Dear <<First Name>>,
Bordeaux 2019 En Primeur .. The show must go on !
At the start of another busy week we see the release of Chateau Figeac (98-100 pts - Wine Advocate) at a staggering 35% below 2018 and Chateau Pape Clement (Rouge) a top flight property in Pessac-Leognan.
The flagship wine of the Bernard Magrez and their stable of wine, Chateau Pape Clement (Rouge) was showered with praise by Fridays release of Jeb Dunnuck's 2019 Bordeaux review, meriting 98-99 pts (up on 2018) and a nice 15% reduction to soothe those Monday morning blues.
We also have a tiny allocation of the amazing Chateau La Conseillante from Pomerol, where Jeff Leve (98-99 pts) nearly fell off his chair during a virtual Zoom tasting and proclaimed it could be "wine of the vintage!".
We still have access to limited stocks of Château Palmer (£166.50 per btle) which is a solid buy at 30% less than the 2018 release price. More importantly, after an absence last year, the terrific Alter Ego de Palmer is a great value wine at £45 per btle and a must buy for any Margaux lovers!
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The 2019 vintage and resulting En Primeur campaign will be remembered long into the history of these illustrious proceedings, with nature clearly giving something back to help heal some of the wounds. Starting more than 4 weeks late, we expect this to be a short and concentrated campaign.
The weather was particularly wet during the winter of 2018 but this was a saving grace as the long warm, dry summer came round quickly. The heat was fierce for a few short spells but the flowering was well established early on and the berries (fruit set) in a good place to compensate. A pleasant autumn, with the odd shower during harvest had already got some talking of the great potential, with well formed concentrated berries, with good acidity and healthy yields.
The term 'great vintage' is not used lightly in Bordeaux and certainly initial reports are of a very high quality, with comparisons to 2009, 2015 and 2016 previously earmarked as the best this century. Pricing is a key factor of any En Primeur campaign and expectations are it will much lower than 2018, due to current global crisis.
There has not been any of the traditional April trips to the Chateaux for day long tastings and lavish dinners, instead during these difficult times, pallets of samples have been arriving on the doorsteps of critics all over the world. Those that follow social media closely will have seen snippets of enthusiastic commentary as each appellation is meticulously poured, tasted and written up. Most have yet to publish any meaningful reports and accompanying notes but the signs are more than positive, if not glowing.
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James Suckling
"2019 is an exceptional year for Bordeaux wines... Some say 2019 is close to the excellent 2016 vintage but with perhaps slightly less tannin concentration. They all agree that the quality is very close to 2018, 2016 and 2015."
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With Château Pontet-Canet (98-100 pts - Wine Advocate), a powerhouse of modern day Bordeaux, selling out in Bordeaux over a weekend at £61 per btle (IB) this seems to have defined the 2019 vintage!
This level of pricing has rarely been seen in the last 15 years and was lower than the 2013 release price, which was certainly one of the poorest vintages in recent memory. This gives hope that possibly one the best quality vintages in the 21st century will unusually be one of the best value.
A vintage for buyers and drinkers alike!
We have also seen a new release from Château Latour (96+ pts Wine Advocate) this week, the first since they decided to no longer participate in the traditional En Primeur process in 2011, opting to release wine when the Chateau felt it was ready. At a release price of £2,100 for 6 bottles this also represents the cheapest vintage of the previous 10 years.
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Lisa Perrotti-Brown (Wine Advocate)
"I have just begun receiving barrel samples of the 2019s and have so far been very impressed about how they have showed"
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Château Pape Clément (Pessac-Leognan)
Château Pape Clément is one of the oldest properties in Bordeaux.
The vineyard was first planted in the 13th century by Bertrand de Goth, the youngest son of a noble family from Bordeaux. He was the Archbishop of Bordeaux and became Pope in 1305, then took the name of Clément V. The vineyard was run by the Bordeaux Archbishopry until the French Revolution. The estate can take pride in the production of wine in the same vineyards for over 7 centuries.
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Jeb Dunnuck (98-99 pts)
"I loved the 2019 Château Pape Clement. This beautiful terroir in the heart of Pessac has produced and magical 2019. Stunning notes of crème de cassis, spring flowers, violets, crushed stone, and lead pencil and flow to a full-bodied, flawlessly balanced, elegant effort with great tannins and a rock star of a finish. It's a rich, powerful wine, yet it's the level of purity and elegance that sets it apart. Bravo! Tasted twice."
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2019 Château Pape Clément
Château Pape Clément, located in Pessac, near Bordeaux, owes its name to its most famous owner—Pope Clement V. Born in Villandraut in 1264, Bertrand de Goth was appointed Bishop of Comminges in the Pyrenees on 28 March 1295, a position he held until 1299, when he was appointed Archbishop of Bordeaux by the Pope.
In the 1980s, Bernard Magrez, an entrepreneur passionate about wine, took over the Château and built an unprecedented international reputation for the Grand Cru Classé.
Thanks to relentless work, constant exploration and a remarkable terroir, Château Pape Clément continues each year to delight wine lovers with its exceptional quality.
£360.00 per 6 x 750ml (IB)
£365.00 per 3 x 1500ml (IB)
"This shows attractive aromas and flavors of chocolate, walnuts, wet earth, mushrooms and berries with full-body, round and refined tannins and a subtle, focused finish. Excellent length, in a sophisticated way. Chewy at the end."
James Suckling (96-97 pts)
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2019 Château La Conseillante
The name of La Conseillante appears in the middle of the 18th century. It has been given by Mrs Catherine Conseillan, who ran the estate almost 300 years before today.
In 1871, the Nicolas' family buy the property, which surface and plots remain unchanged since this period. Today, the estate is managed by the fifth generation, assuring continuity and the attachment of a family to a great wine. D. Bertrand Nicolas and Jean-Valmy Nicolas are the managers of La Conseillante, and Jean-Michel Laporte is the Director. The wine label of Les Héritiers Nicolas shows a shield with a silver border enclosing the letter "N". The violet cap represents the characteristic flavour of the wine. These items, chosen by the Nicolas brothers in 1871, remain elegantly relevant at the beginning of the 21st Century. Château La Conseillante is member of the "Union des Grands Crus" and of the "Bordeaux Wine Academy".
£750.00 per 6 x 750ml (IB)
£755.00 per 3 x 1500ml (IB)
"Lilacs and violets permeate the air before finding bitter chocolate, forest leaf, truffle, black raspberry, plum liqueur and black cherry juice. This wine is drenched in enough velvet to be classified as heart stopping! In fact, when tasting this with Marielle Cazaux, the director, over Zoom, I accidentally blurted out, "Holy F..K!" Yes, this is that good. This is pure bottled decadence that hits all your pleasure buttons. If you are seeking a deal closer, this Dionysian wine is the right choice! This is in serious contention for one of the wines of the vintage."
Jeff Leve (97-99 pts)
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All prices are 'In Bond' and exclude, duty, VAT & delivery and subject to availabilty and confirmation
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The wines above are subject to strict allocation on a first come first serve basis, confirmation and remaining unsold.
Different formats are available for most wines (375ml to 15L) at a small additional bottling cost.
Delivery is expected to commence in spring 2022.
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