Didn’t see a UGC thread so apologies if there’s a thread already. I generally don’t post a lot of TNs because, well, I don’t read a lot of them either, and figure nobody has any serious interest in mine, but since I wrote these all down, it’s easy enough to post.
Overall I liked the 2019 vintage a lot. A few years ago I posted about not being excited about the 2014 vintage, which was apparently not the popular opinion, but I think there’s more agreement on this one. We didn’t have time to taste everything so started with St Émilion and Pomerol, as those are usually easy to try, and as it turned out, we didn’t go through a lot of others. Generally I like to go through a region rather than look for names, so that’s what we did. And I have to say, some of the St Émilion wines seemed way more balanced than in prior years. I remember being shocked at how over the top some seemed a few vintages ago and it seems as if people have pulled back a little. A lot of the producers I asked talked about that, maybe adding more Cab Franc to their blends or picking a little earlier because of the intense heat they’re often seeing these days. In any event, the wines from St Em and Pomerol were overall quite drinkable and approachable.
I don’t believe all of the alcohol percentages however. There were issues with the tariffs for this vintage, so they took advantage of the fudge factor and pretty much everything was posted at 14.5%, but I think a few are actually a bit higher. That said, I rarely picked up heat, so they did a good job with the ripeness.
A few people will probably have issues with the St. Ems and Pomerols, and I heard some grumbling there, but I thought they were quite nice. When they’re ripe, they’re not ripe in the way a Paso Robles Cab is. Some did seem “Californian” if one were to use that term, but in a good way where the fruit is apparent but is framed nicely. And frankly, I think some people just like to bitch about life in general, hoping it makes them seem interesting and decisive. It really doesn’t. It’s like wearing a hat. They think it makes them cool but actually it makes them kind of douchy.
The other regions didn’t show the same alcohol levels, with some hovering around 13.5%. If we got talking to the producers, sometimes I didn’t get around to recording the alcohol. It’s not that the alcohol makes a huge difference to me, but I’m always curious as to my guess and then checking to see if I’m right. Basically I can’t tell for a damn, which is always a delight to discover.
As to the Sauternes, maybe it’s age or maybe it’s comparison, but I wasn’t particularly impressed by most, which is often the case. They’re nice enough, but if I’m going to drink a botrytized wine, I’m going to drink Tokaji aszú. It’s more poised and less cloying. The good news is that this vintage seemed to have sufficient botrytis so the wines weren’t just syrupy. But I’d like a bit more acidity to them. Still, what the hell, they’re Sauternes so I’m drinking them.
ST. ÉMILION
Chat. Villemaurine – nice nose, a hint of vanilla over ripe fruit, on the palate pretty woody and ripe as well with a slight bitterness on the finish. Nice enough but not earth shattering. If they were swinging for the fences, they hit a single.
Chat Valandraud – more tannic than the Villemaurine and also quite a lot of noticeable wood. Again pleasant but not brilliant. Maybe a double. Not a home run.
Chat Trotte Vielle – 49/48/3 CF/M/ CS - Classic herbal, earthy Bordeaux nose. Way more chewy than most of the other St Ems, no heat even though it comes in at 15.0% alc. Dusty tannic finish.
Chat La Tour Figeac – Striking because the color was very red as opposed to the dark purple of others. I used to pick this up from time to time. Not sure it’s as ready to drink as most of the other St. Ems. Very earthy, with olive and green notes, dry finish, clearly needs a bit of time. Not delicious at the moment but might turn into something pretty interesting. 14.5%
Chat Troplong Mondot - Riper than some, especially Figeac, and the ripeness comes through as big fruit. Still tannic, esp on the close, but not severely so. Took a while to get to this because there was some big clowny guy hanging around forever. 15.0%
Chat Pavie Macquin – 80/20 – M/CF – very ripe on the nose with lots of fruit coming through. On the palate lots of red cherry fruit with accompanying tartness. Very elegant wine and quite drinkable now, unlike many. One of our favorites. I would score it 94 or so. Really good. Probably something to piss off a lot of people for not being “traditional” but screw them. They need to learn how to enjoy a good time. 14.5%
Chat Larcis Ducasse – 98/12 M/CF – initially gives a sense that it’s going to be a sweet wine as the nose is very fruity but it’s just the ripeness of the fruit coming through. Even a hint of coffee? Not jammy in the least and quite well balanced. Nice work. 14.5%
Chat La Gaffeliere – 60/40 M/CF – Green notes on the nose, with a bit of wood. Relatively soft acidity and then the wood kicks in on the finish. We suggested that the first bottle was slightly corked because it was. Nobody seemed to complain though, which gives you an idea of the discernment most people have. The guy opened a second bottle, which was altogether quite elegant and another that would be fine to drink now if you don’t want to wait. 14.5%
Chat Grand Mayne – Gentle tannins without an overwhelming woody quality, tart plums and plum skins, quite enjoyable. They used to have a lot of Cab Franc back in the 1950s, moved to more Merlot later, and now the new generation is going back to more Cab Franc again because they like the acidity and freshness it shows. It has a medium body as opposed to some of the heavier ones and drinks well now. And the Cab Franc really seems to work, as it has a freshness and brightness that was very nice. 14.5%
Clos Fourtet – 90/7/3 M/CS/CF – interesting to taste next to the Mayne and also delicious but in a different way. More apparent acidity than some and very fine, even gentle, tannins that close in on the finish. Even a little salty for some reason. Interesting and good. 14.5%
Chat Dominique 85/13/2 M/CF/CS – quite ripe on nose and palate. Has a bit of wood that hopefully integrates over time. Has an impression of elegance though, and while nice now, will probably be a lot better in a few years.
Chat Dassault – 74/10/6 M/CF/CS – Very aromatic, one of the most aromatic actually, with notes of earth and even a little flowery. Very balanced with no herbaceous notes but no over-ripe jammy notes either. Logng and elegant and has a touch of tannin on the finish but nothing obnoxious. 14.5%
Chat La Couspade – 75/20/5 M/CF/CS – Really woody nose and also another one that has a brighter red color than the purple of others. Has a touch of funk to it, even maybe smoke. Not quite as balanced as some, but if you like cranberry and sour cherry, it’s a winner. 14.5%
Chat Canon La Gaffeliere – 49/39/12 M/CF/CS – A bit green on the nose, much more than most. Interesting wine and maybe the high proportion of the Cab Franc makes it so different. They have many Cab Franc clones that go into this wine as they’ve done massale selections over the years. Medium to full bodied, not heavy. Bright red cherry fruit and a long, tannic finish. I liked this wine a lot. Had to wait for some blonde to move out of the way as she wanted to do a selfie with the Count. Cripes. 14.5%
Chat Canon – 74/26 M/CF – Bright berries and fruit on the nose that follows up on the palate. In fact, there’s a lot of fruit on this wine, with a bit of toast. But it also showed a bit of heat. I suppose a lot of people will like it but it was not my fave. They let the ripeness get away from them here. 14.5%
Chat Beau-Sejour Becot – 80/15/5 M/CF/CS – Lots of fruit on the nose. On palate, plummy, fruity, chocolate, long, and chewy as hell. Really tannic. Clearly wants some time to soften a bit. 14.5%
POMEROL
Chat Beauregard – 70/30 M/CF- Classic “Bordeaux” nose with a bit of herb and maybe cocoa as well as some oak. On the nose it’s a young but promising wine. On the palate there is great fruit without being sweet or hot in any way. Very smooth and silky with fine tannins and quite delicious right now. I would score this 93 and drink it happily. 14.5%
Chat Le Bon Pasteur – 80/20 M/CF – Also a kind of classic Bordeaux nose, a little leafy and herbal, a bit more tannic than the Beauregard with notes of blueberry of all things. Dark purple with a long tannic finish. Pretty nice but needs a bit of time for the tannins to resolve. 14/5%
Chat La Cabanne – 100% Merlot – Quite smooth on the palate and not particularly tannic at all. Not too ripe, also has some dark fruit that reminds one of blueberry. Maybe that’s the Merlot in the region, but it’s a gentle kind of fruit, rather than an overpowering one. 14.5%
Chat Client – 80/20 – Again deep dark soft fruit, maybe black cherry, as opposed to the bright acidic fruits of some. Nice balance without excessive acid or tannins or being over-ripe. It’s a good target to shoot for. Maybe not for someone who thinks they need searing acidity, but a very enjoyable wine for now. 14.5%
Chat Gazin – 88.5/4.5/7 M/CF/CS – Deep dark color with gentle fruits on the nose, again on the palate the fruit was towards the dark side like black cherries or even those mulberries that used to fall from the neighbor’s tree all over my yard. Well-balanced without being either astringently tannic or searingly acidic, quite delicious. We stood there and chatted for a while since I had a little cheese and wanted to talk to the lady. I would probably put this at 94 right now. Didn’t have the chewy tannins of some St. Ems. For me, it’s basically what I would want from Pomerol – kind of voluptuous in a Christina Hendriks kind of way. Don’t know what it will turn into but it’s damn nice now. I heard some people criticizing these Pomerols but I think some people just like to hear themselves opine on something. 14.5%OTHERS
PAUILLAC
Chat d’Armailhac – 62/28/9/2 CS/M/CF/PV – Wonderful cute funny girl pouring it. Got her laughing uncontrollably and didn’t pay a lot of attention to the wine. Leafy, herbal nose, dark purple in the glass, dusty tannins on the finish with almost a salty quality. Nice enough but not as easy as the Pomerols. 13.5%
Chat Batailley – 25/74/1 M/CS/PV – Really nice inviting cedary nose. On the palate, not heavy in the least, tart fruit with a long, elegant finish. Very nice.
Chat Clerc Milon – 72/22/4/2 CS/M/CF/PV – Herbs and woods on the nose, herbal and woody on the palate. They used more Cab Sauv than usual in this vintage. The tannins really clamp down on the finish, which is long and somewhat dry. Went back to talk to the d’Armailhac girl for some relief. 13.5%
ST JULIEN
Chat Gloria – 55/34/6/5 CS/M/F/V – The blend they showed is different from what some reviewers have written. No explanation for that. This is what they said at the tasting and what was on their info board. We had a bit of history with this winery, so went in with a slight bias. Old timey nose, herbal and cedary, nothing spectacular to discover here, tannic and a bit harsh. Not to drink now, maybe in a few years. Reminded me of the douchebag who introduced me to this wine 20 years ago. 14%
Chat Gruaud Larose – 72/25/3 CS/M/PV – One that I used to buy quite a bit seems to have gone up and down in style over the past few years. This seemed more old school than some recent vintages, with some tobacco and very chewy tannins, maybe bitter chocolate, with a long drying finish and little overt lush fruit. I would put it away and count on it coming into its own with time. 13.5%
Chat Léoville Barton – 84/16 CS/M – Great old timey nose of herbs and underbrush and tobacco. No obvious fruit and very different from the more gentle Pomerols. Bright acidity cuts through the otherwise dusty tannins. Probably really good in a few years, not so much for drinking today.
Chat Léoville Poyferré – 62/27/3/3 CS/M/CF/PV – Getting pressed to leave but still trying to taste whatever was open. Coffee and tar, chewy as hell, another that needs time and will probably blossom into something way more delicious than it is today. 14%
Chat Talbot – 69/26/5 CS/M/PV – Classic nose and palate. Back to old-school approach. Chewy and more savory than fruity.
SAUTERNES
Chat Doisy Daëne – 100% Semillon – Pineapple on the nose and lots of pineapple and sweet marmalade on the palate. Not Oxford marmalade! Botrytis on the nose, sweet and long but not exceptional.
Chat Suduiraut – 94/6 Sem/SB – lots of botrytis on the nose. Thick and unctuous with notes of peaches and honey and a long, botrytis finish. By far the best of the lot.
Chat Sigalas Rabaud – Like always, a bit simple. Nice for something sweet but not particularly complex or different.
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