Three 2019

[Nicklasss]

Influence by Jim, who is trying lot of 2019 lately, we did a dinner with AlexH last night and opened three 2019.

Taittinger NV Champagne : very nice NV. Nice color, rich and creamy, with lot of ripe white flesh fruits (pears, yellow apples), pâtisserie, starfruit. Lot of bubbles, great mouth feel, stays fresh. A ripe and seductive style. Tn: 90-91. The bottle got empty quickly...

I did not had the Sancerre, 2022 Domaine des Terres Blanches.

2019 Château de Sales: dark red color. Nose of fragrant cherries, red berries, concentrated strawberries, something like warm sand, and light chocolate vanilla oak. Mouth is medium to high concentration, drinking nicely already, with a red fruit character, dry leaves, red cherries and strawberries flavors, with a bit more freshness than the two other 2019, as the de Sales has slightly lower alcohol. Maybe a touch of metallic iron, in the very nice fruity finish. An excellent de Sales. Tn: 91-92.

2019 Château la Lagune: this is a muscular Lagune. Dark red purple color, with lot of blackcurrants, blackberries, rasberries, violet flowers, light chocolate on the nose. A powerful nose. In mouth, i can feel more concentration than usual for that wine, and also the richness of 14.5 % alcohol, but no heat. Flavors are similar than what is on the nose, tannins are ripe and thick, with also some minerality on the long generous final. Stay balanced, but riper and more concentrated than the 2016 or 2014, what it has in balanced power is having less élégance. An excellent wine that will need many years to get to the usual Lagune style we know. Tn: 93-94.

2019 Château Nénin: color is deep red. Nose has concentrated merlot berries, cherries, red flowers, lot of density, red licorice and something like cinnamon root in earth. Mouth is also concentrated, with lot of red fruits, ripe tannins, perfumed, light concentrated kirsch cherries flavors. Good length, some exotic oak on the final, with lot of cherries. Should develop well but a bit unidimensional for the moment. Tn: 92.

With time, all these three 2019 will be better, but it is clearly showing how 2019 was warm by the concentration of ripe fruit, bigger mouth with a bit less élégance due to higher thickness from the alcohol. I prefer them to the 2018 at the moment, but for my palate, 2015 and 2016 are more my style. And the few 2020 i had, are inspiring me more than the 2019.

[JimHow]

Thanks for the report, Nikola, I’ll be curious to hear how you think the 2020 La Lagune matches up against the 2019.

[Nicklasss]

"Purple rain..."

[Nicklasss]

Thanks for the report, Nikola, I’ll be curious to hear how you think the 2020 La Lagune matches up against the 2019.

I'll try to find the 2020 Jim, to compare. Alcohol level on the 2020?

[JimHow]

2020 La Lagune = 14%.

I find the 2019s rich but not heavy.