A famed location on the left bank of Bordeaux, Saint-Julien has 11 cru houses and neighbors Pauillac. Soils in this region are largely composed of a top layer of gravel on clay and limestone soil with large rocks. This location has the largest concentration of cru houses in the Medoc. You can see historical roots dating back to the 13th century with a Saint-Julien de Rintrac, potentially Saint-Julien’s earliest name. However, it was the 17th century that led to the first bourgeois and aristocrats, locals and Bordelais starting to understand this terroir.
I recently had the chance to revisit five wines from second growth houses in this region. 2019 was a vintage that is sandwiched between the magnificent 2018 vintage and stunning 2020 vintage. I think this will be an incredibly underrated year. The wines might possess the flavor density of 2018 but have incredible freshness and cellaring potential. That level of undying freshness reminds me a bit of 2005.
Out of the five houses that I tasted, it was a marvelous showing for the 2019 Leoville-Poyferre (OB, 97) which seems to just get better and better in the past decade. This house has been totally transformed with the management of Didier Cuvelier and a brand new facility built in 2014. Look for this house to continue to impress. I was blown away with the dense and heady 2019 Chateau Ducru-Beaucailou (OB, 98) which celebrates its 300th vintage with this wine — a masterclass that has so much cellaring potential. Learn more about these historic second growth houses at https://www.bordeaux.com/us/Our-Terroir/The-Medoc/Saint-Julien and here are my reviews of the beautiful 2019 second growth wines from Saint-Julien.
2019 Chateau Gruaud Larose- The outstanding 2019 Chateau Guiraud Larose is a combination of 72% Cabernet Sauvignon with 25% Merlot and 3% Cabernet Franc. This was stored in 80% new French oak before bottling. Plenty of toasty oak combines with sweet black plum, rich boysenberry and shades of coffee grounds. The palate is super refined and medium to full-bodied with good richness and underlying tension. Drinking marvelously now, this has a long way to go in the cellar. Give this several hours in the decanter if enjoying now. Drink 2025-2044- 95
2019 Chateau Leoville-Poyferre- The 2019 Leoville-Poyferre combines 66% Cabernet Sauvignon and 27% Merlot with the remainder Petit Verdot and Cabernet Franc. Stored in 80% new French oak, this offers graphite and garrigue notes on the nose alongside dark currants and shades of tobacco leaf. The palate shows a seamless texture with beautiful concentration and shades of creme de violette with cassis cordial. Dense and heady, this is a blockbuster wine that will live on for many decades to come. Try to resist this beautiful wine for at least a few more years. Drink 2026-2055- 97
2019 Chateau Ducru-Beaucailou- The brilliant 2019 Chateau Ducru-Beaucailou 80% Cabernet Sauvignon with the remainder Merlot, the wine celebrates the 300th vintage of this wine. Inky dark in the glass, this offers black rose petals that combine with gravel, black cherry compote and shades of creme de cassis. The palate is seamless and seductive. Medium to full-bodied, this is a stunning wine displaying dizzying black and blue fruits with a light stony and salty character. World-class, try to save this beauty for another four years. Drink 2028-2055- 98
2019 Chateau Leoville-Barton- The 2019 Leoville-Barton combines 84% Cabernet Sauvignon with the remainder Merlot. Heady aromatics greet you with violets, pencil lead, white pepper and dense dark fruits. The palate is soft and refined with great balance. Medium-bodied dark cherry and boysenberry fruits greet you alongside wet stone and shades of espresso grounds. Already expressing itself nicely, enjoy this beauty over the next twenty plus years to come. Drink 2024-2044- 95
2019 Chateau Leoville Las-Cases- The stunning 2019 Las-Cases melds together 79% Cabernet Sauvignon with 11% Merlot and the remainder Cabernet Franc. Black rose petals combine with cassis, Turkish coffee and shades of graphite. The palate is extremely refined with silky tannins that frame a beautiful core of black and blue fruits with wet gravel and sweet pipe tobacco accents. Sturdy and massive, give this incredible wine another several years to go in the cellar. Drink 2028-2055- 98