Bordeaux 2019 in bottle: overview plus top-scoring wines

One of the standouts in 2019. Red fruit aromatics are so clear on the nose, strawberries and sweet red cherries with some bramble floral notes - delicate and liffed. Gorgeous expression on the palate, so finely framed with tannins that are smooth and supple, effortlessly coating the mouth and giving life to the bright cherry and raspberry fruit. This has grace - slender and smooth - the flavours just glide across the palate, filling out the mouth with lashings of limestone terroir markers - crystalline fruit purity, crushed stones, mint and minerality. Clearly concentrated, there's layers of flavour but there's also such persistence, the flavours go on and on. Wonderful lift and so charming. I absolutely love it.

Released at a 32% discount to 2018, despite volumes being 30% down, this represented a 'bargain' for lovers of Cheval Blanc. Produced from 41 of 53 blocks, the grand vin accounted for 82% of production. So fine and concentrated on the nose and palate with notes of dark berry fruit initially before roses and violets appear, tinged with spice,red cherry and orange. Luxurious, luscious tannins on the palate with cooling, mineral and menthol characters to finish. The aftertaste lingers for over a minute.

Fresh berries, plums, damsons, sloes, a touch of spice and irises and peonies. But that’s just the start. For as this gathers in the air, breathes, relaxes and then exhales just a little it releases more floral notes, almonds too, pain d’épices, cassis and then, eventually, graphite and cedar. Quite ethereal. But what is most amazing about this wine is its structure and the dynamism in the mouth that it imparts. The potential here is quite staggering. One of the most remarkable tasting experiences of my life.

Another triumph from Montrose. Dense, rich and powerful, there is plenty of new oak evident at the moment (60% used). A beautifully sculpted wine which has power and structure, yet huge reserves of plush, refined tannins. Violets pervade the nose together with an inky, opaque hue all pointing to a very long future. Finishes a little dry at the moment but this will resolve with several years careful cellaring. A great St-Estèphe with masses of class and concentration.

Such a seductive soft perfume to the nose, delicate yet generous aromatics of cherry and rose. The palate is juicy and fresh, charming yet energetic with such crystalline purity and balance. Tannins are smooth but softly textured giving nuance to the flavours where refreshing high toned ripe red and black cherry fruit play alongside mint, dark chocolate and graphite. Clearly powerfully but carefully controlled from start to finish giving such a satisfying overall mouthful and lasting impression. Incredible.

This is glorious. Damsons and sloes, black and red cherries, violets, dried petals and saffron, cumin and curry leaf too – and then cedar and graphite from the Cabernet. Cool and fresh, lifted with cashmere tannins and a plunge-pool depth and elegance. Wonderfully harmonious, it flows across the palate in the most luxuriant way. The latest in a succession of great wines from VCC and probably the best of them all.

Beautifully expressive nose, really so welcoming with hints of sweet red cherries, raspberries, milk chocolate and touches of perfume too - soft but really defined. On the palate there is such charming grip from the tannins and flavour that just takes hold straight away but not in an overly dominating way. It's smooth but precise, driven from start to finish. Softly chewy tannins coat the tongue with black fruit and some creaminess alongside excellent acidity that gives a mouthwateringly fresh and cooling aspect underneath the ripe red and black fruit flavours. This has real life and energy, bright with clear complexity and layers of fruit, oak and terroir that comes across as a spicy but also wet stone, mineral undertone. Seriously good. You almost want to drink this now and just capture all the elements going on but they'll continue to soften and integrate over time and also let the beautiful Cabernet Franc elements integrate and come more into play over time. A success in 2019.

Canon has been on an amazing run since 2015, and the 2019 continues this performance. Carries 14.5% alcohol with ease. Complex aromas and flavours of spices, moccha, smoky notes, liquorice and dark cherry/blackberry fruit. Freshness from the abundant acidity and mineral notes give the wine a profound elegance despite the sumptuous texture. Fully deserves its 1er Grand Cru Classé B classification.

In 2019, 50% less Lafite was released en-primeur, at a discount of 20% compared to 2018. Surprisingly forward and beautifully balanced, this has a glorious combination of richness, purity of fruit, pronounced lead pencil/mineral notes and ultra-refined tannins. Dark cherry, blueberry fruit on the palate with some intriguing menthol and leafy aromas, all wrapped up in enveloping oak. Not as massive as Margaux but so refined, complex and elegant. This will be even more stunning in another five years.

An evocative nose, floral and exotic with black cherry, lychee and passion fruit aromas, delicate and nuanced. Svelte on the palate with sculpted and refined tannins - it's confident, with sinew, muscle and plump fruit, but not showy. Characterful and bold but presented with a lightness of touch alongside a gorgeous fragrance and freshness that carries the wine to a long finish. Well built with depth and poise.

Wet stone, smoke and floral aspects to the aromatic profile - seriously inviting. Density and power here, but cooling and all in balance, full of blackcurrant and black cherries with obvious minerality. It gives such plushness in terms of roundness and grip of tannins, but also layers of perfumed fruit, ripe fruit and cooling slate and liquorice elements. A distinguished wine with a seamless tannic structure and excellent length. Lots of life here and also a real, almost sweet acidity that gives life and lift. Lots going on now but designed for long and steady ageing.

A stunning, monumental Margaux, this has all the power, concentration and class expected of a First Growth. Cool on the palate with an emerging floral bouquet after a few minutes swirling in the glass, Asian spices also appear, supported by ultra-fine tannin and beautifully managed, subtle oak. Dark red-fruits abound with fantastic purity on the palate, remarkable length to finish. 37% of production went into the Grand Vin. A vin-de-garde which has years ahead of it but is already promising so much.

Gorgeous nose with a soft sweetness to the fruit aromas - a quality of the cooler year with freshness and vibrancy to the fruit profile. A great core of black fruits - blackcurrant, plums and cherries, balancing power but also succulence in the best way. Muscular but refined and finessed, feels so well constructed with harmonious tannins. The texture is smooth, deep and coursing but with such elegance to the overall frame. Deep and concentrated, but I love the touches of sour cherry and then smoky, liquorice aspects with a mineral freshness. It feels as if when it's ready it will expand and just give and give. I love it.

Inky in hue, concentrated and designed for the long-haul, Pichon Comtesse is very backwards in the glass on initial tasting. After five minutes in the glass the wine's characters start to emerge – dark berry fruit, exotic spices, hints of chocolate and some floral notes of violet/rose. The wine is elegant and precise, with all the components in place for two to three decades of ageing. The Baron has the edge at the moment but I suspect Comtesse will win through at the end.

Ripe and expressive on the nose, with a serious perfumed edge that stands out. Quite floral in fact. Powerful and well built, this has muscles and walls of tannin but they're so smooth and velvety, supporting the fruit and giving an excellent frame to the palate. Certainly a masculine style, it's dark and brooding with lots of mint, liquorice and stone. Textured and taught. It's all muscle at the moment, almost chewy but so cool and refreshing. I love the intensity and the precision from start to finish. Incredible.

A seductive and sensual nose full of ripe and sweetly-perfumed cherry and blackcurrant notes - which are even more expressive and abundant after an hour in the glass. This is such a beguiling wine, changing in texture and fruit profile several times from a first sip of smooth and streamlined, chalky tannins to one filled with bright acidity and succulent juiciness then shifting another gear delivering a palate full of concentrated dark fruits edged with liquorice and black pepper. The tannins are abundant and clearly present, Olivier Berrout director of Petrus says he’s never produced a vintage with such high tannins, but they are wonderfully consistent and well integrated with a lovely powdery element to them. You really feel the structure develop in the mouth, building in complexity and layers with a beautiful perfume and wet stone minerality lingering on the long finish. You have to wait for the reticence and reservation of Petrus in its youth to subside before you see the power and energy here but it’s giving a tantalising glimpse of what its long life holds in store.

Gorgeously aromatic and concentrated nose, rich with wild flowers and bramble fruits. Lovely cool blue fruits on the palate, blueberries, plums and black cherries with lashings of graphite, slate and liquorice giving a real spicy menthol mineral tone to the palate. Such complexity with poise and polish. Youthful for sure, but this will be excellent. The texture is so attractive and likeable. This has energy and vibrancy despite still being knitted down, it's just giving a hint of what's to come. Buy and hold on to.

Gorgeous aromatics with some savoury elements; truffle, tobacco, mocha and ripe black bramble fruits. Excellent precision and tension in the mouth, this is refined but layered with chocolate, coffee, liquorice, stone, some bitter orange notes alongside blackcurrant and black cherry. Incredible texture, mouth coating for sure but so sophisticated, it's layered yet so well defined, pulsing with energy on the palate in waves of fruit then cooling mint then spice then more fruit which lingers in the mouth. Elegant but also so complex, you can sit with this for a while savouring each element. Such a fantastic wine.

A dark and heady nose, bramble fruits and spice, coffee and blackcurrant nuances. Gorgeous texture that stands out immediately, this is succulent but not overtly mouthwatering. Serious and broad shouldered, there's a meatiness to the texture with grippy tannins but still with a velvet like quality that have such presence in the mouth. This feels so expressive but also so controlled - spherical and fleshy but with a background of iron, wet stone and graphite. Finishes direct and poised, focussing the palate to a long mineral-edged lingering taste. Such complexity, I love this wine.

So aromatic with real complexity of notes on the nose, perfume and black fruits. Quite tannic on the palate, broad-shouldered and carefully detailed with a core of liquorice-edged black fruit, dark chocolate and slate giving it quite a serious, gourmet and savoury feel right now. Lovely poise though - that St-Julien class shining through with mouthwatering freshness. Feels well made with energy and elegance. A standout wine with absolute distinction and plenty on offer. 67% Cabernet Sauvignon, 27% Merlot, 4% Cabernet Franc, 3% Petit Verdot. Harvest 22 September-11 October.

Intense, dark currant fruit on the nose and palate with pronounced lead-pencil character unmistakably placing the wine in Pauillac. Powerful tannins evident on the palate, plenty of acidity and new oak characters all interwoven suggesting this will need several years to meld, but will provide great drinking in 5+ years. Lynch-Bages continues to way over-deliver on it's Fifth Growth status – this rivals most Second Growths.

A serious and darkly fruited wine with notes of milk chocolate, violets and black cherries supported by fine-grained and velvety tannins that really coat the mouth, carefully constructed with acidity underneath that gives brightness and lift. The emphasis here is really the concentration and density of flavours with layers of black chocolate, black cherries, cocoa powder and cooling minerality but each with purity and definition. Excellently framed and well packaged with energy and verve. So many elements going on: a great Palmer.

Highly charged and high toned on the nose, smells abundant and seriously expressive. Lovely intensity here, tannins are mouth coating and super persistent but this has excellent depth with such concentrated fruit flavours that are balanced so well with acidity and the soft wood spicing around the edges. A bold wine for sure, with tons of flavour and personality, and excellent freshness throughout with minerality and wet stone nuances. One to age, but delivering excellent clarity and confidence. A top buy.

Expressive nose of blackcurrants, parma violets and spices all with such a sweet nuance. Great quality to the tannins here, they're ripe and mouth coating but fine and well defined. This is high toned with pure strawberry and red cherry fruit balanced by a mineral chalky-textured core. I love the combination of fruit, density, chewiness and acidity. This is sculpted with lots of promise. A delicate style but with clear focus and intensity all with a slight voluptuousness in the expansiveness of the fruit. Joyful.

A well-articulated wine with elegance and serious expression of place. The 16% Cabernet Franc (alongside 1% Cabernet Sauvignon, the first year in the blend) gives such an enticing nose, so perfumed - you really get a nose full of flowers here which I love. There's depth on the palate straight away - it's concentrated but comes across in layers as opposed to overt volume or voluptuousness. Tannins are sleek and well integrated and there’s spice-edged blackcurrant, red and black cherries, plums, liquorice, cedar and cinnamon nuances. There’s succulence to the acidity, which is fresh and cooling, and clear opulence throughout, but it’s still quite shy, just showing signs of life. A sophisticated wine with a long future.

Compared to the 2018, this vintage displays a cooler aspect to go with the ripe red and black fruit: more tobacco leaf than glycerine. Even if the alcohol and pH are similar, this vintage was aged in less new oak, and was the first to include some amphorae. The tannins are noticeable at this very early stage, even slightly more aggressive than those of the 2018. But when they settle down, the 2019 will overtake the 2018, at least because of slightly better balance. 3.6pH.