ready to deliver its layers of ripe, rich, supple-textured black cherries, spice and dark chocolate on the palate and in the finish. Give this about 2 years in the cellar and it will be a treat for 15 or more ears after that. Drink from 2024-2039. 93 Pts

2019 La Mondotte – Deep in color, the wine is equally deep on the palate. Opening with an intense display of flowers and potpourri, the wine quickly moves to show off the remainder of the aromatic profile that includes, spice-box, licorice, chocolate-infused cherries, mint leaf and black plums. Full-bodied, rich, intense and opulent, the finish lingers on the palate, providing a backdrop for all of its opulent, ripe, vibrant fruits and crushed stones. Drink from 2026-2055. 97 Pts

2019 La Rose Pourret – Savory red fruits, leafy herbs, tobacco leaf and a touch of spice come through easily on the nose and on the soft, fresh, fruity palate. This will be quite easy to enjoy with pleasure on release. Drink from 2022-2029. 89 Pts

2019 La Serre – Better from the bottle than from the barrel, the wine is packed with flowers, cherries, tobacco leaf, licorice and cocoa. On the palate, the lushly textured, plush, polished wine offers a layered mouthful of chocolate-covered plums, licorice and smoke that really stays with you. This is the best vintage of La Serre I have ever tasted. You can enjoy it in its fruit-filled youth, or age it for 15 or more years. Drink from 2024-2037. 93 Pts

2019 La-TourFigeac – Fresh, fruity, silky, soft and refined, the wine expresses a beautiful sense of purity on the nose and palate as well as poise and grace. The elegant finish caps everything off nicely. Drink from 2022-2034. 92 Pts

2019 La Voute – Smoke, espresso, Indian spices, licorice and dark, black cherry aromas create the perfume. On the palate, the wine is even better with all of its plush, polished rich layers of opulent, plums, cherries and chocolate. Sweet, lush and rich, this is already a treat to taste and it is going to be even better with a few years of age. Drink from 2023-2036. 94 Pts

2019 La-Fleur-Morange – Black cherries, figs and orange rind with hints of tobacco and cocoa are at the core of the wines character. Medium/full-bodied with a chewy, tannic edge to the finish that needs time to soften. Drink from 2025-2040. 93
Pts

2019 La Fleur Morange Mathilde – White flowers, savory herbs, earth and red fruits are found on the nose and on the soft, silky, fresh, lifted palate. The finish tastes as good as it feels. A superb example of a Bordeaux value wine that sells for a song and delivers a lot of bang for the buck. Based on how well my 2005’s are doing, can age 15-20 years as well. Drink from 2022-2035. 91 Pts

2019 Laforge – Flowers, smoke, licorice, and cherry aromas permeate the perfume. Medium-bodied, vibrant, soft and fresh, the wine is forward, polished and lifted in the red berry filled, oak accented finish. You can enjoy this just about on release. Drink from 2023-2036. 92 Pts

2019 Laniote – Fresh and fruity with a solid core of red plums and dark cherries topped with espresso, spice box, sandalwood and flowers, the wine is medium-bodied, supple, sweet and ready to go. Soft and polished, with a chocolate covered, black plum filled finish, you can enjoy this now and it should get better from here. Clearly things are on the upswing here. This wine is a huge step-up from previous years! Drink from 2022-2033. 90 Pts

2019 Larcis Ducasse – A bit of smoke adds to the flowers, cherries, crushed rock, mocha, espresso, and roasted dark, red pit fruits. Concentrated, lush, ripe, silky and vibrant, the fruit, with its salty tannins glides over your palate leaving you with a gorgeous array of fruits, rocks and stones that stay with you for about 50 seconds. Made from blending 88% Merlot with 12% Cabernet Franc, this stunning wine will age effortlessly for 30 or more years. Drink from 2025-2050. 98 Pts

2019 Larmande – Roses and violets are the stars that open the show. That is until you find all the gorgeous layers of opulently, textured, soft, sweet, silky, red fruits. Full-bodied, rich, fresh, clean and polished, there is a touch of oak, judiciously used. So, allow the wine a few years in the cellar before pulling a cork and enjoy for up to 20 years after that. This is the finest vintage of Larmande I have ever tasted! Drink from 2024-2040. 94 Pts

2019 Laroque – Dark chocolate, spice-box, smoke, licorice, espresso and plums carry the nose. The wine is full-bodied, deep, rich, lush, and plush on the palate with layers of ripe, supple, silky dark red fruits with intensity, purity, and salty tannins. The wine is hitting all the right notes. And even better, as good as it is now, with some age, this is going to be even better. This is in competition for the highest scoring, well-priced wine in all of Bordeaux. This is a reminder, grab this wine by the case. Eventually, prices will rise. Remember, you heard it here first. Drink from 2024-2045. 95 Pts

2019 Laroque Les Tours de Laroque – Flowers with cocoa, hints of spice and cherries are on the nose. Medium-bodied, soft, supple and already easy to drink, this fruity charmer is all set for near term drinking. Drink from 2022-2028. 89 Pts

2019 Laroze – Dark red fruits, licorice, savory herbs and wet earth and forest scents combine to create a complex perfume. On the palate the wine, with its creamy textured palate offers layers of ripe, black cherries, smoke, dark plums and cocoa. There is a nice touch of mint, along with all the ripe fruits in the endnote that really hits the spot. Drink from 2023-2035. 91 Pts

2019 Le Carre – Medium-bodied, soft, elegant, polished and refined, the red fruits are fresh, clean and pure. The finish, with its touches of spice, espresso, mint and stone leave you with layers of sweet, cherries that linger, allowing you to enjoy all of their sweet, fresh characteristics and the creamy-textured finish. Drink from 2024-2040. 94 Pts

2019 Le Chatelet – Medium-bodied, soft, elegant, sweet, red berry filled, early-drinking wine that finishes with a refined, light note of fresh, sweet red fruits. You can enjoy this on release, Drink from 2022-2030. 85 Pts

2019 Le Dome – Flowers, herbs, truffle, chalk, espresso, red and black pit fruit with a touch of cedar and green, forest leaves are found with ease on the nose. On the palate, the wine is concentrated, dense and intense, with layers of ripe, showy, polished, fruits that come in richly-textured waves blended with herbs, spicebox, toasty oak and black cherries. There is ample lift, weight, concentration and freshness here that accompany the wealth of fruit to keep you interested. Drink from 2027-2049. 96 Pts

2019 Le Prieure – Showing better in the bottle than it did in the barrel, the wine is floral in nature. On the palate, the wine quickly offers its core of sweet, red plums, cherries, chalk and crushed stone. Elegant, fresh, long, clean and pure, the finish resonates with a gorgeous sweetness to the red fruits and minerality. Drink from 2024-2042. 94 Pts

2019 Les Asteries – Showing much better in the bottle than it did from the barrel, the wine is concentrated, deep, long, plush and polished. The wealth of sweet, red fruits on the palate is made more interesting by addition of the wines salty tannins. Complex, rich, fresh and mineral driven, you find significant energy in the herb-tinged, spicy, chalky, peppery, red berry finish. Drink from 2025-2043. 94 Pts

2019 Les Gravieres – It is always a good sign with a wine shows much better in the bottle than it did from the barrel, this wine has put on a lot of weight during covid, as now the wine has much more volume. Rich, round, lush and deep, the fruits are dark, ripe and polished. The wine is still a bit oaky, so it needs to better integrate to allow all of its black cherries, plums, flowers and spice to come through its espresso tinged surface. But give it a few years in the cellar and this is going to be a treat in your glass. Drink from 2034-2035. 92 Pts

2019 Leydet-Valentin – Medium-bodied, soft, silky and fresh with a savory edge to the sweet, ripe red fruits. This will be perfect for near-term pleasure. Drink from 2022-2029. 89 Pts

2019 Lif – Deeply colored, the wine jumps with a strong sense of florality before moving on to its licorice, wet earth, spice, black cherry, and chocolate coated plums. Rich, full-bodied, deep, long and intense, the wine hits all the right notes and keeps on hitting them long after the wine has left your glass. The layers of sweet, opulently-textured, dark fruits, linger and expand, leaving you with an intense, sensual wave of fruit on the backend. Drink from 2026-2050. 97 Pts

2019 Lynsolence – Flowers, licorice, spice and cocoa covered cherries are all over the place here on the nose and palate. The wine is lush, round, opulent, fresh and sweet, with hints of chocolate and spice that come along with all those ripe, red fruits on the mid-palate and in the finish. Drink from 2023-2035. 93 Pts

2019 Mangot – Flowers, cherries, licorice and plums blend together perfectly in the perfume. Silky, fresh and lifted on the palate, with a silky, creamy-textured, finish packed with espresso tinted, cherries and plums and cocoa. This can be enjoyed with pleasure early. Drink from 2023-2038. 91 Pts

2019 Mangot Todeschini Distique 12 – Black and red pit fruits, espresso, smoke, licorice and dried flowers show up easily on the nose. On the palate, the richly-textured wine shines due to all of its fresh, sweet, silky-textured red and black plums. There is length, concentration and a nice sense of purity here. Drink from 2023-2037 92 Pts

2019 Mauvinon – Medium-bodied, fresh and floral with black raspberries, red plums and cherries, the wine is soft, and fruity with layers of sweet, ripe cherries and notes of kirsch in the finish. Drink from 2022-2032. 90 Pts

2019 Milens – Medium-bodied, fresh, lifted, silky, refined and focused on its elegant core of sweet, ripe, vibrant red fruits, touch of mint and strong floral characteristics. This little known wine deserves more attention due to its quality and price. Give it a year or two and enjoy it for the next 10 or more years after that. Drink from 2024-2036. 92 Pts

2019 Millery – Soft, polished, luscious, chocolate tinted, vibrant red fruits glide easily across your palate. Medium-bodied, fresh and supple, this is already quite charming to enjoy and should be even better with just a few years of age. This is a wine to look out for as it is owned and produced by the same team that owns and produces Chateau Figeac. Drink from 2022-2034. 90 Pts

2019 Milon – Flowers and spice with dried cherries and red plums open the nose. On the palate the wine is soft, polished, lush and silky. There is a nice purity and freshness to the fruits and the texture seals the deal. Drink from 2022-2033. 92 Pts

2019 Moine Vieux – Earthy, and savory, with a lot of underbrush here, the wine is medium-bodied, soft, fresh and focused on the earthy, red plum side of the style range. You can easily enjoy this on release for all its upfront fruits. 89 Pts

2019 Monbousquet – Medium-bodied, fresh, bright and smoky, with a focus on its sweet, red fruits on the nose and on the soft-textured palate. The finish is a bit oak-driven at the moment, which will hopefully better integrate with time. Drink from 2023-2035. 92 Pts

2019 Mondou – The wine comes in an over-sized bottle that matches its big, boisterous character. Packed with espresso bean, licorice, black and blue fruit and incense, currently, the wine displays a bit too much oak, so it is going to need time to integrate, allowing all the layers of ripe fruits to shine through. If the oak fully integrates, my score will look shy. Drink from 2025-2035. 92 Pts

2019 Monlot – Medium-bodied, fresh, vibrant, soft and silky with a focus on its cherry-filled essence, the wine offers lift, fruit and freshness with a cocoa, licorice, espresso and cherry oriented finish. Drink from 2023-2034. 91 Pts

2019 Montlabert – Flowers, cherries, plums and a touch of cocoa hit all right the notes in the nose. Medium-bodied, silky, fresh, vibrant and fruity, with a soft, polished texture to the finish. This should be enjoyable on release. The wine was made from blending 80% Merlot and 20% Cabernet Franc. Drink from 2023-2036. 91 Pts

2019 Montlabert La Croix – Light, fresh, forward, soft and fruity, the wine is perfect for easy drinking over the next 5-6 years or so. Drink from 2022-2029. 87 Pts

2019 Montlisse – Medium-bodied, silky and fresh, the red cherries, flowers, black raspberry and espresso notes come through on the nose and on the palate with ease. Vibrant and already easy to taste, this will be easy to enjoy in its youth, yet it should also age quite nicely. Drink from 2022-2033. 92 Pts

2019 Moulin du Cadet – Dark chocolate, licorice, smoke, truffle, espresso and red with black pit fruits come alive on the nose and on the sweet, fresh, lusciously textured palate. The wine ends with a cocoa and plum filled, dusty finish. Produced from 100% Merlot, drink from 2023-2034. 93 Pts

Up next, our final chapter, Part 3 focuses on all the best 2019 St. Emilion wines covering the wines N-Z.

Post your comments or questions now