2019 Saint Julien is one of the most consistent appellations of the 2019 vintage. But more than consistent, the wines are just great from top to bottom. Every chateau produced outstanding wine with not only fabulous style and character but with the ability to age and evolve for decades. And even the producers that normally take a decade or two to come around will drink well relatively early!
Frankly, there are so many top-quality 2019 St. Julien wines, it is almost impossible to pick a favorite. But, as you can see from the tasting notes and scores below, I do have a favorite wine or two.
All of the following 2019 Saint Julien wines were tasted in non-blind conditions in my home office.
2019 Beychevelle – Dark garnet in color, the wine pops with its nose that already shows tobacco leaf, forest floor, cedar, earth, savory herbs, spice and currants. Medium-bodied, fresh and vibrant, with soft, elegant, polished tannins along with ample blackberries and red currants on the mid-palate and in the finesse styled finish. Drink from 2028-2050. 95 Pts
2019 Beychevelle Amiral de Beychevelle – Fresh, lively, reserved, forward and fruity, the wine is medium-bodied, accessible, soft, elegant, refined and earthy. This is perfect for ordering in a cafe or restaurant. Enjoy it now while waiting for the Grand Vin to develop. Drink from 2023-2032. 90 Pts
2019 Branaire Ducru – Opening with a strong sense of florality, the wine quickly moves to tobacco leaf, red currants, mocha, and cassis on the nose. On the palate, the wine is elegant, fresh, soft and polished, with silky tannins and a palate filled with sweet, ripe, elegant, black plums and currants with a touch of cocoa at the end in the finish. This is a fabulous vintage for Branaire Ducru. Drink from 2027-2055. 95 Pts
2019 Ducru Beaucaillou – Inky, deep, shiny purple in color, the wine looks just great in your glass. From there, the nose with its potent bouquet of creme de cassis, blackberries, and blueberries, along with complexities of licorice, smoke, espresso, cigar box, tobacco leaf, flowers, spice, and lead pencil begins to reel you in. There is depth, concentration, and richness, yet the wine is fresh, balanced, pure, and vibrant. The almost seamless finish resonates with layers of mouth-filling, opulent, sensuous, creamy black and blue fruits that stick with you for over 50 seconds. It is going to be a treat to taste and compare the 18, 19, and 20 for the next generations. Give this beauty a bit of time in the cellar and you will have one of the wines of the vintage. Drink from 2026-2060. 99 Pts
2019 Ducru Beaucaillou La Croix Ducru-Beaucaillou – Polished, fresh, elegant and loaded with currants, cherries, tobacco, smoke, licorice, espresso, and leafy herbs, the wine is medium-bodied, forward, juicy and vibrant with lift, energy, and refinement on the palate and in the fruit-filled, soft-textured finish. Drink from 2023-2036. 93 Pts
2019 Ducru Beaucaillou Le Petit Ducru – Medium-bodied, forward, elegant and already showing a nice Saint Julien character, the wine offers fresh, red currants, touches of tobacco leaf, cedar, and licorice. Soft in texture, with loads of sweet red berries in the finish, this is perfect for ordering in bistros and for drinking over the next decade or longer. Drink from 2023-2032. 91 Pts
2019 Finegrave – Elegant, fresh, lighter-styled, fresh, elegant wine with its core of soft-textured red fruits, cocoa and herbs. You can enjoy this with ease on release. Drink from 2022-2029. 87 Pts
2019 Gloria – Black currants, English breakfast tea, orange rind, and cigar box are on the nose. On the palate, the wine is fresh, sweet, soft, and elegant, as well as juicy, crisp, and vibrant. The tannins are soft and polished, the wine finishes with loads of creamy cassis and a touch of chocolate on the backend. Drink from 2027-2040. 94 Pts
2019 Gruaud Larose – Earthy, smoky, fresh, and minty with notes of tobacco leaf, cedar, and currants with blackberries on the nose. The wine is fresh, bright, and crunchy with a nice bite of cassis and cranberry in the dusty finish. Drink from 2026-2047. 93 Pts
2019 La Bridane – Cherries, smoke and herbs are what you find in the core of this early-drinking, medium-bodied, soft-fresh, easy-to-like wine. The wine finishes with sweet, red fruits and a touch of peppery chocolate. Elegant and vibrant, this is going to be just great to enjoy on release and for almost a decade after that. Drink from 2022-2031. 88 Pts
2019 Lagrange – Medium-bodied, elegant and fresh, this is fabulous from the get-go. The nose, with its display of cigar box, black currants and cedar is just great and the wine is even better on the palate with its display of soft-textured, vibrant, sweet, red fruits which show off their purity and freshness with ease. This is another gem showing much better in the bottle than it did in the barrel. They have really been on a roll here at Lagrange since 2015 and 2019 could be their best vintage yet! Drink from 2028-2055. 95 Pts
2019 Langoa Barton – Deep in color, the wine is full-bodied, crisp, fresh, juicy and spicy. Medium-full/bodied with a core of crunchy, black currants, cranberry, pomegranate and spice. This is not a forward wine, like many 2019s, so give it at least a decade or more for all of its creme de cassis to fill out, soften and become approachable. Drink from 2033-2060. 93 Pts
2019 Leoville Barton – Powerful, concentrated, tannic, refined, and almost muscular, the wine opens with tobacco leaf, cedar chest, cigar box, lead pencil, herbs, and currants in the aromatics. Full-bodied, long and intense, with a black and red currant, spice, and leafy, savory finish. This is an age-worthy vintage that is going to demand time in the cellar before it fully begins to soften and offer up all of its layers of nuance and complexities. Drink from 2032-2060. 96 Pts
2019 Leoville Las Cases – The new version of classic modern is on display here. While the 2019 lacks the power of the 2018, instead you find one of the few great vintages of Leoville Las Cases that you can enjoy relatively early, which is early for LLC. The wine shows good color with a nose of currants, blackberry, spearmint, tobacco leaf, cigar box, flowers, cedar chest, and espresso. Here you find intensity, ripe, regal, creamy tannins, complexity, and refined textures with length and purity. Give this at least 12 years before popping a cork. The wine is a blend of 79% Cabernet Sauvignon, 11% Merlot, and 10% Cabernet Franc. Drink from 2028-2060. 98 Pts
2019 Leoville Las Cases Le Petit Lion du Marquis – Cassis and Boysenberry with a good dose of tobacco leaf create the nose. On the palate, the wine is medium-bodied with a creamy, forward, open currant-filled profile that offers a serious, baby version of Leoville Las Cases that delivers an already tasty red and black fruit-filled palate and a soft, creamy round finish. Drink from 2023-2034. 92 Pts
2019 Leoville Las Cases Clos du Marquis – Flowers, spice, tobacco leaf, and red with black currant aromas crowd into the perfume. There is a gorgeous freshness to the fruit, elegance to the tannins, and energy in the finish that makes this all work. The wine leaves you with a long, sweet, and vibrant red fruit, spice, earth, and tobacco note. Drink From 2024-2037. 93 Pts
2019 Leoville Las Cases La Petite Marquise – Medium-bodied, forward, and fresh with earthy red currants and a touch of tobacco leaf on the nose and palate. The wine is soft, vibrant and leaves you with supple textured, red currants in the polished finish. You can enjoy this St, Julien on release. Drink from 2022-2032. 90 Pts
2019 Leoville Poyferre – One of the top vintages of Leoville Poyferre, the wine sports a beautiful dark color in the glass. The showy nose opens with black and red fruits, espresso, cocoa, tobacco leaf, smoke, and floral aromas. On the palate is there the wine shines with its multiple layers of sensuously textured, deep, ripe, dark red fruits, plush, polished tannins, and its multi-layered, lusciously-textured, long, vibrant finish. This will age and evolve for decades with little trouble. Drink from 2034-2055. 97 Pts
2019 Leoville Poyferre Pavillon de Leoville Poyferré – With a nose that opens with roses, earth, and red fruits, the wine is juicy, crisp, and fresh with a slight, savory edge to the red currant finish. The wine ends with a hint of cocoa in the background which I like. You can drink this on release while waiting for the Grand Vin to develop. Drink from 2022-2033. 90 Pts
2019 Moulin-Riche – Elegant, soft, and refined, the wine opens with tobacco-tinted, red currants, flowers, mocha, and herbs. Almost polished in texture, the silky-textured finish makes this so easy to enjoy with pleasure today. Drink from 2022-2033. 91 Pts
2019 Saint-Pierre – Blackberries, red pit fruits, flowers, tobacco leaf, and red currants are the first thing you notice. The wine is soft, fresh, and creamy on the palate, leaving you with a wealth of vibrant, lusciously textured, rich, sweet, red, and black fruits in the finish. This is a top vintage for Saint Pierre. Drink from 2028-2050. 95 Pts
2019 Talbot – Medium-bodied with an olive and savory on the palate, the wine opens with juicy, fresh, bright currants and spice. Tannic, crisp, and fresh, the vibrant palate offers a nice, chewy, crunch to the fruit on the palate and in the finish, which ends with a tangy hint of sweet cranberry, spice, and herbs. Drink from 2030-2055. 93 Pts
2019 Talbot Connetable – Forward, soft and fruity, the wine is medium-bodied, and already tasting just great due to all of its up-front, sweet, earthy, spicy, savory-edged fruits. Drink from 2022-2031. 89 Pts
2019 Talbot Caillou Blanc – Honey, white peach, lemons, almonds, and flowers come through easily in this ready-to-drink, fresh, creamy, green apple-filled Bordeaux Blanc. Drink from 2022-2027. 91 Pts
We are almost finished with all of our articles on the best 2019 Bordeaux wines. We only have two more appellations to go which cover 2019 St. Estephe before we wrap everything up with our final report which reviews all the best from 2019 Pauillac!