Chateau Les Gravieres 2019
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Robert
Parker - Vinous
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James
Suckling -
Jeb
Dunnuck
Product Details
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Professional Ratings
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Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
Sporting a deep garnet-purple color, the 2019 Les Gravieres opens slowly with subtle notions of stewed plums, baked black cherries and mulberries giving way to emerging scents of black tea, cracked pepper, cedar chest and tobacco leaf. Medium to full-bodied, the palate has a solid structure of firm, ripe, rounded tannins and tons of freshness framing the tightly wound black fruit layers, finishing on a mineral note.
Barrel Sample:92-94 -
Vinous
The 2019 Les Gravières a wine of tremendous distinction, and a major sleeper. Ripe red cherry, rose petal, spice, crushed rocks, menthol and licorice are all finely sculpted. Readers will find a deep, mineral-driven Saint-Emilion of real distinction. The purity and vivid delineation of the flavors if just remarkable. Tasted two times.
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James Suckling
A fragrant nose of black fruit, blackcurrants, violets, dried herbs, cloves and nutmeg. Medium-to full-bodied with chewy tannins. Fleshy, with a meaty core of spiced dark fruit and a compact finish.
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Jeb Dunnuck
All Merlot, the 2019 Château Les Gravières is showing beautifully from bottle and offers a deeper, darker fruited style as well as wonderful darker cherry and currants fruits, notes of chocolaty herbs tobacco, medium to full body, background oak, and a great finish. This mouth-filling, concentrated, impressive Saint-Emilion shows the balance and class of the vintage and will keep for 15-20 years. Best After 2022
Other Vintages
2022-
James
Suckling -
Jeb
Dunnuck
- Vinous
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James
Suckling -
Jeb
Dunnuck
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Robert
Parker - Vinous
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James
Suckling -
Jeb
Dunnuck
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Robert
Parker -
Jeb
Dunnuck -
James
Suckling
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Robert
Parker -
Wine
Spectator
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.