2019 Bordeaux Recommendations for Longest Lived

I would like to get some 750 and 1.5L of 2019 Bordeaux as birth year wine, with the intent for it to be drunk 35+ years from now. As I have not gotten around to drinking as much Bordeaux, I am not sure house styles and how they have evolved in modern vintages (higher alcs, spoofing, etc). E.G., I didn’t bite on the Pontet Canet as it seemed this was perhaps more plush/modern and I was not sure if this was 35 year wine in 750/1.5L format. I was thinking Montrose would be a good one. My pain point is < $200/bottle, although I would like to snag 1-2 higher end bottles (<$400/bottle) if any where recommended.

Thank you for recommendations.

Hi Shaun, I suspect nobody, no matter how “expert” will really know if the styles made in 2019 will age like wines from decades ago. I’m far from an expert and in my limited experience the Cabernet dominant wines have aged 35 years quite effortlessly. For example, Lynch Bages ‘85 is just lovely now, and of course many ‘86s barely ready. So I probably wouldn’t go with Cos but one of the Pichons. Montrose also has a great track record for aging. Chances are you will be fine for 40+ years with most left bank wines in the 150-200 range. Storage will be a bigger variable over that time :slight_smile:!

LLC, Beychevelle, Lynch Bages, Grand Puy Lacoste, Ducru…etc

Our friends and I are still drinking 70’s. Just had a 59’ Latour that was sublime. No fading yet so 35 years is a chip shot.

I dunno how the modern iteration will survive but I’ve had several 35+ Domaine de Chevalier that were beautiful and the price point makes even larger formats affordable.

A fascinating question. The wines made today are made to be drunk sooner, but will that that affect their longevity? Jury is out on that, but I think some of the wines mentioned earlier will undoubtedly be there for the long haul, especially Ducru, Palmer and Montrose. I suspect most of the others will be there too, after all, the wines are be the equivalent of the 1985 vintage today.

I thought of phrasing my question: which 2019 wines are made the most traditionally with alcohols that mirror older vintages. But that would be presupposing these wines would be the longest lived.

Seems like a question Jeff Leve could help with as he has tasted them. If you want lower alcohol 19’s, it seems the wines with lower percentages of merlot have alcohol levels in the low-mid 13’s. This seems to be a very general assumption based on limited data, and doesn’t always hold up…

Thank you for the recommendations. So far am in for 750 and mags of Montrose, GPL (although Neil Martin’s note suggests some more early approachability). Will pick up PLL. Will pick up Lynch Bage as well. Will look into Ducru. Any thoughts on Pomerol for 2019… did VCC manage to keep alcs low? Thanks again.

I would suggest to turn to some lower alcohol champions: Mouton with 13.5% comes to mind (for thropy), Carmes Haut Brion with 13.3% (for volume) or go to the most muscular appellations, i.e. Pauillac, St. Estephe and especially St. Julien, which usually takes the longest to come around. It seems to be another great vintage for Leoville Las Cases and a particular good one for Ducru Beaucaillou (but these two more are around 14.2% alcohol (compared to 13.5% in 2016).

Llc, hb

Is there a list of alcohols somewhere? Is it interesting that Vinous is calling LMHB one of the wines of the vintage at a higher alcohol % of 14.5%?

Carmes added to the list. Will look at LLC.

Calon Segur makes wines that age well too, even if not at the Montrose level.

Avoid wines associated with Michel Rolland and you’ve eliminated a good chunk.

VCC, Montrose, and Pichon Lalande are on my list for this year. Calon Segur is good. Not convinced with GPL.

There is no list I would know of. I just keep track for the Chateaus that interest me or that I buy (usually the Tasting Notes of French Wine critic Jean-Marc Quarin are full of all technical details, this year LPB of The Wine Advocate gives alcohol levels of many wines too).

Carmes is a sure bet. Hyper singular wine that’s not yet broadly appreciated but will be a superstar Chateau 20 years down the road (along with Canon, Rauzan Segla, Calon Segur which are around the same price and on the rise, but Carmes is my favorite with its singularity and low alcohol levels).

I woodland also be looking at low alcohol (well, comparably low at least). The birth year wine will be buying are Lafite, Mouton, Leoville Barton, and perhaps Carmes Haut Brion.

Can’t beat ‘19 Issan at 13.37%!

I still think that a good chunk of the wines that have traditionally been long lived (and are not now rolland-ized) will be in it for the long haul this vintage. a lot of the named above were my thoughts too: LLC, PLL, Haut Brion, Ducru. I would also add in that I’ve had some wonderful old Canons. Thats about the only St Emilion short of the really big boys like Cheval that I’d have a bunch of confidence in. would love to be corrected on other R bankers though if people disagree.

For longevity, of course you can purchase bottles at the top end of your price range, Haut Brion, Mouton and Margaux. But almost as long-lived, look for Montrose, Cos in Saint Estephe, or any of the top Pauillac and Saint Julien wines that you like. You can find notes on almost every wine from 2019 on my site now.