Château Balestard La Tonnelle 2019

Vignobles Capdemourlin have produced a solid wine here, with firm tannins that could use a little more give. Plenty of cassis fruit, but there are traces of bitterness on the finish.

A medium-bodied red with enticing aromas of black fruit, olives, walnuts, lemon rind and sweet spices. Lovely fine-tannin structure. Intense with bright acidity and a vibrant finish with excellent length. Drink after 2024.

The 2019 Balestard La Tonnelle is a powerful, driving wine, but also less opulent than it was as a barrel sample. The tannins have integrated nicely with élevage. Red cherry, red plum, iron, chalk and blood orange give the 2019 its distinctive and exotic profile.

Fresh, juicy, sweet, soft and vibrant, the wine is loaded with layers of black and red plums, cocoa, dark chocolate, espresso and flowers. The medium-bodied finish lingers with elegant, ripe fruits, earthy nuances and freshness. There is nice lift and energy here. Drink from 2024-2037.

Inky dark, fruity and spicy, with notes of liquorice, pepper and blackberry underlined by mild oak. The palate is dense in a classical, powerful Saint‑Émilion style, with good proportions, length and particularly strong potential for long ageing.

The 2019 Château Balestard La Tonnelle is a solid effort. Giving up medium-bodied aromas and flavors of savory red and black fruits, dried herbs, and tobacco, it’s medium-bodied and nicely balanced, with mid-weight richness and depth. Drink it over the coming 8–10 years.

Kunz barrel sample 2020: peppery, herbal bouquet, red and blue berries, blackberries, liquorice, black pepper, smoke. Firm, powerful palate with good fruit, plenty of fine sandy tannins, muscular structure, good aromatics, dry finish.

Well balanced and carefully judged, with hidden power that is still subdued but pulsing. Smoky grilled earth and tobacco notes on the opening beats, tight tannins and inky black fruits – pure cassis and bilberry notes, along with liquorice root and chocolate. Dramatic but impressive.

[ Primeurs 2019 Scores: 89-90 ] Everything comes down to the rising, fresh finish that caps off a profile with plenty of potential. The nuances will come with ageing.

What a transformation. Balestard La Tonnelle reveals itself from a perspective that highlights its great terroirs—at last! The bouquet creates an excellent symbiosis of morello cherry, blueberry, and licorice notes, with a chalky touch. There are even woody hints, though you really have to look for them. The wine is elegant, slightly creamy, and well supported by its tannins. A finely crafted Balestard La Tonnelle with a refreshing finish.

The nose is elegant, racy, and offers a certain straightness in its elegance, a lovely grain, and finesse within its subtle richness/concentration. It reveals notes of crushed strawberry, crushed blackcurrant, and, more lightly, pulpy redcurrant, combined with small touches of pulpy/tangy plum, as well as fine hints of violet, lily, limestone, chocolate, caramelization, and a very discreet hint of saffron (in the background). The palate is fruity, elegant, racy, and balanced, offering lovely definition, precision, a supple texture, refined richness, a fine grain, and a limestone freshness from the terroir. On the palate, this wine expresses notes of crushed raspberry, pulpy blackcurrant and, more lightly, small tangy/juicy red fruits, combined with small touches of lily, crunchy plum, as well as a hint of camphor, chocolate, almond, and a very discreet hint of pepper. The tannins are elegant and velvety. Good length and persistence.

Logo on the capsule: CB Dark, intense, youthful color. Very aromatic nose with ripe, pure fruit. Very fruity palate, with a caressing touch that moves forward gently before gaining in the mid-palate through to the finish. Long, with very enveloped tannins and really good. Blend: 70% Merlot, 25% Cabernet Franc, 5% Cabernet Sauvignon. Alcohol: 14%. This wine was vinified in a new vat room. I encourage you to visit. The renovation is splendid. The estate is on the rise.

Silky, fruity, peppery bouquet with blackberry, cherry, smoke, licorice, toasted notes, and chocolate. Fruity, opulent palate with powerful, sweet fruit, good tannins, a muscular, broad structure, intense aromatics, and a long, slightly drying finish. 17/20 2025 - 2040