Winemaker Notes
Blend: 77% Merlot, 11% Cabernet Sauvignon, 9% Cabernet Franc
The Barrel Sample for this wine is above 14% ABV.
Professional Ratings
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Decanter
Intense nose of dark chocolate an espresso, with layers of red and dark fruit complexity. Juicy and elegant palate. Blend: 71% Merlot, 16% Cabernet Franc, 9% Cabernet Sauvignon.
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James Suckling
Very beautiful aromas of redcurrants and ripe plums with bark and moss, following through to a medium to full body with firm, creamy tannins and hints of salt and fresh herbs.
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Jeb Dunnuck
I loved the 2019 Château De Pressac from barrel, and it showed nicely from bottle, with a charming, nicely balanced, elegant profile that still brings plenty of fruit. Black cherries, blackberries, spicy oak, and dried herbs all define the nose, and it's medium-bodied on the palate, has ripe yet present tannins, and outstanding length. It already offers pleasure, but I'd give bottles just a handful of years in the cellar, and it's going to evolve for 15 years or more. Best after 2025.
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Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
More tightly wound, the 2019 de Pressac reveals aromas of cherries, red berries, spices and dark chocolate. Medium to full-bodied, lively and nicely concentrated, it will reward a bit of bottle age. Best after 2023. Rating: 90+
One of the world’s most classic and popular styles of red wine, Bordeaux-inspired blends have spread from their homeland in France to nearly every corner of the New World. Typically based on either Cabernet Sauvignon or Merlot and supported by Cabernet Franc, Malbec and Petit Verdot, the best of these are densely hued, fragrant, full of fruit and boast a structure that begs for cellar time. Somm Secret—Blends from Bordeaux are generally earthier compared to those from the New World, which tend to be fruit-dominant.
Marked by its historic fortified village—perhaps the prettiest in all of Bordeaux, the St-Émilion appellation, along with its neighboring village of Pomerol, are leaders in quality on the Right Bank of Bordeaux. These Merlot-dominant red wines (complemented by various amounts of Cabernet Franc and/or Cabernet Sauvignon) remain some of the most admired and collected wines of the world.
St-Émilion has the longest history in wine production in Bordeaux—longer than the Left Bank—dating back to an 8th century monk named Saint Émilion who became a hermit in one of the many limestone caves scattered throughout the area.
Today St-Émilion is made up of hundreds of independent farmers dedicated to the same thing: growing Merlot and Cabernet Franc (and tiny amounts of Cabernet Sauvignon). While always roughly the same blend, the wines of St-Émilion vary considerably depending on the soil upon which they are grown—and the soils do vary considerably throughout the region.
The chateaux with the highest classification (Premier Grand Cru Classés) are on gravel-rich soils or steep, clay-limestone hillsides. There are only four given the highest rank, called Premier Grand Cru Classés A (Chateau Cheval Blanc, Ausone, Angélus, Pavie) and 14 are Premier Grand Cru Classés B. Much of the rest of the vineyards in the appellation are on flatter land where the soils are a mix of gravel, sand and alluvial matter.
Great wines from St-Émilion will be deep in color, and might have characteristics of blackberry liqueur, black raspberry, licorice, chocolate, grilled meat, earth or truffles. They will be bold, layered and lush.