Grand Puy Lacoste 2019

Inky and glass-staining damson colour, with enjoyable aromatics, slow building power that is tempered and softened by waves of violet and peony. Knitted down, muscular tannins build a wall around the black fruits. This is concentrated, signature Pauillac just as it was En Primeur, majoring on pencil lead, cloves, liquorice and cocoa bean. 41hl/h yield, 75% new oak.

Tasted blind. Perfumed, flattering nose, with a sweet, gentle palate. Easy to like, even if it’s not the most complex wine. Lots of tannin on the end. Very sweet. 14.5%Drink 2030– 2048

83% Cabernet Sauvignon, 17% Merlot.Black core, dark cherry rim. Attractively smoky and dusty on the nose. Extremely firm and dense tannins, really chewy. The black fruit is there at the heart but a lot of patience needed here. Big, chewy, honest. (JH) 14.5%Drink 2030 – 2045

83% Cabernet Sauvignon, 17% Merlot. Barrel sample.Deep colour. A refined classic. Fragrant, lifted dark-fruit nose with blackcurrant notes to the fore. Super palate, the tannins plentiful and firm but offering a velvety texture at the same time. Lots of freshness, even a saline edge. Builds to a long, dry, mouth-cleansing finish. (JL)Drink 2030 – 2045

The 2019 Grand Puy Lacoste, as usual, requires plenty of aeration in the glass. Then boom! You get that gorgeous, classic Pauillac raspberry and blackberry fruit infused with cedar and pencil box scents. The harmonious, poised palate has wonderful focus, very fine tannins and a silky-smooth texture. As I remarked in my previous note, it’s very pliant and persistent, with a graphite-tinged finish. A glorious Grand Puy Lacoste that will need time to assimilate the oak – but hey, GPL lovers know the rules. Drink 2025-2060.

The 2019 Grand Puy Lacoste is deep purple in colour. Initially the bouquet is tight and so I left my sample for 15-20 minutes to open. It rewards patience with a beguiling mélange of pure blackberry, raspberry, crushed violet and pencil shavings, very focused and mineral-driven. The palate is medium-bodied with finely chiseled tannins. Compared to the robust, tannic GPL's of old, this is much more lithe and approachable, yet it still bears the DNA of this Pauillac estate. It might not possess the flair of other 2019 Left Banks, but that it is not what I seek from this estate. Classy and full of breeding - quintessential Pauillac. Drink 2025-2060.

A firm, silky red with intense, chewy tannins, showing structure, beauty and intensity. Full-bodied, tight and chewy. Racy and focused GPL. Shows a more refined structure than the 2018, but serious.

A blend of 83% Cabernet Sauvignon and 17% Merlot, the 2019 Grand-Puy-Lacoste is deep garnet-purple in color. It gives subtle, slowly emerging scents of juicy blackcurrants, redcurrant jelly, and ripe plums, plus suggestions of cinnamon stick, chocolate box, camphor, and fallen leaves. Medium-bodied, the palate is firm and grainy with lovely tension cutting through the intense black and red fruit flavors, finishing on a lingering fragrant earth note.

Lovely depth of colour, a big difference between the 1st and 2nd wine in this vintage, this just screams Pauillac with its pencil lead, charcoal and cassis notes. Glass-staining colour, extremely silky, with liquorice and chocolate adding layers without taking away from the purity of expression. Fine tannic hold, tons of character and clear longevity - this is a brilliant wine, easily equal to the 2018 and approaching the 2016. Drinking Window 2027 - 2046