+1. I felt the same way before even planning to visit Bordeaux and then kicked myself 1 second after tasting it. Stupid stupid stupid
Yeah I have about a case coming now which is what I should’ve got right away.
I made up for the stupidity while in Bordeaux this July by adding another 18 bottles of 2020 to my order. Only have a 6 pack of 2019 750 but did grab a few 375s which is always fun. Lesson learned? probably not.
An unprecedented futures campaign no doubt - barely a year and a half later, some of those prices feel like they must have been some kind of dream. Of course, there were still question marks at the time about a zombie apocalypse and some potentially significant revisions to our life expectancies, so one could be forgiven for not backing up the truck.
I sincerely hope you bought all 6 packs.
If you are interested – some recent tasting notes
1 Like
After telling myself I really had to stop buying Bordeaux at release, I then went and did just that with the 2019s. When they appeared on shelves here in September, the prices were actually lower than EP. This has been the case every year since whenever but I did expect there to be an increase with the 2019s. Of course not all the wines have been released yet, but those that were on sale were good value, so I took the bait - with loyalty card reductions, the saving was sometimes quite impressive.
Of course when you compare those prices with 2018 or 2020, 2019 does seem like a good one to get.
1 Like
the 2019s appearing on the supermarket shelves in France now. I’d bought about 20 dozen en primeur, from Mouton down to the crus bourgeois, and so was keen to see what they were like. bought a btl of Ormes de Pez 19 and tackled it with some toulouse sausages and haricots verts … oh boy. It was remarkable. Never had a young claret with that combination of precocity, complexity and balance. Back up the truck…
I purchased some Cantemerle and now I am enticed for the Pavie Macquin
Wonder if this has to do with the US wine tariffs that were dependent on alcohol content?
I bought heavily the 2019 Palmer. Partly because I have always loved the wine, partly because I think the label is one of the most beautiful in all of Bordeaux. But mostly because it was $100 less than similar quality Palmers.
The chateau just released its own notes. I think it makes for some interesting reading.
2019, THE SCHOOL OF NATURE
May 2020 - While January was marked by a few days of extreme cold, the rest of the winter proved relatively mild. Throughout the season rainfall was moderate but sufficient to partially replenish essential reserves in our soils. The vines’ bud burst began almost a week ahead of schedule, but would progress thereafter in a smooth and even manner. The spring that followed was cool and rainy, requiring a high degree of precision in our management of the vineyard. Despite the capricious weather, flowering unfolded without difficulties, fuelling hopes of a bountiful harvest.
Then, at the end of June, the weather conditions would change radically. A lasting period of hot and dry weather set in. Two heat waves between the 26th and 27th of June and the 22nd and 25th of July were fortunately endured without consequence. The limited summer rainfall – 50 mm between July and August – fostered the accumulation of polyphenols in the berries. The grapes underwent their colour change in excellent conditions and by mid-August the prospect of a fine vintage was clear. We began harvesting the Merlot on the 19th of September amidst weather conditions close to those of summer. The berries were concentrated, aromatic and loaded with sugar. The harvest continued and we entered the autumn under fine, steady rain- fall which lowered the potential alcohol of the Cabernet Sauvignon. By the 11th of October the harvest was complete.
A Palmer wine remains the intimate reflection of a mosaic of terroirs specific to this beautiful estate. But it is also the expression of a unique combination of fleshy Merlots and silky Cabernets, complete with a touch of Petit Verdot. In 2019, the Merlots enjoyed dry and sunny weather conditions up to the very end, giving rise to wines full of power, exuberance and flesh. The Cabernets, harvested after the scattered rains of late September, would develop a certain coolness and reserve, to produce wines of rare distinction. The Petit Verdots, for their part, would exhibit remarkable finesse.
Today, both Château Palmer and Alter Ego express a purity and aromatic clarity rarely seen in an abundant vintage. These wines don’t lie; they are remarkably true to the terroir of Château Palmer. And are already part of the rarefied circle of exceptional vintages.
What 2nd-5th growths left banks and 2nd -3rd tier right banks have risen the least sinc ep? Not sure if anyone has done that analysis. I am finding many from that group (current price) is not far off 2020 ep pricing.
Wine spectator has come out with scores on a few left banks and right banks in two separate “Insiders” released a week apart. Left bankers Mouton, Lafite and LLC were rated the highest at 98. On the right bank, Petrus, Cheval blanc, VCC and Trotanoy held top spots @ 97 points.
The scores are starting to come out. I’ve noticed Suckling is frequently at the low end or below the low end of his barrel score range. Spectator scores so far are generally lower than the respective 2018s, although Molesworth did go big on the 2018s.
1 Like
Based on what I’m tasting, I venture that the reality is the inverse. 2019s are showing very well vis a vis 2018s.
7 Likes
The 18-19-20 vintages, the Covid vintages, are interesting because there wasn’t really one of those two-week periods of critical consensus but instead a slow trickle of evaluation and reevaluation as wines have become available. All three sound quite good, but there are plenty of wines with great track records that are still question marks because folks just haven’t tasted them yet. It will be illuminating to see where judgments on the relative merits of each vintage end up when more data is in.
1 Like
That is good news for me, based on my EP purchases. Of course, it will be more Chateau specific than this generalization. I was hoping to taste the ‘19’s sooner than later at the UGCB US tour in January, but that is now postponed until the end of June. Guess I can wait and read all the critics reviews between now and then.
I finished backfilling with LLC and Canon. When they will have all come in (apart from anything bought at Sherry Lehman 
) we should think about trying to have a tasting.
1 Like
The Canons and Vieux Chateau Certans are starting to disappear in the US at the first/second tranche prices. Mark must have cleared out the Canons.