Bordeaux 2019 in bottle: overview plus top-scoring wines

After tasting more than 800 newly bottled 2019 wines, Decanter’s Bordeaux correspondent is full of praise for the vintage’s consistent and expressive wines, with successes on both Left and Right Bank.

By Georgie Hindle

published 2 March 2022

in Tastings

Despite Covid-19 severely reducing en primeur tasting opportunities for the 2019 wines, the vintage at the time was rightly hailed as a success. Even now, ongoing restrictions have limited much of the exposure a vintage of this quality might have seen in ordinary circumstances.

Scroll down to see tasting notes and scores for the top Bordeaux 2019 in-bottle wines

Fortunately, having been able to taste in situ now that the wines have been bottled, it’s certain this is an excellent and very consistent vintage with some fantastic wines, across both the Left and Right Banks, in all styles.

SCORE TABLE: top-scoring 106 wines with 95 points or above

Coming soon: more at a glance score tables

Bordeaux 2019 at a glance

Overall red wine vintage rating 4.5/5

Wines of the vintage

Left Bank: Château Montrose, St-Estèphe 2CC, 2019Right Bank: Château Lafleur, Pomerol, 2019

It comes in the middle of a trilogy, quality-wise, that most winemakers would dream of. Largely defined by their climatic conditions, 2018, 2019 and 2020 forced winemakers to navigate varying degrees of difficult or unwelcome weather episodes: mildew and rot in 2018; uneven rainfall and drought in 2019; and impactful microclimatic patterns (hail, rain and heat) in 2020. Yet each has produced a raft of top-class wines, if you know where to look.

Generally speaking, the 2019 reds seem to sit somewhere in the middle of the exuberant and plush 2018s and the structured and concentrated 2020s. In the best cases they manage the feat of providing power and density alongside elegance and class. You get acidity and juiciness balanced by precision and tension, with many displaying exceptional freshness.

They combine the understated power of 2018 and even 2016 with the attractiveness of 2015, alongside the brightness and classicism of 2017. Distinctive and impressive, 2019 joins 2010, ’15, ’16 and ’18 as one of the best vintages of the decade.

Changing face

Favoured sites with good drainage, particularly those planted with old vines, were better able to cope with hydric stress, while opting for a lighter touch in the cellars means winemakers have been able to capture real nuance and delicacy.

Particular terroirs and estate signatures are also clearly on show across a number of appellations, especially the delights of Médoc gravels, Pomerol clay and St-Emilion limestone.

See all Bordeaux 2019 in bottle wines in score order

Experiments with amphorae to retain freshness and energy are becoming widespread. Better canopy management and sensitive sustainable practices are helping vines adapt to changeable conditions. These factors, along with prudent replantings with grapes that can withstand hotter temperatures, and judicious use of new oak, have all brought a sense of joy and vibrancy to the wines, with highly expressive aromatics too.

There is also a growing, and dedicated, move to crafting wines that are digeste – a common French descriptor in 2019 referring to wines that appeal more in their youth and have an easier, earlier drinkability than their predecessors, though importantly without sacrificing ageing potential for those who want to wait.

While I wouldn’t advocate opening many of these bottles right away, on more than one occasion I would have happily enjoyed a full glass that evening, which isn’t something you might normally associate with young, fine Bordeaux.

Widespread appeal

There are hundreds of beautifully expressive wines, ranging truly from ripe, opulent and hedonistic to delicate, elegant and aerial, but with the majority having balance and appeal. And while only red wines have been highlighted in this selection, there are some fantastic dry white and sweet wines too, so there really is something for everyone in 2019.

There is also quality and consistency across appellations and price points, with value to be found from Pauillac to Pomerol. What more could you ask for? Except for perhaps a large(r) cellar and a full piggy bank.

Bordeaux 2019: weather & conditions

Considering the five conditions used to determine the potential quality of great red Bordeaux, 2019 wasn’t entirely a straightforward year.

Early bud break was slowed by poor weather in April and May, followed by flowering in early June under a spell of cool, wet weather, and was uneven in certain vineyards. From mid-June hot, dry weather arrived delivering a successful fruit set under ideal conditions.

July was hot overall, however precipitation varied significantly due to localised rainstorms leading to vegetative growth ending at different times. A sunny August with alternating hot and warm weather favoured ripening.

Early September was hot and dry, too, resulting in drought conditions that were saved by crucial rainfalls on both banks just before harvest, allowing the Merlots to ripen completely, in some cases with high alcohol, and the Cabernets to be picked almost without interruption in perfect conditions having had a little bit longer to mature.

Grapes for dry white wines were harvested relatively early, which helped prevent excess water stress, delivering acidity along with wonderful aromatic potential. For sweet wines, considerable efforts were undertaken to manage early outbreaks of sour rot in order to guarantee the purity of the harvested grapes, which many did successfully, albeit in low quantities.

Bordeaux 2019 in bottle: overview plus top-scoring wines