Dear <<First Name>>,
Bordeaux 2019 En Primeur .. The show must go on !
It is fair to say that the arrival of the 2019 vintage assessment from Neal Martin, mid campaign, has sent the Bordelais into a bit of a frenzie but today's feature wine will not care about the critical reviews.
We continue our 2019 EP offers with a family of wines from Saint-Julien and without question one in particular is our favourite Bordeaux wine.
Château Leoville-Barton is a 2nd growth that is part of the famous Barton estate of wines that has managed to remain family owned and operated for over 200 years. I recently had the privilege of meeting Lillian Barton at a tutored tasting and inquisitively asked, why Leoville-Barton remains such good value compared to its peers?
Her reply said it all - "We make wine for the people, that is affordable and not for the press"
Personally we are fortunate to have a vertical from the 2000 vintage and savour every opportunity we get to open a bottle. Despite a positive review from Neal Martin with 94-96 pts we still find a generous 19% reduction on the awesome 2018, which brings a big smile to may face.
Where there is a Leoville there is a Langoa in this famous family of Saint-Julien wines. Château Langoa-Barton is a different style and in some vintages is more than a match in the sibling rivalry. Here we again find solid reviews from Decanter with 94 pts and a more than generous 26.5% discount on 2018.
With more releases to come, particularly the near perfection Pichon-Baron, it will be just another busy day in paradise!
|
|
Neal Martin (Vinous)
"Two thousand and nineteen is a great vintage. I know. Boring. But my job is to tell it as it is, and that is what it is. It is an excellent vintage. Where it stands in the context of elite growing seasons such as 2000, 2005, 2009, 2010 and 2016 is another matter. Proprietors habitually trot out the “BEST. WINE. EVER” banner each year. You can easily become so entangled in hyperbole that it becomes impossible to objectively judge how true that statement is. Having tasted all the aforementioned vintages in barrel and regularly in bottle, there are instances where the 2019 vintage does surpass everything I have tasted at this unfinished stage, and others where I feel the benchmark 2016s will ultimately be superior."
|
|
|
|
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!
|
|
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.
|
|
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."
|
|
|
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.
|
|
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"
|
|
|
|
Château Leoville-Barton (Saint-Julien)
The history of Leoville Barton and Langoa is the history of a family who have managed to preserve their inheritance for more than 2 centuries.
From one generation to another the wines produced by the two properties have maintained the quality of their classification, offering wines at the very top of their appellation. Anthony Barton was born at Straffan House in Co. Kildare (Ireland) in 1930. He was destined to inherit little or nothing of the family estates. His elder brother Christopher was heir to Straffan and the vineyards in France were owned by his Uncle Ronald who would normally have married and had his own children to whom he would naturally have left his property. Although Ronald did marry late in life he had no children and Anthony thus became his heir. After studying in England, Lilian started her working life in a bank in Bordeaux, then went to work for 2 years in a Hong Kong shipping company “Les Chargeurs Réunis ». In 1978, aged 22, Lilian joined her father in the business of trading. Since then, they divide responsibilities: Lilian manages trading activity "Les Vins Fins Anthony Barton," which has joined her husband, Michel Sartorius, and Anthony takes care of the vineyards. Lilian tends to take an increasingly more active part in managing Châteaux Langoa and Leoville Barton. Lilian and Michel Sartorius have two children, Melanie and Damien, both passionate about wine and very involved in family history.
|
|
|
Neal Martin (94-96 pts)
"The 2019 Léoville Barton is a different kettle of fish compared to its sibling Langoa. It has a complex bouquet of blackberry, sous-bois, tobacco and minerals, much more introverted yet exceedingly complex. The palate is exquisite in terms of balance, laden with intense black fruit laced with orange zest, that citrus element counterbalancing the tannic grip and structure. There is a sense of completeness to this Léoville-Barton, certainly on par with the best vintages in recent years. A formidable yet charming Saint-Julien in the making."
|
|
|
|
2019 Château Leoville-Barton (2nd Growth)
At the time of the 1855 classification, Leoville Barton, second Grand Cru in Saint-Julien, were already owned by the Barton family. They share with only Mouton-Rothschild’s owners, the privilege of a long family continuity.
The 50 hectares of Léoville planted in gravelly soil with a clay sub-soil, include large proportions of old vines in order to obtain the best possible quality.
The wines are typical of the Saint-Julien area, well balanced wines with subtle bouquets and flavours; the emphasis being on elegance and finesse rather than on power and extraction.
£324.00 per 6 x 750ml (IB)
£329.00 per 3 x 1500ml (IB)
"A tight and very focused young red with redcurrant, tile and blackberry undertones. Lead pencil, too. It’s full-bodied with very polished, creamy tannins and lots of intense dark fruit. Compact fruit and tannins. Structured."
James Suckling (96-97 pts)
|
|
|
2019 Château Langoa-Barton (3rd Growth)
At the time of the 1855 classification Langoa Barton, 3rd Grand Cru in Saint-Julien, were already owned by the Barton family. They share with only Mouton-Rothschild’s owners, the privilege of a long family continuity.
The 17 hectares of Langoa, planted in gravelly soil with a clay sub-soil, include large proportions of old vines in order to obtain the best possible quality.
The wines are typical of the Saint-Julien area, well balanced wines with subtle bouquets and flavours; the emphasis being on elegance and finesse rather than on power and extraction.
£176.00 per 6 x 750ml (IB)
£181.00 per 3 x 1500ml (IB)
"The 2019 Langoa Barton has a very typical Langoa nose, which is a good thing, sporting vivacious black cherries, blackberry, crushed iris, cedar and light blood orange scents lurking offstage. Lovely oak integration here. The palate is beautifully defined on the entry, a structured almost big-boned Langoa with enormous grip on the spicy finish. I love the generosity of this Saint-Julien, one that I suspect will be seductive on release but don't be deceived - it deserves cellaring lest you get a smacked wrist for being impatient."
Neal Martin (93-95 pts)
|
|
|
All prices are 'In Bond' and exclude, duty, VAT & delivery and subject to availabilty and confirmation
|
|
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.
|
|
|
|
|
