Union des Grands Crus de Bordeaux Tasting- 2019 vintage: My Top Ten Wines
The UGC Bordeaux Tasting is an annual event for wine professionals from all over the world. I have attended this event in Bordeaux in the spring where châteaux pour their barrel samples. While I have tasted Bordeaux barrel samples in the United States, unfinished wines are rarely sent abroad due to shipping problems and quality control. The 2019s would have been poured in 2020, though under the COVID-19 protocols and difficulties, they may not have poured. This year’s event at City View in San Francisco’s Metreon was a welcomed return to normality.
I tasted 92 wines covering the major Bordeaux growing regions
I tasted 92 wines covering the major Bordeaux growing regions. The venue was packed with anxious tasters and colleagues whom I haven’t seen in two to three years. Many attendees were catching up and remembering how it used to be before March 2020. There were few surprises among the wines and the usual performers showed why they are so revered. Here are my top ten wines:
This vintage of Pichon Baron stays long and full on the palate with a slightly elevated presence
1: Château Pichon Baron, Pauillac.
From the beginning of my career, the Pichon Baron has always impressed me with its delivery and power. This vintage of Pichon Baron stays long and full on the palate with a slightly elevated presence. The wine’s blend is 87% Cabernet Sauvignon and 13% Merlot. During the event, I saw many in attendance bee-lining to this wine. My Score: 100 Points. Estimated Price: $250.
2: Château Pichon Comtesse de Lalande, Pauillac.
I have always enjoyed a love-hate relationship with this wine. I would never turn it down, and it was always an excellent wine. But this wine’s elegance through the years confused my palate’s intuition of Pauillac as a demonstrative Bordeaux appellation. The new vintage showed a streak of mineral and chalk amidst its black fruit personality. My Score: 98 Points. Estimated Price: $225.
3: Château Léoville Barton, Saint-Julien.
In the early years of my career, I thought this wine was too oaky. While it always shows a good dollop of barrel, I have reconciled that this wine is perfect the way it is. As a fuller bodied Saint-Julien, it is one of the few châteaux in this region able to produce powerful, yet balanced wines. This wine showed excellent synergy of elements (fruit, earth, and wood). If you love Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignons in this price range, give this one a try. My Score: 97 Points. Estimated Price: $87.00
4: Château Haut-Bailly, Pessac-Léognan.
I have tasted and enjoyed this wine often over the decades. The 2019 vintage is outstanding in its purity and balance. It is silky, yet firm on the palate- a very pretty Pessac-Léognan. My Score: 97. Price: n/a
5: Château Smith Haut Lafitte, Pessac-Léognan.
Often a show-stopper, the 2019 is extravagant and full as it bursts with loads of ripe fruit and oaky accents. My Score: 96 Points. Estimated Price: $100.
6: Château Lynch Bages, Pauillac.
Commonly referred to as, “Lunch Bags,” this wine is one of wine trade’s favorites because it is more affordable among classified Bordeaux. Though the price has been steadily climbing recently, it often beats wine twice its price. This wine deftly combines the Old and New Worlds as it shows ripe fruit and spice. Before the tasting, I expected this wine to show well, and it did. My Score: 95 Points. Estimated Price: $122.
7: Château Pape Clément, Pessac-Léognan.
As I scanned the Pessac table, I made sure that they were still pouring this wine. The 2019 is jubilant and fruit-loaded, with a touch of wood. Stylish, yet persistent and definitive in the finish. Cellar this one. My Score: 96 Points. Estimated Price: $100.
8: Château Lagrange, Saint-Julien.
I have visited this property on many occasions, and I have imbibed many vintages over the decades. This château produces the most typical of top-quality Saint-Juliens. Stylish and balanced, with red to black fruit flavors, the 2019 stays the course, with more depth and richness than vintages from the past. My Score: 94 Points. Estimated Price: $90.00
9: Château Beau-Séjour Bécot, Saint-Émilion.
At trade events in Bordeaux and the United States, I often return to this wine for a second time making sure that my notes are true. The 2019, as in other vintages, is youthful with bright red fruits and it promises to be excellent with a little patience. My Score: 94 Points. Estimated Price: $61.00.
10: Château Prieuré-Lichine, Margaux.
While I will always remember enjoying an incredible grilled entrecôte (similar to ribeye), I have always felt the wines to be short of richness. While always competent, this world-class wine receives rave reviews from throughout the wine world. The 2019 vintage is one of the property's finest efforts. The new vintage shows exuberance of fruit and plenty of depth. It is one the best values on my list. My Score: 93 Points. Estimated Price: $50.00
I have participated in many of the Union des Grands Crus de Bordeaux tastings throughout my career. Both in Bordeaux and the United States. In France, I can taste barrel samples in the spring following the harvest; the wines are sometimes not ready from prime time, but the media and trade preview the new vintage from editorial and business. In France, I also taste the First Growths (Châteaux Latour, Lafite, Mouton, Margaux, Haut-Brion) and top Right Bank châteaux Cheval Blanc and Ausone) at the properties giving me a complete picture of the vintage.
If you are a lover of classic wines, you will find some excellent buys in the newly arriving vintage
This list of my top 10 Bordeaux 2019 from the tasting is an indication that this is a vintage with lots of hits. While I did taste a few misses, for the most part, this is an excellent to outstanding vintage. If you are a lover of classic wines, you will find some excellent buys in the newly arriving vintage.
