I have been a big fan of the Bordeaux 2019 vintage since I sat in my kitchen mid-pandemic tasting through bottle after bottle of barrel samples. It became very quickly apparent that this was a very good vintage indeed. Lovely fruit, really good concentration, well-crafted soft tannins and an overriding freshness makes a very appealing overall package. I believe they will drink well young and old - a cross between 1982 & 1985 but with 30 years better winemaking?
They were launched into a very uncertain market, for obvious reasons, and the opening prices were extremely attractive. As the campaign drew on, the discounts became less generous, but still with plenty of demand.
I have been selling en primeur since the 1999 vintage, and I have never seen demand like it - not even in 2005 or 2009. Generally speaking, the Bordelaise do not like dropping prices in a significant way - and when they are forced to by global events, it makes for a sensational buying opportunity.
The last chance like this was 2008 - but the 2019 vintage is significantly better in quality. In fact, it makes up the single largest holding in my private collection.
If you are a Bordeaux lover, this is a fantastic opportunity to charge up the cellar with some wonderful wines that are extremely affordable.
The wines are now in bottle and are showing all the promise of their barrel samples. I tried a significant number last November and have tried a few more here and there since. The critics have also started to taste - Jane Anson & James Suckling have already published lots of scores, and Neal Martin & Antonio Galloni are due any moment.
I wholeheartedly recommend the 2019s and we can offer a selection as below:
‘…This is an excellent vintage – not as consistently outstanding as 2016 or 2010 out of the past decade, but I place it alongside 2015 (and in some cases 2018)…’ – Jane Anson
‘…The 2019s definitely show finer tannins across the board compared with the slightly more opulent 2018s, with the best of the 2019s also seeming more typical for their appellations and specific sites because of their slightly lower alcohol and fresher acidities...’ – jamessuckling.com
