The final stretch of en primeur releases came yesterday – Tuesday 23rd June (excepting Petrus and Le Pin, which are generally always released at the end of the campaign).
First out of the blocks was the en primeur darling, Les Carmes Haut-Brion. Wine Lister’s CEO, Ella Lister, believes Director, Guillaume Pouthier and his team have produced another stunning effort in 2019, continuing their streak of achieving consistently high scores from critics since the 2014 vintage. She names the wine “heady” and “hypnotising” with aromas of “dark fruit, graphite, and mature roses” on the nose. On the palate she describes the wine as “silky, seductive, and generous”, adding that it is “incredibly pure”.
Aside from Les Carmes Haut-Brion’s clear qualitative success, the additional factors of its small production levels and smart en primeur pricing once again make it one of the most obvious buys of the campaign. One top UK merchant tells me, “we sold out in a matter of seconds”. The bittersweet irony of its huge demand is, of course, that it is reserved only for the lucky few. Indeed, its popularity has soared since the release of the 2016 vintage, which has more than doubled its price since. Its impressive price performance post en primeur release (the 2019 released at £58, 28% below the current price of the 2018) is the cherry on Bordeaux buyers’ favourite cake – Les Carmes Haut-Brion is, perhaps unsurprisingly, the number one Bordeaux wine voted by the trade to have seen the sharpest rise in demand, as shown in the chart below.
Results from Wine Lister’s 2020 trade survey show Les Carmes Haut-Brion achieves first place for sharpest rise in demand of Bordeaux wines.
Joining the fray of hot ticket releases from yesterday was Vieux Château Certan. Wine Lister partner critics were collectively impressed with the 2019, placing its quality on par with the 2018 (which achieves a WL score of 96). Writing for JancisRobinson.com, James Lawther describes the 2019 as a “classic VCC”, while Neal Martin for Vinous hails it a “brilliant follow-up to the 2018”. Releasing at £177 per bottle (in-bond), the latest vintage comes onto the market 20% below the current market price of the 2018.
Four releases from Tuesday 23rd June land within the top 10 Bordeaux wines to be voted by key members of the trade as most likely to see future prestige – Les Carmes Haut-Brion, Vieux Château Certan, Canon, and Rauzan-Ségla.
Chanel siblings Canon and Rauzan-Ségla also released their 2019s onto the market yesterday, adding weight to a day full of releases set for bright futures (see image above).
Saint-Émilion star, Canon, released its 2019 to the market at £73 per bottle (in-bond) – 23% below current prices of the 2018 and 2016 vintages. The Canon team characterise 2019 as a “metronome” vintage, referring presumably to the swinging back and forth between climatic extremes. The wet spring and the risk of frost, followed by the strong heat of the summer resulted finally in a perfect finish to the vineyard cycle at the time of harvest, and a wine that sings at perfect pitch. Lister describes Canon 2019 as a “sweet, seductive temptress”, with “voluptuous, racy acidity”, which Director Nicolas Audebert tells us, “2019 is a combination of 2015 and 2016”.
Canon’s Margaux sister, Rauzan-Ségla, also joined the stage, at £57 per bottle (in-bond). A “luscious”, and “lithe” wine, Lister notes the 2019 has “melting fruit, from red to black and back”, and a “toasty, flirty, refined length”. Entering the market 34% below the current price of the 2018 vintage, and offering the second most generous discount on 2018 market prices of the entire campaign (behind only Lafleur), this is sure to see high levels of demand.
A different time – a throwback to 2018 and a celebration at Château Berliquet, of its acquisition by the Chanel group.
The Chanel group’s new baby, Berliquet, is also growing up fast, releasing its 2019 at £34 per bottle (in-bond). Lister describes “ripe, juicy strawberries” on the nose, adding that it is “very complete, accomplished, and reassuring, with a mineral lift”. On the palate, she finds Berliquet 2019 “rich, full, but very clean-lined”, with “lovely acidity which brings out definition on the finish”. Judging by the immense success of its big siblings, Berliquet has a bright future ahead, and the 2019 is worth snapping up.
Also released yesterday were: Beau-Séjour Bécot and Beauséjour Héritiers Duffau Lagarosse
As we approach the tail end of this busy campaign, the last two working days have seen some promising releases from both banks. Below we examine some of the highlights.
Friday 19th June
Haut-Bailly 2019 was released at £70 per bottle (in-bond), 20% below the 2018 release price. Wine Lister partner critics collectively award the 2019 its highest WL score ever (96), with laudable comments to boot – Antonio Galloni states, “it is easily one of the highlights of the vintage”, while Wine Lister’s CEO, Ella Lister, finds the wine “dark fruited and brooding”, on the nose, and “bewitching, languorous, and layered” on the palate. Haut-Bailly 2019 places second of all Pessac-Léognan reds, after a joint-first WL score of 97 for La Mission Haut-Brion 2019 and Haut-Brion 2019). With a record-high quality, and as a brand on the up, this is a release not to be missed.
Also released on Friday were wines from the Las Cases stable. The flagship wine, Léoville Las Cases, came onto the market at £145.50 per bottle (in-bond) – also a 20% discount from 2018’s opening price. Tasting in Bordeaux two weeks ago, Lister notes the 2019 is “magisterial” with “building power on the finish”. Wine Lister partner critic, Neal Martin, awards Léoville Las Cases 2019 96-98 points, and adds, “there is a clarity to this Grand Vin that places it amongst Jean-Hubert Delon’s finest releases in recent years”.
Picnic with Director Pierre Graffeuille – Wine Lister’s CEO, Ella Lister, tasted the Las Cases 2019s in Bordeaux two weeks ago, and describes the Grand Vin as “Luminous, transparent, and lyrical”.
Clos du Marquis and Nénin were also released, each offering good value in the context of similar quality wines produced in their respective appellations – Saint-Julien and Pomerol. Léoville Las Cases’ little brother, Petit Lion, is also exceptionally good value.
Perhaps the most notable release of a very busy Friday was l’Église Clinet 2019. Coming onto the market around the same price as the 2018 at £214 per bottle (in-bond), this is a sure exception to the trade’s “-30%” rule, given its circumstances – the last vintage of owner, the late Denis Durantou, who sadly passed away one month ago. Critics’ scores suggest that this final vintage was his best yet – Neal Martin awards it 97-99 points, and notes, “the perfect way to remember and raise a toast to one of Pomerol’s finest vignerons”. For Thierry Desseauve, l’Église Clinet is one of the wines of the vintage.
Pavie Macquin and Larcis Ducasse also released their 2019s on Friday. The former was one of Lister’s stand-out wines in 2019. She describes it as “bright and self-assured” on the nose, and “juicy and unctuous” on the palate. The latter shows particularly well against the wider Saint-Émilion backdrop. Saint-Émilion Grand Cru Classé “B” Larcis Ducasse 2019 earns a WL score of 95 – one point less than the likes of Cheval Blanc and Pavie, and is priced at just £47 per bottle (in-bond), or an average six times less than its Classés “A” comrades.
Monday 22nd June
Pichon Comtesse made for a powerful kick-off to the Bordeaux 2019 en primeur campaign’s fourth (and possibly final) week. Releasing at £111 per bottle, the latest vintage comes onto the market c.15% below the 2018 and 2016 vintages, if at a c.10% premium to the highly-scored 2015. Wine collectors will nonetheless likely be desperate to get their hands on this, given its resounding praise from critics, not to mention the impressive popularity of the estate. A perennial Wine Lister favourite, CEO, Ella Lister notes the wine has “perfectly poised fruit, interwoven with savoury complexity”. Neal Martin awards Pichon Comtesse 2019 98-100 points, and says, “Whisper it…it reminds me of their First Growth next door neighbour”. Dare we say it – this is Latour-level quality for roughly a quarter of the price.
Also released today is Saint-Émilion superstar, Troplong-Mondot. Its 2019 comes onto the market comfortably below the preceding four vintages on the market, with a price of £63.50 per bottle. Continuing the impressive quality increase and style evolution lead by Aymeric de Gironde and his team, critics are impressed with Troplong-Mondot 2019. Antonio Galloni states, “this is a wine that simply can’t be denied”, and Neal Martin agrees, adding that it is “just a wine you are going to want to drink”.
Further releases from Friday 19th June and Monday 22nd June are: Lascombes, Potensac, Réserve de la Comtesse, Smith Haut Lafitte, and Smith Haut Lafitte Blanc.
The second half of this week has seen releases from first growth Margaux, Super-seconds Pichon Baron, Ducru-Beaucaillou, and more.
The two highest-priced wines released over the last two days have bucked discount trends set by their peers earlier in the campaign. Ausone 2019 was released on Wednesday 17th June, and merchants have been offering the wine for c.£432 per bottle in-bond (or 22% less than the 2018 vintage). Earlier in the campaign, Saint-Emilion Grand Cru Classé “A” neighbour, Cheval Blanc offered a healthier discount on its 2019 (of 32%), resulting in the competitive price of £375 per bottle.
Similarly, the last first growth of the campaign emerged yesterday, its grand vin entering the market at £350 per bottle. Margaux 2019 offers a 16% discount on last year’s release price. Sitting more or less in the middle of 2019 prices from its two Pauillac comrades, Margaux nonetheless looks good when one considers Managing Director Philippe Bascaules’ poignant comment, naming the 2019 “much more Château Margaux” than the 2018. The 2019 also achieves Margaux’s best WL score (98 points) since the 2009 vintage. Volumes released onto the market are identical to last year, which will no doubt help to gain further appeal from buyers missing out on Lafite and Mouton.
Margaux’s second wine, Pavillon Rouge, and dry white, Pavillon Blanc were also released, at £125 and £168 per bottle (in-bond) respectively.
Of the c.100 wines released so far that Wine Lister covers, just eight of them have provided a 30% discount or above on 2018’s release price, while almost 40 wines have offered discounts of less than 15%.
Pauillac powerhouse Pichon Baron also entered the market with its 2019 at £99 per bottle (15% below the current market price of 2018). Wine Lister partner critic, Neal Martin, awards it 96-98 points, simply saying, “this is an outstanding Pauillac”. The same score was given by Martin to Saint-Julien super-second, Ducru-Beaucaillou, which also released yesterday. While both 2019 releases will no doubt find homes among followers of the brands and big en primeur buyers, in each case a recent back vintage also looks appealing in comparison – the 2015 Pichon Baron, and 2014 Ducru-Beaucaillou.
The Barton family wines joined the release fray this week – Léoville Barton, Langoa Barton, and value buy Mauvesin Barton. Wine Lister partner critics give high praise to the flagship release – Léoville Barton. Neal Martin and Antonio Galloni both award it 94-96 points, the latter saying, “what a gorgeous wine the 2019 is”. Together with James Lawther’s score of 18/20 for JancisRobinson.com, Léoville Barton 2019 achieves its highest Wine Lister score since the 2015 (95 points), which still has some availability in the market at around the same price.
Brane-Cantenac released yesterday at £41.50 per bottle. Its 2018 was one of Wine Lister’s absolute favourites during last year’s en primeur tastings, and judging by the latest critical acclaim, the 2019 has achieved another quality step up – James Lawther gives it 17.5 points, and names it “the epitome of fine Margaux”. This wine continues to provide excellent value when compared to similar quality offerings of its appellation.
La Lagune 2019 also entered the market, at £25 per bottle (in-bond). Having produced no wine in 2018, the latest release is priced 19% below the 2017, and is the cheapest recent vintage available on the market. Neal Martin awards it 92-94 points, naming the wine “not impactful, but intellectual”, and noting it will give “25-30 years of drinking pleasure”. With a potential record-level quality at such an attractive price, La Lagune could be the value buy of the entire campaign.
A further favourite, and poster child for good value, Meyney, also released its 2019 on Wednesday. Coming onto the market under £20 per bottle, and as the cheapest Meyney available, the wine is a no-brainer, as it continues to punch above its weight for quality.
Also released on Wednesday 17th and Thursday 18th June were: Canon-la-Gaffelière, Chapelle d’Ausone, Clinet, Clos de l’Oratoire, Croix de Beaucaillou, d’Aiguilhe, and La Mondotte.
Since the last update, some 34 further Bordeaux 2019s have been released en primeur, covering a wide range of styles and price points. Given the saturation of releases, below we highlight a small selection of wines particularly worth backing.
Big hitters
La Conseillante opened the stage of en primeur week three – “mega Monday”, releasing its 2019 at £126 per bottle. Wine Lister’s CEO, Ella Lister, notes the wine is “vibrant, with a playful bouquet of spice, tobacco, and pure dark fruit”. Wine Lister partner critic, Neal Martin agrees, awarding the 2019 its highest ever Vinous score (97-99), and noting, “Winemaker Marielle Cazaux and her team have conjured a magnificent Pomerol here”. Coming onto the market 25% below 2018’s release price, this is worth snapping up given its continuation of La Conseillante’s style evolution – indeed, the wine still provides good value when compared to other Pomerols of similar quality.
Figeac followed closely behind, releasing its 2019 at an identical price. Also entering the market 25% below the 2018 (the most expensive recent Figeac vintage on the market), it too continues its upward quality trajectory in spectacular fashion. Awarding it the same score as La Conseillante, Martin names it “a deeply impressive, intellectual Figeac…amongst the canon of greats that stretch back to the 1940s”. Figeac was a Wine Lister favourite in 2018, and has clearly done another spectacular job this year – this is an absolute buy to put away for the future.
Arriving with a clever digital temperature checker – Wine Lister CEO, Ella Lister, tastes La Conseillante and Figeac samples in London.
Montrose 2019 was released this morning (Tuesday 16th June), at just over £100 per bottle (in-bond). While the wine has not yet been widely rated, Ella Lister tasted at the property last week, and names the 2019 “very harmonious, calming, and hypnotic”, with a “lovely, rounded, succulent, fresh-fruit palate”, and “satin tannins”. Continuing Montrose’s legacy of quality excellence, the 2019 is once again a good punt for decadent Bordeaux drinkers.
Old Faithfuls
Giscours 2019 released at £35.20 per bottle (in-bond) on Friday 12th June. Entering the market below current prices of the last five vintages, this should be an obvious buy for fans of the Margaux château. Lister notes the 2019 as “confident and precise” on the nose, and “creamy, accomplished, and long” in the mouth, calling it a “classic Giscours”. Neal Martin, concurs, noting, “this is a superb, potentially long-term Giscours”.
A perennial British favourite, Talbot 2019 has also been released, at an opening price of £35.15 per bottle (in-bond). Lister names Talbot 2019 one of her “coups de coeur”, adding that it is “spicy and exotic”, as well as “fresh and harmonious”. Talbot’s strong brand and visible recent quality improvements make this release a safe bet for any buyer looking for Left Bank Bordeaux to drink in 20-30 years.
A “grand merci” to négociant Duclot for hosting the recent Bordeaux 2019 en primeur tasting in Paris. Pictured: some of Wine Lister’s CEO, Ella Lister’s favourites.
Grand-Puy-Lacoste released its 2019 this morning (Tuesday 16th June), at £45 per bottle (in-bond). Another UK favourite, this release has seen some buzz from those trade members who have tasted already, and critics agree – Lister writes that it is “blue fruited, aquiline, pure, and purring”, while Martin (who gives it its best ever score – 95-97), says, “Classy and full of breeding – quintessential Pauillac”. Despite some availability of recent back vintages – 2015 and 2014 – at a similar price (or indeed cheaper), this is still a solid bet for top-quality Pauillac to lay down for the future.
Value buys
Chasse-Spleen, a traditional value hit among claret buyers, released its 2019 on Friday 12th June. It enters the market at £20 per bottle (in-bond), a neat 30% below the current market price of the 2018. Neal Martin awards the 2019 a score of 92-94 – placing its quality in line with the 2016 (93 points), with the potential for it to become even better in the future.
Lafon-Rochet released its 2019 yesterday, at £28.30, 12% below the current market price of the 2018. Neal Martin’s score of 93-95 suggests the Saint-Estèphe property has made another quality step up in 2019. Martin notes, “it is imbued with a sense of nobility and classicism that I much admire”. While the “discount” on 2018’s release price is not as high as some may have wished for, Lafon-Rochet 2019 still looks like a bargain relative to other Left Bank wines of similar quality.
Gloria 2019 was released this morning, at £25.10 per bottle (in bond). While only 13% below the current market price of the 2018, the 2019 still provides excellent value relative to other Saint-Julien wines, particularly considering its quality in 2019. Neal Martin awards it 93-95 points, and says, “this is a nimble Saint-Julien, athletic in build with a sapid finish that urges you back for another sip. Excellent”.
Also released over the last few days are the following 2019s: Beauregard, Blason d’Issan, Certan de May, Connétable de Talbot, d’Issan, de Sales, du Tertre, Feytit-Clinet, Fourcas Hosten, Grand Corbin-Despagne, Gruaud-Larose, La Dame de Montrose, La Fleur-Pétrus, La Pointe, La Violette, Lacoste Borie, Lagrange, Le Gay, Les Cruzelles, Montviel, Pape Clément, Pape Clément Blanc, Prieuré-Lichine, Sarget de Gruaud-Larose, and Saint-Pierre.
Wine Lister is a big fan of Bordeaux – the city, the people, the wines (of course), and we even have a soft spot for its idiosyncratic system for selling wines. This year has thrown us, as we learn about the 2019 vintage from our desks, confined to our homes, rather than out on the “Médoc highway” or between the walled roads of the right bank.
Virtual tasting – Wine Lister’s Founder & CEO, Ella Lister, tastes the Baron Philippe de Rothschild 2019s with Philippe Sereys de Rothschild and Managing Director, Philippe Dhalluin.
From what we have heard and read (and from the little we have tasted so far), the 2019 vintage in quality terms is in line with recent greats – 2018, 2015, 2010, and 2009. The current global pandemic makes for an unlucky welcome party for a wine that had luck on its side all through the growing season. Climatic events for the 2019 vintage were far less extreme than for 2018 or 2017. Frost threatened, and heat waves came, but each time the majority of vineyards escaped from disaster. “There was heat, but rain each time we needed it at the precise right moment”, explains Cos d’Estournel’s owner Michel Reybier. He names his Grand Vin in 2019 “miraculous”, and adds that Cos d’Estournel Blanc is the “best white they’ve ever made”. Miracles occurred further south in the Médoc, too – Technical Director Nicolas Glumineau believes that Pichon Comtesse 2019 has finally overtaken the heights of his heretofore “hero wine”, Montrose 2010.
Many producers we have spoken to echo this sentiment, underlining the high quality of the wines made in 2019, and notably, their impressive balance. The best examples in 2019 have reportedly achieved the vinous holy grail: equilibrium between the triumvirate of flavour concentration, structure (from tannin and alcohol), and acidity, thanks in part to the “balanced” weather conditions throughout the growing season.
The winter of 2018-2019 was unusually mild, causing budbreak to occur between five days and two weeks early. While such a phenomenon might normally cause the rest of the season to be premature, including harvest, the vinous clock soon righted itself thanks to a cool spring. Bordeaux spent several nights on frost-alert from late March to mid-May. Véronique Sanders, Director of Haut Bailly tells us they lit fires in the vineyards to protect from frost on at least five occasions during the spring of 2019 – on 27th and 28th March, 13th April, and 5th and 6th May. With no frost damage, and flowering back to “normal” timing, the next challenge facing the 2019 vintage was heat. France’s south-west experienced another hot summer in 2019, but rain arrived just in time on three occasions: one in July, once in August, and then some light showers in early-mid September, bringing freshness and energy to the grapes before harvesting.
Hot and dry spells through the summer have made 2019 a Cabernet Sauvignon vintage; the grape takes up a slightly higher proportion than normal of the blend of many Grands Vins. By the same token, the cooler spells have resulted in good freshness for Merlot. Philippe Dhalluin, Managing Director at Baron Philippe de Rothschild, says that Merlot across the group’s châteaux is the best since 2010, but that the Cabernet Sauvignon is so good, that the high quality of the former will be of benefit largely to the second wines. Mouton Rothschild is made up of 90% Cabernet Sauvignon in 2019, a higher proportion than average.
2019 was lucky in volume, as well as in quality. Dhalluin tells us production volumes of the Baron Philippe stable are normal-to-generous, and he is not alone. On the right bank, Director of La Gaffelière, Thomas Soubes, says “we are lucky to have quality and quantity this year”. Where in 2018 properties across both banks were forced to triage vigorously because of mildew, and started with lower yields due to severe heat stress on the vines, 2019 evaded both of these afflictions. Also contributing to good volumes at many properties were exceedingly healthy grapes at the time of harvest. Director of Talbot, Jean-Michel Laporte explains, “thanks to the impressive health of the grapes, sorting in 2019 was purely about choosing the very best quality”. The first Merlot grapes harvested at Pichon Baron certainly seemed a hopeful sign for the liquid to come.
23rd September 2019 – some of the first Merlot grapes to be harvested at Pichon Baron.
Though the Wine Lister team is yet to taste the majority of Bordeaux 2019s, their quality appears to be a good news story for a world on lockdown. While the current market could be considered a rather ill-fitting stage for a vintage with such qualitative promise, the releases have just begun (with Pontet-Canet the first major release). Early signs are that the Bordelais are listening, and might just reduce prices in line with the global crisis. For anyone with the headspace for en primeur in the current context, this is a campaign not to be missed.
Wine Lister looks forward to tasting more of the wines as soon as it becomes possible. In the meantime, we will be providing the usual campaign coverage, in the form of real-time release emails for Wine Lister Pro Subscribers, and Twitter alerts for all our followers, as well as live updates on our dedicated en primeur page.
A second post on Bordeaux 2019 will focus on the campaign, and discuss pricing within the unprecedented context of this year’s releases. Watch this space.
A new “normal” seems to be developing for Bordeaux.
After a fleeting trip around Bordeaux properties on both banks at the start of harvest, the Wine Lister team is excited to see the 2019 vintage take shape.
We must admit this was not our sentiment on the 23rd September, when, on arrival in a dreary, damp Bordeaux, our first thought went to the poor pickers, and of course to the grapes and potential spread of disease in such wet conditions.
Thankfully this worry was quickly cast aside – “the grapes are in an incredibly healthy state. For grape health, this has been a dream year”, said Château Dassault’s Valérie Befve. This, she further explained, was thanks to the combination of a good spring without too much humidity, budburst that was a little cold but without rain, and a dry summer that was hot without having placed too much water stress on the majority of the vines.
The summer heat wave and consequential drought, similar in timing and nature to 2018 (and to an extent, 2016), will likely result in another year where freshness and caution in extraction are key. Befve put this succinctly, noting that the “skin to juice ratio will require delicate management”. This theme, recurring in several of the last Bordeaux vintages, highlights the importance of careful handling in the cellars, and explains in part the purposeful movement towards a fresher, more approachable style, and away from big tannins and high alcohol that need time in bottle to soften.
Left: Sorting of the first Merlot grapes at Pichon Baron. Right: Pichon Baron now uses small vats on wheels to transport freshly-picked grapes into fermentation tanks, since they cause less breakage of grape skins than traditional pumps.
Comparable characteristics seem in play on the left bank too. At Pichon Baron we tasted some of the very first 2019 Merlot grapes, and though the berries are a little smaller than usual (because of the drought), they are in perfect health. Axa Millésimes’ Commercial Director Xavier Sanchez was quick to say that it was far too soon to speculate on quality levels, but that the very early analyses “resembled 2018 and 2016”.
Grapes of high sugar content will need to be vinified with caution in order to balance potentially high alcohol levels. The rain that has fallen in the past 10 days will likely be a welcome gift to the Cabernet Sauvignon from the “grands terroirs” on this front, the majority of which are set to be picked this week.
Sara Lecompte Cuvelier, Managing Director of Léoville Poyferré and Le Crock echoed the positive sentiment on the general quality of grapes for both her properties, in Saint-Julien as in Saint-Estèphe – “We’re hopeful it will be another beautiful vintage, for both quantity and quality this year”.
While successions of good years are by no means unusual for the bordelais, harvests following heatwaves are becoming a pattern. All that remains to be seen is how the winemakers of Bordeaux deal with this “new normal” in the cellar. We are looking forward to finding out next year!