Château La Dominique 2019

Attractive élevage spice; seems more closed than en primeur; with some tannins slightly roughened by the wood, yet it remains an excellently crafted wine that should age well.

A velvety and broad offering, with a mix of melted licorice, warmed plum and mulled blackberry notes. The toasty finish shows flickers of cedar and alder. Merlot, Cabernet Franc and Cabernet Sauvignon. Drink now through 2032. 6,200 cases made.

Aromatic and abundant on the nose, smells appealing and heady with floral touches alongside ripe red cherry and blackcurrant reflections. Amazing clarity to the fruit profile on the palate with such minerality driving the wine from start to finish. It has spicy tones, liquorice and toast that give texture and depth with acidity keeping things refreshing. Lovely grace. Tannins are fine and provide plenty of grip in the mouth supporting the fruit with excellent freshness and a wet stone character that puts you in St-Emilion. So charming, confident and characterful - lots to enjoy here. First full vintage with new technical director Yann and consultant Julien Viaud. Tasted twice. The 50th vintage at La Dominique since it was purchased in 1969.

This is very perfumed, with dried flowers, chocolate and hints of nuts to the dark fruit, following through to a full body with layers of fruit and a ripe, rich finish. Plush and ripe, yet still focused and precise. Needs time to open and come together. Try after 2024.

The 2019 La Dominique has a cool and harmonious nose, blackberry and seaweed, quite Left Bank in style with fine delineation. The palate is medium-bodied with finely sculpted tannins, very well balanced, silky smooth with a cohesive and quite persistent finish. This is very promising. Tasted blind at the Southwold annual tasting.

Texturally, this is just great with all of its soft, silky, polished nuances. Medium-bodied, fresh and vibrant, you find layers of black and red fruits, savory herbs, tobacco leaf, crushed stone, and flowers all over the place. Elegant and refined, this is going to be even better with a few years of bottle age. Drink from 2023-2041.

Inky dark purple core and hue. Discreet oak and toast paired with ripe blackberry, plum and cassis notes. Dense and concentrated palate with well‑maintained freshness, ripe yet plentiful tannins with concentrated, ripe dark‑fruit notes; still youthful but finely balanced in a rich, opulent style with a long, persistent finish.

An estate readers need to have on their radar, the 2019 Château La Dominique is a beautiful Saint-Emilion coming from the northern sector of the region, not far from Pomerol, which might explain why I always find a Pomerol-like elegance in this wine. Redcurrants, black raspberries, sappy flowers, sandalwood, tobacco, and hints of damp earth all define the nose, and the wine is medium to full-bodied, with a pure, layered, seamless mouthfeel, ripe tannins, and a great finish. It's going to benefit from 4–6 years of bottle age and keep for two decades.

Kunz barrel sample 2020: (85% Merlot, 13% Cabernet Franc, 2% Cabernet Sauvignon, 15% alc./vol.) Fresh, powerful, velvety bouquet; black cherries, blackberries, fine chocolate, delicate roasted notes, mint. Densely knit, fruity, sweet palate with intense fruit, concentrated aromatics, creamy structure, fine tannins, long, dense finish with sweet lingering notes.

(85% Merlot, 13% Cabernet Franc, 2% Cabernet Sauvignon, 15% abv) Fresh, powerful, velvety bouquet: black cherries, blackberries, a hint of fine chocolate, delicate roasted notes, mint. Densely knit, fruity, sweet palate with generous fruit, concentrated aromatics, creamy texture, fine tannins, and a long, layered finish with sweet lingering notes. 18/20 2024 - 2045

If you don't think that there is a human element to terroir, taste this wine against the 2010 – both excellent vintages but only this one lives up to the potential of the year. Layered and complex, with blueberry, raspberry and cassis, alongside bracken, liquorice and tobacco leaf notes. Plenty of depth and grip to the tannins, and a mouthwatering finish. Julien Viaud consultant. Yann Monties, ex-Haut-Bailly, arrived as technical director for this vintage and together with director Gwendeline Lucas, began to make a host of small changes that have made a big difference. The 50th vintage of the Fayat family at La Dominique. 47 hl/ha yield, 50% new oak.

The 2019 La Dominique is made from 85% Merlot, 13% Cabernet Franc, and 2% Cabernet Sauvignon. Deep garnet-purple in color, it bursts with bold notes of black cherry compote, fruitcake, and juicy plums, with hints of dried herbs and pencil lead. The full-bodied palate packs plenty of bright, crunchy black fruit, framed by firm, grainy tannins and lifted by a lively finish.

An open, easy, welcoming nose where red and black fruits blend beautifully, wrapped in gentle freshness. Pure, clean, soft and delicious on the palate, with a mouthwatering finish.

The nose offers a touch of gentle power, controlled richness, fine intensity, and a subtle, beguiling character. It reveals notes of crushed redcurrant, pulpy cherry and, more lightly, blackberry, joined by small touches of violet, hints of pulpy/crushed small red fruits, liquorice, delicate spice notes and a discreet hint of pepper. The palate is mineral, fruity, balanced, very discreetly firm, and offers some roundness, a touch of glycerol richness, clarity of line, a subtle tangy thread, and controlled opulence. On the palate, the wine shows notes of crushed raspberry, pulpy redcurrant and, more lightly, fleshy blackcurrant, with touches of lily, pulpy cherry, liquorice, and fine hints of toasted hazelnut and caramelisation. The tannins are well-handled. A subtle hint of coffee appears on the retro-olfaction. Delicacy on the finish.

Dark, intense, and beautiful color. Very aromatic nose with ripe fruit. Truffled and creamy nuances. Depth. Delicate on the attack, tender and fruity mid-palate; the wine caresses the palate—pleasant, but without power. Medium length.