Saintayme/Saintem 2019

Blue fruits, earth, tobacco, as it opens you get rosebud, heather and raspberry leaf, with an austere crushed stone edge. As things open, the fruits become creamier but this could do with a few more years to fully soften. Harvest October 1 to 4. 30% new oak.

Tasted blind. Glowing crimson. A nod to the old oak’n’alcohol formula though not too excessive. But alcohol is pretty obvious on the finish actually! Rather old fashioned, as in late 20th century. 14.5%Drink 2028– 2038

100% Merlot; 30% new oak. St-Émilion brand from the Denis Durantou stable. Same vineyard has supplied the grapes since 2003. Barrel sample.Accent on the fruit with pure, dark- and red-berry aromas and flavour. Chalky tannins behind. Firm, dry finish. A little dusty but the fruit stays. (JL) 14.5%Drink 2024 – 2030

Black chocolate, baked earth, liquorice root and silky smooth tannins greet you on the first attack of this wine. I've never found this the easiest to love of the Durantou range but it is strikingly successful in 2019. Silky and yet slatey in texture, this both eases you through the palate and pulls you up short, slowing things down. Sparks of fresh minerality accompany the pulsing blueberry and raspberry fruits, and the juicy finish makes this one to look out for. Drinking Window 2027 - 2042

The 2019 Saintayme has calmed down nicely since I tasted the barrel sample, still outgoing in some ways yet displaying fine delineation and a tad more terroir expression. The palate is medium-bodied with firm tannins on the entry, quite sapid for this cuvée, and lightly spiced, leading to a structured finish. Don’t hesitate to leave this in bottle for a couple of years.

The 2019 Saintayme, Denis Durantou's Saint-Émilion pure Merlot vineyard, was picked between 1 and 4 October and matures in 30% new oak. It is the most outgoing of the late winemaker's sextet of wines, kirsch and crushed strawberry scents bursting from the glass with a touch of cola. The palate is fleshy and ripe with impressive weight. Good density develops towards the back end with a saline tang on the aftertaste. Give it two or three years in bottle. 2024 - 2036

A red with lovely, juicy character and plenty of ripe fruit and chocolate undertones. It’s rich and layered. Flavorful. More concentration than the 2018.

Produced by Denis Darantou and family of Château L’Eglise-Clinet, made from 100% Merlot, the 2019 Saintayme has a deep garnet-purple color. It explodes from the glass with bombastic notes of stewed plums, baked black cherries and fruitcake with hints of mocha, unsmoked cigars and fragrant soil plus a waft of Chinese five spice. Medium to full-bodied, rich and decadent in the mouth, it has a solid foundation of chewy tannins and just enough freshness, finishing spicy.