2019 Sauternes is an interesting vintage. Many 2019 Sauternes are fabulous expressions of liquid gold. Often, they lean to the yellow and orange citrus side of the style range, providing ample sweetness coupled with ample, racy acidities. But the problem for growers here is that yields are often incredibly low.
This was caused by a rainy growing season, (more than in the other appellations with 2019 Bordeaux) coupled with a short harvest period. But the wines are clearly going to make every lover of sweet, white Bordeaux wine more than happy. Plus, most of these wines are going to drink well early, and because of their brightness and fresh fruits, they can be paired with a myriad of spicy and savory courses, so you can enjoy them with meals, instead of after dinner for dessert.
For a review of the vintage conditions or to look at tasting notes and ratings for more than 750 wines The Complete Guide To all the Best 2019 Bordeaux Wines
The following 2019 Sauternes and 2019 Barsac wines were all tasted in non-blind conditions in my home office. In addition, you will also find tasting notes for the dry white Bordeaux we tasted that were produced by chateaux in the appellation.
2019 Bastor Lamontagne – Sauternes – Vanilla, spiced honey, dried pineapple and apricot start things off. The wine shows a racy side with a lean to its lemon-curd and pineapple core of fruits. I like the lift and energy as it adds a raciness to the fruit. This will work well with spicy and savory courses. Drink from 2023-2035. 91 Pts
2019 Bastor-Lamontagne Confidence – Bordeaux – Mango, dried pineapple, quince and flowers are at the core of this early, drinking, fresh, Bordeaux Blanc that delivers a mild touch of honeyed yellow plums in the finish. Drink from 2022-2025. 88 Pts
2019 Broustet – Sauternes – Light, bright, sweet and and zesty, the wine expresses candied-lemon and dried pineapple character. This is not particularly weight, instead, it focuses on its balance between sweetness and lift. This will work well as an aperitif or, with spicy and savory courses. Drink from 2023-2034. 90 Pts
2019 Cantegril – Barsac – With a strong hint of dried banana, flowers, beeswax, spice and candied orange rind on the nose, the palate is more interesting due to the racy acidity that gives lift to all the orange rind and mango in the lushly-textured, sweet, candied orange finish. Drink from 2022-2036. 90 Pts
2019 Clos des Lunes Lune d’Argent – Bordeaux – Honeysuckle, grapefruit, white peach and lemon rind nuances are easy to find in the perfume and in the lemon chiffon and mango, creamy-textured, fresh, juicy palate. Drink from 2022-2028. 92 Pts
2019 Clos-Haut-Peyraguey – Sauternes – Honeysuckle, spice, white peach, flowers, spiced honey and vanilla nuances get you ready for the layers of fresh, sweet, honeyed tropical fruits, caramel, vanilla, apricot and touches of spice on the palate. The wine offers the perfect balance between its sweet, honeyed side and all the ripe, vanilla-toned, honeyed fruit in the fresh palate. This could be the best vintage of Clos Haut-Peyraguey I have ever tasted. Drink from 2023-2045. 94 Pts
2019 Coutet – Barsac – Flowers, orange blossoms, pineapple. mango creme brulee and vanilla scents are all over the place here. Sweet, fresh and most importantly, zesty, the finish leans to the tropical orange side with a liberal drizzle of honey and orange marmalade. Drink from 2022-2045. 93 Pts
2019 Doisy Daene – Sauternes – Everything is subtle and balanced here. The wine is spicy, fresh, vivacious, and packed with white peach, spicy roasted pineapples, vanilla, honey, mango and a touch of mint on the nose and palate. Fresh, sweet, and racy on the palate with a complex note of caramelized orange and pineapple that lingers due to the jolt of freshness that kicks in when you need it the most. Drink from 2023-2047. 95 Pts
2019 Du Cros – Loupiac – Honeyed herbs, orange rind, banana, lemon and marmalade notes come through the perfume easily. Rich, sweet, lush and on the orange side of the style range with loads of honeyed, mangos and orange candy. The wine is slightly cloying with its sweetness and could use a bit more freshness. Drink from 2022-2032. 87 Pts
2019 de Fargues – Sauternes – Quite floral in nature with its strong honeysuckle opening notes. You also find layers of ripe and overripe pineapple, apricot, lemon curd, vanilla and honey. Rich, racy, sweet, vibrant and lush, the finish delivers ample layers of roasted pineapples and honey coated apricots. Drink from 2022-2045. 93 Pts
2019 Guiraud – Sauternes – White peach, flowers, roasted pears, grilled nuts, orange tropical fruits, candied apricot and honey nuts are all over the place here. The wine triangulates its richness, sweetness and racy orange and yellow, honeyed fruits with ease. Drink from 2023-2045. 93 Pts
2019 Haut-Bergeron – Sauternes – Flowers, candied apricot, overripe pineapple and a generous helping of honey on the nose and palate work perfectly because you also find enough freshness to perk up all the layers of sweet, orange and yellow candied fruits. Drink from 2022-2032. 91 Pts
2019 La Tour Blanche – Sauternes – Candied orange rind, flowers, spice, overripe pineapple, honey and roasted toffee nuts are on display on the nose and palate. Fresh, sweet, vibrant, racy and honeyed, with long, lemon-tinged, honeyed pineapple finish. Drink from 2023-2045. 94 Pts
2019 Lafaurie-Peyraguey – Sauternes – Honeyed tropical fruits with candied mango, orange rind, apricots and pineapple all slathered in honey. This is showing much better in the bottle than it did in barrel. Now, you find a rich, lusciously textured, unctuous and racy sweet treat that will show well young and yet, it can age and evolve for 2 decades as well. Drink from 2022-2050. 95 Pts
2019 Lafaurie-Peyraguey Blanc – Bordeaux – Floral, fresh and already just delicious to drink today with all of its green apples, lemon oil, white peach and vanilla on full display on the nose and on the lusciously textured, lifted palate. Drink from 2022-2032. 91 Pts
2019 Raymond Lafon – Sauternes – Closer to the orange side of the style range, than yellow, yet there is so much to like here with all of its honeyed mango, candied orange rind, apricot, white peach, vanilla and honey character. Rich, sweet, lush and most importantly, fresh, this exciting sweet treat hits everything in all the right places. Drink from 2022-2045. 94 Pts
2019 Rayne Vigneau – Sauternes – Honeyed apricot, pineapple, candied orange rind, vanilla, a touch of honeysuckle, and a hint of spice are what you initially notice before moving to the fresh, orange and mango-centric, spicy, nutty, sweet, fresh palate. This is one of the sweet wines that will work well with savory courses or as a dessert wine. Drink from 2022-2039. 92 Pts
2019 Sigalas Rabaud – Sauternes – Candied white peach, pineapple, apricot, vanilla and honey show up instantly on the nose and palate. The wine finishes with a good sweetness and ample lift in the honeyed apricot along with a nice touch of vanilla as well on the creamy palate. You can enjoy this early as well as age it. Drink from 2022-2037. 91 Pts
2019 Suau – Sauternes – Candied apricot, flowers, pineapple upside-down and honeyed orange rind create the perfume. The wine balances its sweetness with ample acidity giving you lift on the palate that makes all the layers of dried pineapple and spice a true, sweet treat. Drink from 2022-2040. 92 Pts
2019 Suduiraut – Sauternes – Rich, lush, opulent, concentrated and most importantly, vibrant and fresh. From start to finish the wine serves up its elixir of overripe pineapple, apricot, white peach, flowers, spice and marmalade honey. It is effortless to drink and will deliver pleasure for decades. Drink from 2022-2060. 97 Pts
2019 Yquem – Sauternes – Light, yellow, gold in color, the wine pops on the nose with its showy display of flowers, honeysuckle, candied apricots, orange rind, pineapple, mango, lemongrass, vanilla and spice. Perched on the corner of richness, sweetness, and acidity, the wine is opulent, fresh, sweet, rich, and most importantly, lifted, so everything feels upbeat and racy on the backend. Because the wine has so much lift and energy, it will be easy to pair with a diverse array of cuisines. You can enjoy this young, without much if any age for its sweetness and exuberance. Or age it for secondary characteristics and nuances. Produced from a blend of 55% Semillon and 45% Sauvignon Blanc, 2019 has the highest percentage of Sauvignon Blanc ever used in d’Yquem. You find more Sauvignon Blanc this year due to the shortened picking window. But as you can see from my notes, or from tasting the wine, it really works here! Drink from 2025-2075. 98 Pts
2019 d’Yquem Y de Yquem – Bordeaux – Green apples, lemon wax, flowers, dried pineapple, and honeysuckle make for an exotic perfume. The wine is fresh, crisp, and slightly honeyed with touches of vanilla and yellow fruits with a touch of spice found in the lifted endnote. You can enjoy this on release, or age it for 15-20 years for more exotic nuances. Drink from 2022-2040. 95 Pts
Up next, we are going to publish our notes and scores for the rest of the 2019 Right Bank wines we tasted from Pomerol and St. Emilion before wrapping up our reports with all the wines from Left Bank.
We are posting the 2019 Bordeaux articles as fast as we can. Up next, Guide to all the best 2019 Lalande de Pomerol Wines
