Château Villemaurine 2019

Ripe and sweet fruit aromas—rich and full of fruit on the nose. Great texture and a consistent drive of sweet, dense fruit from start to finish. I love the precision and boldness here; it’s undoubtedly powerful, rich and ripe, yet presented right now in a fairly linear, well-defined way. Confident and quite showy, with a great fruit profile—cherries and blackcurrants—and velvety tannins that provide a gentle grip and solid support. Bold yet charming, in a ‘look at me’ kind of way. A very enjoyable glass of wine—hold onto it.

A perfumed nose of blackberries, blackcurrants, chocolate, undergrowth, sandalwood, sage and spice box. Pure fruit. Medium-to full-bodied with fine-grained, well-integrated tannins and fresh acidity. Plush texture with great balance. Long, delicious finish. Drink from 2025.

The 2019 Villemaurine, which was the final vintage under Justin Onclin, has a well-defined, focused bouquet of red berry fruit, touches of sous-bois and that marine scent that I noticed from the barrel sample. The palate is medium-bodied with supple tannins. There is a veneer of new oak that needs to be subsumed, but this has a lovely plushness and sensuality toward the finish. Needs time, but it will be worth the wait.

Quite floral in nature with nuances of licorice, espresso, chocolate, black cherries and plum. The wine is rich, lush, polished and fresh, with a sensuous, velvety texture that carries through to the end note. Drink from 2024-2037.

Dark ruby, purple reflections, subtle ochre rim. Fine nuances of fresh plums, slightly floral, wild berries, some nougat, rather restrained bouquet. Juicy, sweet cherries, subtle fruit, ripe, well-supporting tannins, saline minerality on the finish, lingers, very good balance, good with food, already approachable young, but will benefit from further bottle ageing.

Pure and forward, with crushed chalk, wild berries, modest oak, and a digest, medium-bodied palate offering both freshness and ripeness, supple tannins, and fine length.

Offering up notes of spicy oak, chocolate, leafy herbs, and Hermitage-like burning ember nuances, the 2019 Château Villemaurine is medium to full-bodied, has terrific red, blue, and black fruits, building tannins, and a great finish. I like its overall balance, it has solid complexity even at this young age, and it’s unquestionably an outstanding Saint-Emilion. As with most 2019s, short-term cellaring (or a healthy decant) is the name of the game, and it's going to have at least two decades of longevity.

Kunz barrel sample 2020: (80% Merlot, 20% Cabernet Franc, 14.6% vol. alcohol, production 30,000 bottles) Creamy, sweet, light bouquet, raspberry jelly, mint, vanilla. Medium-bodied, refined palate with sweet fruit, good tannins, a rather slender structure, medium aromatics, finely bitter finish.

Smooth, fruity, medium-intensity bouquet, strawberries, blueberries, mocha yogurt, licorice. Velvety, fruity palate with sweet fruit, fine tannins, creamy texture, fresh aromatics, delicate finish. 17/20 2024 - 2038

Plum colour, feel the limestone here, with austerity that feels like the flexing of muscles before you are propelled forward through the palate. This will smooth out beautifully over the next few years and is just a gorgeous wine. Raspberry, cherry pit, white pepper, bitter dark chocolate, fleshy but restrained. 7ha of limestone soils, Hubert de Boüard and Michel Rolland consultant. Tasted twice.

Deep garnet-purple colored, the 2019 Villemaurine rocks up with expressive notes of blueberry preserves, black raspberries, and kirsch, plus hints of licorice, tobacco, and pencil lead. Medium to full-bodied, it is firm and chewy with a lively line and slightly rustic finish.

The attack, with perfectly ripe fruit and the freshness of a garden after the rain, is a pure delight on the nose. On the palate, a transparency that highlights delicate notes of fruit and fresh flowers, along with a delicious trail of coffee. In our view, the best vintage of Villemaurine.

Covering 7ha, of which 6ha are in production, the Villemaurine vineyard is composed of clay-limestone soils resting on asteriated limestone. The vines have an average age of 35 years. The bouquet is dense and shows its élevage without it being dominant. It also displays intense fruit notes followed by spicy nuances and a hint of flint. On the palate, the wine has body. Creamy in character, it is well supported by fine tannins and a refreshing acid structure.

Logo on the cork: CB Dark, intense color with slight evolution. Moderately aromatic nose with fully ripe fruit. Caressing, very fruity palate that develops into tasty, even perfumed notes, discreet on the finish yet without any harsh tannins. Shows the appealing profile of the vintage. Normal length. Alcohol: 14.5%.