Best Pomerol 2019 wines tasted en primeur

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A clear contender for appellation of the vintage, with so many successful wines to choose from.

It performed the miracle that only Pomerol seems able to achieve of Merlot on early-ripening gravel soils that manage to maintain freshness. This was due to the underlying clays giving low pHs even with a peak temperature that hit 41°C in July, offset by small but regular rainfall – 30mm in July and again in August, 10mm on September 10, and a little heavier 23mm on September 22, which many estates tried to pick around.

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As elsewhere, there was not enough rain to cause issues with rot. Heat was less of a marker than drought – Christian Moueix told me that on July 25 he was about to ask INAO for special dispensation to irrigate, then July 27 got 43mm of rain (above the 30mm in St Emilion) – which he believes is why the results are so good, concentrated but supple.

Overall, the 2018 vintage was a little hotter, which also helped retain the freshness that we see in most of these 2019 wines. Vineyard management came into play – Lafleur for example painted the grapes and leaves with white clay like they do in the Douro Valley, and lowered the canopy after veraison to limit photosynthesis, but did almost no green harvesting.

There were some prune and fig notes, so watch out for those on sandier soils or young vines, but there were also some of the best wines of the year here, and a lot of great value options.

Yields

The average yield, as with St Emilion, was a comfortable 43hl/ha. Individually things were more varied – 32hl/ha at Trotanoy, 28hl/ha at La Fleur Pétrus, 34hl/ha at La Conseillante, 33hl/ha at Rouget, 35hl/ha at Le Gay, 44hl/ha at Gazin, 42hl/ha at Feytit Clinet, 42hl/ha at Vieux Château Certan and 35hl/ha at La Pointe.

Changes

Among the changes to look out for in Pomerol right now is the new owner at Petit Village, but this will only impact the vinification and ageing of the 2019 vintage, as AXA was still at the helm for the harvest.

Scores

There are more 100-point potentials here than anywhere else – three wines certainly with 100 points potential. Plus ten wines at over 95 points including a crop at 98 which honestly have the potential to be upgraded when tasted in bottle.

The Pomerol plateau in particular has turned out hit after hit. And a good number at 94 points including L’Enclos Tourmaline, Fleur de Gay, Nénin, Beauregard, Le Gay, Rouget, Certan de May, Latour à Pomerol and Hosanna.

And it is impossible to talk about Pomerol without paying tribute to Denis Durantou, who died a few weeks ago in May 2020. His L’Eglise Clinet 2019 is my wine of the vintage.

Top Scoring

Lafleur, L’Évangile, L’Eglise Clinet, Petrus, Trotanoy, La Fleur-Pétrus, La Conseillante, Vieux Château Certan, Clinet, Feytit-Clinet.

Best Value

Bonalgue, de Sales, Guillot Clauzel, Saint-Pierre, Maillet, Enclos Tourmaline, le Moulin, Clos de la Vieille Eglise.

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The following wines have all been scored 94 points and above

Not yet tasted: Château Le Pin, Château La Violette, Château Vray Croix de Gay

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