Winemaker Notes
Professional Ratings
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Vinous
The 2019 Hosanna continues this Pomerol cru's strong run of form. Picked between 20 September and 3 October, it is matured in 50% new oak. It contains a little more Cabernet Franc than previous vintages (31%). It has a divine bouquet, pure and delineated with intoxicating scents of blackberry, raspberry preserve, rose petals, hints of blood orange and a light smear of honey. The palate is beautifully balanced with filigree tannins and perfectly judged acidity. Cabernet Franc contributes an extra dimension to the finish. This might well be the best Hosanna since its inception. - Neal Martin
Barrel Sample: 96-98 -
Jeb Dunnuck
Another beautiful Pomerol, the 2019 Château Hosanna comes from a small 11-acre vineyard composed of a mix of gravel and clay soils. Its deep ruby/plum color is followed by a terrific perfume of spiced red and black cherries, blueberries, leafy tobacco, damp earth, and chocolate. It gains richness and depth with time in the glass and is medium to full-bodied, has a plush, seamless texture, gorgeous tannins, and no hard edges. It epitomizes the elegance paired with opulence that only Pomerol seems capable of producing. This beauty is already impossible to resist (it needs a decant) yet will evolve for 30 years or more. Best after 2022
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Wine Enthusiast
This 11-acre vineyard was put together by the Moueix family in 1999 from parcels of old vines. With an unusually high percentage of Cabernet Franc in the blend, the wine is rich and elegantly perfumed. The density of tannins is impressive and will certainly allow it to age.
Barrel Sample: 95-97 -
James Suckling
The aromas and flavors of blueberries, black olives, black chocolate and minerals are very impressive. It’s full-bodied, layered and powerful. Focused and chewy. Barrel Sample: 95-96
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Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
The 2019 Hosanna has turned out well, exhibiting opulent aromas of sweet berry fruit, plums, spices and creamy new oak. Full-bodied, rich and velvety, it's broad and enveloping, with supple tannins and an ample core of ripe, generously extracted fruit. Hosanna is the most dramatic wine in the Mouiex portfolio this year, as is often the case. Best after 2025.
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Wine Spectator
Captures the dark, lush and opulent fruit of the vintage, with boysenberry, fig and blackberry reduction notes in a much more refined frame than most, offering a remarkably silky and persistent structure that lets the fruit play out. Features enticing black tea, anise and apple wood details through the lengthy finish, with a nice mineral echo. Merlot and Cabernet Franc. Best from 2024.
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Decanter
Coffee bean and violet, I love the balance of austerity and exuberance. The dark berry fruits are plush and expand outwards through the mid palate, the tannins are well brushed and hang around just as you wish them to do. Plenty of ageing potential here.
Barrel Sample: 94
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.
A source of exceptionally sensual and glamorous red wines, Pomerol is actually a rather small appellation in an unassuming countryside. It sits on a plateau immediately northeast of the city of Libourne on the right bank of the Dordogne River. Pomerol and St-Émilion are the stars of what is referred to as Right Bank Bordeaux: Merlot-dominant red blends completed by various amounts of Cabernet Franc or Cabernet Sauvignon. While Pomerol has no official classification system, its best wines are some of the world’s most sought after.
Historically Pomerol attached itself to the larger and more picturesque neighboring region of St-Émilion until the late 1800s when discerning French consumers began to recognize the quality and distinction of Pomerol on its own. Its popularity spread to northern Europe in the early 1900s.
After some notable vintages of the 1940s, the Pomerol producer, Petrus, began to achieve great international attention and brought widespread recognition to the appellation. Its subsequent distribution by the successful Libourne merchant, Jean-Pierre Mouiex, magnified Pomerol's fame after the Second World War.
Perfect for Merlot, the soils of Pomerol—clay on top of well-drained subsoil—help to create wines capable of displaying an unprecedented concentration of color and flavor.
The best Pomerol wines will be intensely hued, with qualities of fresh wild berries, dried fig or concentrated black plum preserves. Aromas may be of forest floor, sifted cocoa powder, anise, exotic spice or toasted sugar and will have a silky, smooth but intense texture.