Last Call - 12 Bottles Remain
Triple 99 Points & James Suckling Rank #1 Top 100 Wines 2022 France
2019 Chateau Smith Haut Lafitte Grand Cru Classe Pessac Leognan
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Total Wine's Price: $199.99
Average Online: $187.00
Our Regular Price: $169.99
TODAY ONLY: $129.97
Only 2 x Original Wood 6-Pack Cases Remaining (12 bottles)
In Stock NOW & NOT a Pre-Arrival Offer
Dear Artisans,
2019 is on track to be the most monumental Bordeaux vintage of the last decade. Want proof? How about Cheval Blanc's quadruple 100-point scores? Or how about today's offer which James Suckling Ranked #1 Top 100 Wines (France) of 2022?, and Jeb Dunnuck wrote that this is "One of the most concentrated, powerful wines in the vintage" ... ?
Back in the Summer of 2022, we negotiated and secured a small lot of only 9 original 6-pack wood cases of this unicorn. The container from France has finally just docked stateside and these glorious cases will come through our doors this Friday. But since we're offering them to you for $70-40 /btl LOWER than any other California merchant, those cases are going to fly right back out our front door.
From James Suckling's Top 100 Wines of 2022, France: "This year’s Top 100 Wines of France list celebrates the fantastic 2019 vintage in Bordeaux. Of the more than 5,500 French wines the JamesSuckling.com team tasted this year, the 1,500 or so Bordeaux 2019s stood out for their quality of fruit, structure and freshness. And standing atop all of them is our French Wine of the Year, the Château Smith-Haut-Lafitte Pessac-Léognan 2019. It leads the charge of 53 Bordeaux wines from the 2019 vintage in the top 100.
The 2019 Smith-Haut-Lafitte is a thought-provoking wine, exuding striking cabernet character with intense lead-pencil, asphalt and graphite notes, followed by a creamy, cashmere-like texture on the palate and beautifully integrated tannins. The winery achieved this by finding “the perfect point of ripeness in the vineyard,” according to Fabien Teitgen, Smith-Haut-Lafitte’s technical director."
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2019 Chateau Smith-Haut Lafitte Grand Cru Classe Pessac-Leognan |
99 Points, Rank #1 Top 100 France 2022 - James Suckling
"Intense blackberry and graphite character coming out of the glass, together with dried violets, ink and some asphalt. Full-bodied with wonderfully integrated tannins that spread across the palate and then draw you deep into the wine. Lead-pencil and blackcurrant aftertaste. Tightly wound with a cashmere-like texture. A whole and thought-provoking wine. Try after 2028 and beyond."
99 Points - The Wine Independent:
"The 2019 Smith Haut Lafitte Rouge comes from terroir composed of 60% gravel and 40% clay and is a blend of around 2/3 Cabernet Sauvignon and 1/3 Merlot with a splash of Cabernet Franc. Deep garnet-purple colored, it needs considerable swirling to unlock notes of blackcurrant preserves, stewed plums, and juicy blackberries, with hints of candied violets, licorice, espresso, and tapenade, plus wafts of crushed rocks and wood smoke. Full-bodied, rich, and opulent in the mouth, it has very firm, super-ripe, fine-grained tannins and bold freshness to support the voluptuous, mineral-accented fruit, finishing very long and achingly perfumed." -Lisa Perrotti-Brown (5/9/22)
99 Points - Jane Anson, Inside Bordeaux:
"Sumptuous, seductive and extremely poised. This inches forward with layers of bitter chocolate, smoked caramel, liquorice root, fresh mint leaf, rosebud and black truffle. Behind all this sits caressing, slate-filled tannins that give real grip to the palate. Within 15 minutes of opening you feel even more volume in the mid palate, before things close in towards a mouthwatering salinity on the finish. Shows why Le Petit Smith Haut-Lafitte is so exceptional in this vintage. Full of signature Smith Haut Lafitte gloss, but this is also a serious wine that will reward ageing." (12/2021)
98 Points - Jeb Dunnuck:
Reminding me a little of the 2009, the 2019 Château Smith Haut Lafitte has a rich, powerful style in its cassis, blueberry, and black raspberry fruit as well as its chalky minerality, smoked earth, tobacco, and lead pencil shaving-like aromas and flavors. A blend of 59% Cabernet Sauvignon, 36% Merlot, 4% Cabernet Franc, and the rest Petit Verdot, this rich, unctuously textured beauty has terrific concentration, sweet tannins, and the vintage's hallmark elegance and finesse. One of the most concentrated, powerful wines in the vintage, it needs 4-5 years of bottle age (or a healthy decant) and will evolve for 30+ years if stored properly. Not enough can be said about what proprietors Daniel and Florence Cathiard, as well as winemaker Fabien Teitgen, continue to achieve at this estate. (Drink between 2026-2058)". (Apr 2022)
98 Points - Wine Enthusiast:
"Rich in black fruits with a structure that acts as a support. Acidity and blackberry flavors with hints of black coffee and a core of denseness that is very fine. The wine will age well, drink from 2026. Organic and biodynamic." -RV
97 Points - Vinous:
The 2019 Smith Haut-Lafitte blossoms immediately on the nose of seductive blackberry, black olive and Bing cherries, perhaps a little more floral than when I tasted it from barrel, and there is a nearly Burgundy-like purity. The palate is medium-bodied with a smooth, almost creamy entry. This is very harmonious, elegant and poised, leading to a mineral-driven finish. A gorgeous, seductive Smith Haut Lafitte that will give three or four decades of drinking pleasure. (Drink between 2025-2055)" - Neal Martin (Feb 2022)
97 Points - Decanter:
"A soft, fragrant nose of rose petals and violets alongside raspberries, cherries, blackcurrants, cola cubes and blackcurrant leaf nuance. Tannins fill the mouth, abundant but oh so soft and finely woven into the overall body of the wine which has delicious cooling mint elements nestled between pristinely ripe blue and black fruit and liquorice spice. The flavours expand slowly along the palate gaining in depth, width and energy. This isn't an immediate showstopper but rather it takes its time, revealing itself layer by layer, so charming and seductive, asking you to linger and take a closer inspection. I absolutely love it. (Drink between 2029-2050)" - George Hindle (Jan 2022)
Only 2 x 6-Pack OWC Cases Available (12 bottles)
Only 1 x 6-Liter Available
Total Wine's Price: $199.99
Average Online: $187.00
Our Regular Price: $169.99
Our Prices:
$129.97 btl (750 mL)
$1,238.99 btl (6.0-Liter)
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Below are more of our best Bordeaux offers!
Click on their images to read on:
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2019 Cheval Blanc, Saint Emilion
Right Bank
12 x 375 mL bottles available now
6 x 750 mL bottles available next week
1 x 3.0-Liter available next week
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Cheval Blanc is one of the great names of Bordeaux and the most famous Chateau in Saint Emilion. This wine scored an incredible 100 points FOUR TIMES with this vintage!
100 Points - Robert Parker's WA:
"One of the unequivocally great wines of the vintage is the 2019 Cheval Blanc, a stunning young Saint-Émilion that wafts from the glass with aromas of wild berries and plums mingled with notions of lilac, pipe tobacco, violets, raw cocoa, licorice, crushed mint and burning embers. Full-bodied, layered and enveloping, it's deep and intense, with beautifully rich, powdery tannins and vibrant flavors. Concluding with a long, saline finish, this rivals the 2016 as the finest Cheval Blanc of the decade, and in many respects it might be thought of as the latter vintage's sun-kissed cousin. Bravo to Pierre-Olivier Clouet and his team!" - William Kelley (Apr 2022)
100 Points - Vinous:
"The 2019 Cheval Blanc is a stunning, riveting wine. There is simply nothing like a great Cheval in all of Bordeaux. Soaring aromatics are immediately alluring. Bright red-toned fruit, blood orange, cinnamon, espresso and dried herbs build in a Cheval that possesses tremendous layers and exceptional balance. Clean, mineral notes lend tension and drive. The 2019 is a bit strict today and not ready to show all its cards, but it is very clearly a special, special wine in the making. In 2019, the Grand Vin represents 82.5% of the estate's production, a very high amount by any measure. I wouldn't dream of touching a bottle anytime soon. The 2019 is an eternal Cheval Blanc." - Antonio Galloni (Feb 2022)
100 Points - James Suckling:
" Blackcurrants, cassis, graphite and earth on the nose, then changing to roses, violets and berries. Full-bodied with incredible energy of fine tannins and lively acidity. It grows on the palate and escalates to the summit of perfect wine. Very powerful at the end. Holding back and a great finish. Quantity and quality. Menthol. Cool. One of the greatest young Cheval Blancs I have ever tasted. 58% merlot, 34% cabernet franc and 8% cabernet sauvignon. Great finish. Give it time. Try after 2028." (Feb 2022)
100 Points - The Wine Independent:
"The 2019 Cheval Blanc is a blend of 58% Merlot, 34% Cabernet Franc, and 8% Cabernet Sauvignon. 41 out of 53 blocks have had a part to play this year, representing 10 different soil types. The Grand Vin in 2019 represents 82% of production. Deep purple-black in color, it needs a lot of swirling to shake loose fragrant scents of Indian spice, potpourri, star anise, and cardamom, over a core of preserved plums, boysenberries, and charcoal with touches of wood smoke and cracked black pepper. Full-bodied, rich and immediately impactful in the mouth, the layered nuances slowly expand, beautifully framed by ripe, rounded tannins and seamless freshness, finishing with cascading savory and earth flavors and lots of lingering mineral notes." -Lisa Perrotti-Brown (5/9/22)
Our Prices:
$499.99 btl (375 mL)
$989.99 btl (750 mL)
$3,999.99 btl (3.0-Liter)
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2019 Pichon Longueville Baron, Pauillac
Left Bank
12 x 750 mL bottles available
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99 Points - James Suckling:
"Blackberries and blueberries with stone and graphite. Flint and black licorice, too. So perfumed. Full-bodied, very long and linear with incredible length. The new 1990, but better crafted. Chewy, yet so tailored and wonderfully proportioned. Freshness and elegance. Wonderful depth. 87% cabernet sauvignon rest merlot. The highest ever proportion of cabernet. Try after 2026." (12/22)
98+ Points - Jeb Dunnuck
98+ Points - The Wine Independent
97+ Points - Robert Parker's WA
97 Points - Vinous
97 Points - Decanter
Our Price:
$219.99 btl (750 mL)
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2019 Tetre-Roteboeuf, Saint Emilion
Right Bank
12 Bottles available.
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97 Points - Robert Parker's WA:
"The 2019 Le Tertre Roteboeuf is a terrific success from the Mitjaville family. This amphitheatrical vineyard on the clay-limestone slopes of Saint-Laurent-des-Combes, planted with low, cordon-trained vines, has delivered a striking wine that wafts from the glass with aromas of cassis, blackberries and cherries mingled with notions of violets, cigar box, sweet spices and loamy soil. Full-bodied, layered and concentrated, with a deep core of fruit, velvety tannins and lively acids, it will richly reward a decade and more of bottle age. Interestingly, proprietor François Mitjaville contended that 2019's distribution of rainfall had tended to invert the usual stylistic distinction between Tertre Roteboeuf and Roc de Cambes, his wine from the Côtes de Bourg; yet, on the day of our tasting, geology trumped weather, because as usual the former was more sensual, the latter blockier and more structured." - William Kelly (April 2022)
97-95 Points - Jeb Dunnuck
97 Points - The Wine Independent
96 Points - Vinous
Our Price:
$279.97 btl (750 mL)
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2019 Cos d'Estournel, Saint Estephe
Left Bank
24 x 375 mL bottles available.
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99 Points - James Suckling:
"A very powerful and structured Cos. It’s full and layered, but not overpowering in terms of fruit. It’s more about the abundant, very fine tannins. It’s a classic wine with historical grip and power. Real Bordeaux. Sophisticated and provocative." - (May 2020)
99 Points - The Wine Independent
98 Points - Vinous
98 Points - Decanter
Our Price:
$149.97 btl (375 mL)
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2019 Pontet-Canet, Pauillac
Left Bank
24 x 375 mL bottles &
24 x 750 mL bottles available
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99 Points - James Suckling:
"A very tight, compact red that shows wonderful precision and definition with lots of blackberries, blueberries, stones and black tea. The sorting and de-stemming was all done by hand. Love the sensibility to this. Superb length and finesse. Subtle and sophisticated. No pumping over and gentle pushing down. Handmade. Very exciting and thought-provoking. Very long. 35% in amphora and the rest in 50% new oak and 15% one-year oak. 65% cabernet sauvignon and 30% merlot, the rest cabernet franc and petit verdot. Biodynamic grapes." (May 2020)
99 Points - The Wine Independent
98 Points - Decanter
Our Prices:
$99.97 btl (375 mL)
$199.97 btl (750 mL)
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2019 Haut-Bailly, Pessac-Leognan
Left Bank
48 x 375 mL bottles &
3 x 1.5 L magnums available
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99 Points #2 Top 100 of 2022 - James Suckling:
"Extremely aromatic, with incredible wet-earth, bark, stone and graphite notes on the nose, then changing to violets, blackberries and blackcurrants. Full-bodied, yet so linear and fine, with titanium tannins that go on so long. Builds and builds then just rolls around the palate through the endless finish. Real Bordeaux here. 56% cabernet sauvignon, 36% merlot, 4% cabernet franc, and 4% petit verdot. Exceptional. Better after 2029." (Dec 2022)
97 Points - Vinous
97 Points - Decanter
Our Prices:
$99.97 btl (375 mL)
$289.97 btl (1.5 L Mag)
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2019 Roc de Cambes Cotes de Bourg
Right Bank
24 Bottles available.
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92-94 Points - Jeb Dunnuck:
"The 2019 Roc De Cambes is deeply color, powerful wine that's based on 80% Merlot and 20% Cabernet Sauvignon, all from the Côtes de Bourg appellation. This fleshy, full-bodied effort has loads of chocolate-covered cherry, blueberry, toasted spice, tobacco, and espresso aromatics, a mouthfilling texture, soft tannins, and a beautiful finish. It's already hard to resist and is a pleasure-bent 2019 that will keep for 15+ years. It's in the same ballpark as the 2018. (Drink between 2020-2036)" - (June 2020)
Our Price:
$99.97 btl
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2019 Chateau Talbot, Saint Julien - 375 mL
17 half-bottles left of the vintage
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95 Points & #4 Top 100 of '22 - Wine Spectator:
"Well-built and rather refined for the vintage, with a deep well of red and black currant paste and plum reduction flavors supported by a deeply inlaid iron note, all of which run the length of the wine. Offers subtle savory, tobacco and singed cedar notes that add range, with a savory echo that leaves a mouthwatering feel in the end. Built to cellar. Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot and Petit Verdot. Best from 2025 through 2040. 23,333 cases made." - JM (3/31/2022)
95 Points - James Suckling
94 Points - Vinous
Our Price:
$49.97 btl (375 mL)
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Ways to reach us:
Text → 650-880-3553
Phone → 650-917-8080
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