Beurs van Berlage
Tasted Tuesday, March 15, 2022 by Xavier Auerbach with 938 views
The growing season in Bordeaux in 2019 was once again quite extreme, with some very high temperatures in summer, and the wines in bottle are quite heterogeneous. The top terroirs are clearly at an advantage in such a vintage, but I was very happy to see that only few wines had really suffered. It's not like in 2003 anymore - perhaps the vines are adapting and the vignerons are certainly learning how to deal with the consequences of climate change. On the other hand there were no spring frosts like in 2017 or disease pressure (mildew) like in 2018. In the Médoc, Margaux and Saint-Julien turned out some lovely wines, typical for their terroirs. Further north the wines were sometimes more difficult, quite tough and tannic. In Pessac-Léognan the best vineyards did very well too, but overall my scores were slightly higher on the right bank, where the Merlot did very well on clay (the Couronne in Pomerol) and chalk (the Côtes in Saint-Emilion), if ripeness was not pushed too far. On both the left bank and the right bank the vineyards on lighter, sandier soils had a difficult time for obvious reasons. But in every appellation there are ups and downs, even among famous names. Do your research: caveat emptor!
Delightful. Grippy and peppery Cabernet Franc delivers lovely energy, bright and harmonious, flowers and cassis, hint of cream, firm tannins, good resonance and length.
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A bit closed on the nose, balanced and flowing palate, nothing out of place, so delightfully juicy, ripe acidity and perfectly enveloped tannins, very good resonance and length.
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Lovely balance on the palate, nothing out of place but seems to lack flavour concentration, slightly drying tannins, very light finish.
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Good ripe fruit, bright tannins, spices and a creamy texture, slightly green on the grippy finish.
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Strikes a lovely balance between creamy ripeness and elegant freshness. Seamless and silky, with beautifully managed tannins, good to very good length.
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Quite meaty and fleshy, which is quite unusual in this vintage, but the warmth is pleasant and the wine is balanced and charming.
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Much like La Tour Carnet. There is some ripe fruit, but overall the wine is raw and dry.
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Wears more make up than La Lagune, the fruit is a bit riper and the oak is sexier, but the palate and finish are dry and tight.
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Solid performance. Flowers and fruit, hint of earth, fresh and energetic, firm tannins, tight finish, good length.
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Quite tight and drying. There is floral lift, but the wine feels clenched, especially on the finish.
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Feels disjointed. There is ripe fruit, but at the same time it is stalky and the tannins are very dry. Charmless.
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Attractive, creamy, even a bit lactic, floral and supple, delightfully feminine and elegant.
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Lovely stuffing, elegant but generous, floral, delicately spicy oak, excellent balance, charming and feminine style, good length with a bit of heat.
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Spicy and meaty, a bit warmer in style, and not as bright as the best Margaux in this year, even if there is some floral lift and the balance is right.
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Very precise wine making here, displays the masculine elegance which typifies a very good Giscours.
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Big fruit, big tannins, powerful and weighty. Parker lives.
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Lovely generosity of fruit, warm spices and oak, floral, complete, elegance and finesse.
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Clean and bright but quite light and tight. Hint of earthy warmth on the finish.
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Attractive and approchable but the tannins are a bit loose, and there is some liquorice on the finish.
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Feminine finesse and elegance, perfectly judged oak, perfumed nose with flowers and red berries, lovely generosity, complete finish. Top notch.
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Supple and generous, especially in the context of the vintage, lemon balm, tannins are a bit raw though and the flavours are a bit muddled.
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Generous, lovely fruit, floral lift, not the ultimate in precision but attractive and approachable.
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Floral, lovely freshness, relatively light but no lack of generosity, quite potent tannins. Should get there in the end.
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Strikes a perfect balance between Saint-Julien classicism and souplesse, delightful aromatics, flowing and elegant, complete and long finish.
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Perfectly classical Barton, delightfully floral, crisp but creamy fruit, firmer tannins than in recent vintages but they are ripe and perfectly integrated, amazing resonance and length. Will drink well young (with food) or old.
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Very successful in this vintage, classic Saint-Julien elegance with the typical generosity of Poyferré. Ripe but firm tannins wrapped in fleshy fruit, complete finish.
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Very attractive nose, rich and spicy palate, slightly muddled flavours, good length.
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Well put together but lacks aromatic expression. The tannins are quite tough, the finish is light.
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Firm and tannic, dry and grippy, taut and muscular, lacks generosity. Or it needs a lot of time.
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Forward, very attractive and easy, lovely balance and freshness, velvety tannins, ripe fruit, delightfully juicy, will drink well young or old.
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Classic and crisp Cabernet, good cassis fruit but the tannins and the finish are very dry - although with nice floral lift.
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Not bad at all. Good fruit and generosity, more fruit and charm than many other well known names in the commune n this vintage.
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Crisp Cabernet-Sauvignon and some fleshy warmth, fresh and tightly structured, firm flesh, harmonious, very good length. Will turn out well.
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Lovely fruit, juicy and fresh, crisp and creamy, firm and grippy but with a lovely balance, tight finish with good length.
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Classic Pauillac, lovely 2019 freshness, crisp Cabernet fruit, medium body, (much) more power and weight than the Comtesse, slightly stalky and quite tannic on the finish though. Good but not great.
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Light and bright, quite savoury, grippy and tight, lacks generosity and its typical charm.
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Tight, crisp fruit, not perfectly clean on the grippy finish.
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Helped along by its high Merlot content, has a certain generosity and charm, but the finish is earthy and dry.
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Nice weight, quite dusty and hard tannins, slightly muted aromatic profile, tough finish.
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Quite muted expression, solid but unexciting.
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Lovely purity of ripe Merlot fruit, velvety tannins, floral lift and spices, well constructed, very good length.
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Supple and juicy, delicately sweet Merlot fruit, easy going, finishes a bit hot and chocolaty.
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Very complete, firm but ripe tannins are finely grained, lovely weight and concentration, nothing out of place, totally classical, the Merlot is rich and the Cabernet-Sauvignon is ripe, big but effortless tannins, excellent resonance and length. Top notch.
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Floral nose, beautifully bright and almost shimmering expression, harmonious, red berries, hint of sexy oak, delightful concentration, elegant weight, good length. Star quality - I notice now that I used these exact words in 2020 already...
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Supple and rounded palate, already aromas of truffle and earth, sexy spicy oak, tough finish. Needs time.
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Rich and ripe Merlot fruit on the nose, flowers and a nice hint of spice from the oak, Alpine herbs and liquorice on the palate, tight finish.
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Very good precision of expression, good definition, flowers and fruit and spices, medium body, slight edge to the tannins, hint of heat on the finish.
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The light sandy soils here have difficulty in hot years (like 2018), but this 2019 has turned out well. Good fruit and generosity, spices and floral lift, nice freshness and well managed tannins.
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Very attractive, reminds me in style of the La Tour Figeac, plush Merlot fruit, perhaps more liquorice and less flowers, just a little less expressive.
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Lemon verbena, tart cherries, tight tannins, very grippy, not really unripe or green but lacks charm.
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Seamless, elegance and finesse and a very winning souplesse and charm, pure and bright fruit expression, velvety tannins, impeccable balance and length.
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Ripe fruit, sexy oak, clear touch of warmth, firm but ripe tannins, dried up finish.
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Cabernet dominated character, floral lift, bright and shapely, firm and tannic but well balanced, the oak sticks out at present on the finish and needs time to integrate. Conservative score.
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Expressive nose, flowers and a hint of earth, red berries and cherries, good stuffing and generosity on the palate, firm and tight structure, quite alcoholic finish.
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Good Merlot fruit and freshness, but the tannins are a bit tight and on the raw side. There is some creamy souplesse too. The jury is still out.
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Warm glowing nose, bright fruit and a velety texture, dried cherry and liquorice finish.
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Bright expression on the nose, cherries and spicy depth with a brush stroke of chalk, steely acidity, medium body, good purity and precision, very good length.
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Violets and spices, ripe black cherries, fleshy and rich, velvety tannins, very good length, floral lift. A great success in this vintage.
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Very firm and tightly wrought style, good stuffing, complete, good concentration, all components in place, very good length. Needs time, good future.
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Quite warm in style on the nose, good intensity and drive, grippy and energetic, good fruit and tannic structure, complete, convincing finish.
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Wonderfully sexy style, everything in the right place, perfect balance and harmony, hint of lemon verbena, perhaps not as concentrated as usual, very finely textured tannins, excellent amplitude on the finish.
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Good ripe fruit and spicy oak, generous and energetic, a bit obvious but with some floral lift, well made and has very good length.
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More power and structure than some recent vintages, good richness and concentration, bitter orange and honeyed rôti, will need time to absorb the new oak.
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2019 Château Bouscaut Blanc 90 Points
France, Bordeaux, Graves, Pessac-Léognan
Hint of reduction (roasted onion), good fruit but slightly raw on the palate, good intensity and length.
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2019 Domaine de Chevalier Blanc 93 Points
France, Bordeaux, Graves, Pessac-Léognan
Beautiful freshness, quite strongly marked Sauvignon Blanc character in this vintage, grass and tropical fruit, but there is some Sémillon richness too, steely acidity, noticeable oak. All components present, needs more time to integrate. Very different from the barrels sample tasted in June 2020.
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2019 Château de Fieuzal Blanc 90 Points
France, Bordeaux, Graves, Pessac-Léognan
Attractive and well balanced nose, dry palate with rather hard acidity, especially on the finish. Hard to love.
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2019 Château Malartic-Lagravière Blanc 91 Points
France, Bordeaux, Graves, Pessac-Léognan
High acidity, very dry, lacks a bit of ripeness for my palate, energetic but green, well integrated oak.
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2019 Château Olivier Blanc 93 Points
France, Bordeaux, Graves, Pessac-Léognan
Harmonious, classic style, lovely complexity and balance, lemon curd and grassy intensity, grapefruit bitters, very good length.
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2019 Château Pape Clément Blanc 94 Points
France, Bordeaux, Graves, Pessac-Léognan
Fresh and harmonious, well integrated oak delivers a lovely hint of vanilla, creamy lemon, very gentle bitters, elegant and subtle.
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2019 Château Smith Haut Lafitte Blanc 93 Points
France, Bordeaux, Graves, Pessac-Léognan
Lovely fraicheur, marries Sémillon ripeness with crisp Sauvignon Blanc, elegant weight, grippy oak on the finish.
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