2019 St. Emilions

[Jackdaw’s 2d Song]

What are your thoughts on the vintage?
What are your thoughts on the Appellation since the 2010 vintage?

2019 Beau-Sejour-Becot: medium ruby, nearly opaque. Aromas of blackberry jam, blueberries, raspberry, and toasted baguette. Dark fruit flavors on the attack and juicy finish. A fair amount of wood, melded tannins, and decent acid. 92-93

2019 Clos Fourtet: dark ruby, opaque. A deep wine that will need time to unfurl its beauty. Elegant, pure nose of black currants, beef blood, and cold stone. Delightfully balanced wine. No imposition of wood here, just layered flavors of wine and a king finish. Love this wine! 96

[Nicklasss]

Nice notes jackdaw's 2nd song. Are you the "original" jackdaw?

We had some 2019 earlier this year, only Médoc wines, but while hard to judge in a quick blind tasting, i thougth really good things about the 4 wines we had : Giscours, d'Issan, Lynch Bages and Montrose.

I also had Montlandrie that is solid too.

[Claudius2]

Guys
I have tried quite a range of both 2019 and 2020 right bank wines over the last few years.

The 19s are very good with a more traditional character including a touch of savoury characters as well as good fruit, and balanced tannins and acid. I’ve tried several St Emilions three or four times and earlier this year, they seemed to have shut down and are best forgotten for some years.

I did find a few 19s to be a bit too high in alcohol though I’m probably more sensitive to it than most.

I tried about 50 right bank 2020 wines earlier this year and they were more fruit sweet, concentrated and more “modern” but in a nice way. I like both 2019 and 2020 but they are quite different - I’d say that the Medoc is better in 2019 by a whisker - best in St Julien and Margaux - though also very good in Pomerol over St Emilion. But not by much. 2020 is a hedonistic vintage in St Emilion but be patient.

Ideally I’d like to sip 2014, 2015, 2016, 2019 and 2020 in a decade or so. I don’t like 2018 but others like it more than moi.

Cheers
Mark

[DavidG]

Welcome back JD! Long time...

I've only tried one 2019 so far, but I bought a fair number so I'll be watching with interest. I ended up with almost no 2019 St. Emilions. They pegged my over-ripe meter harder than any other commune back in the day, and I've been wary ever since.

So of course the one 2019 I tried was a St. Emilion, the Tour St. Christophe: Dark purple, almost black. Cherry, dark berry nose, medium body, ripe fruit, decent balance, medium finish, hard to get a sense of place but it’s so young. It scratches that itch for a rich ripe wine when needed. Judgment reserved as to what it will become.

[Jackdaw’s 2d Song]

Nice notes jackdaw's 2nd song. Are you the "original" jackdaw?

Hey Nic, yes, c’est moi.
I hope you and your family are well.

Best,

JD

[Jackdaw’s 2d Song]

2019 Beau-Sejour-Becot: On day 2 i’d knock this down to a 91. The wood is a bit much for me, and leaves the wine a bit more “elbows out” if that makes sense.

2019 Clos Fourtet: On day 2 this is about the same as yesterday. Brooding for a St. Emilion, I think it’s girded by tannins from the Cab Sauv and to a lesser degree the Cab Franc. Excited to try this in 3-4 years. 95

[Claudius2]

Welcome back JD! Long time...

I've only tried one 2019 so far, but I bought a fair number so I'll be watching with interest. I ended up with almost no 2019 St. Emilions. They pegged my over-ripe meter harder than any other commune back in the day, and I've been wary ever since.

So of course the one 2019 I tried was a St. Emilion, the Tour St. Christophe: Dark purple, almost black. Cherry, dark berry nose, medium body, ripe fruit, decent balance, medium finish, hard to get a sense of place but it’s so young. It scratches that itch for a rich ripe wine when needed. Judgment reserved as to what it will become.

David
I do not think that most St Emilions from 2019 are over-ripe.
A few fit that category but I think 2019 will suit most drinkers who avoid high alcohol and overt ripeness.
And I fit that category. My reviews over the last few years found little or no over-ripe left bank wines, and a handful from St Emilion - and I'd argue that Pomerol is a brighter star in this vintage.

My most recent experience with 2019 showed that they are shutting down and even the higher ABV wines were quite closed.

I wonder what you would think of 2020's. They are more modern in style and quite hedonistic.

cheers
Mark

[DavidG]

Thanks Mark, I have high hopes for the 2019s. And for my prospects for being around long enough to enjoy them in their early maturity.

I may never try many 2020s. I stopped after 2019.

[JoelD]

Has anyone tasted the La Gaffeliere yet? I've seen that at very reasonable rates from time to time. But I've been off almost all St. Emilions except for the classics with age for a while now. Hoping that de-Parkerization goes into full effect..

[jckba]

The Canon was one of my wines of the UGC for the 2019 vintage and I went out and bought a case but won’t likely broach that case for another 10-15 years so no help from me here.