Château Grand-Puy-Lacoste Pauillac (Grand Cru Classé) 2019 (750ml)

The Borie family over three generations : A passion spanning generations

The Borie family has owned the property since 1978. François-Xavier Borie has restored it to greatness and preserved its spirit.

Grand-Puy-Lacoste does not belong to a large corporation; it remains family-owned. Jean-Eugène Borie, who loved the Médoc and its vines, bought the property in 1978. He entrusted it to his eldest son, François-Xavier, who gradually renovated the château and its winemaking facilities. Today, his eldest daughter, Emeline, works at his side.

History
Bequeathed over several centuries : One of the oldest estates in the Médoc

The history of Grand-Puy-Lacoste is fascinating in many ways. It is a family saga going back to the 16th century.

The name Grand-Puy, already mentioned in documents from the Middle Ages, comes from the ancient term "puy” which means "hillock, small height”. True to its name, the vineyard sits on outcrops with a terroir similar to that of the Médoc's first growths. From Since the 16th century the property remained attached to a single family from generation to generation, in a direct line through marriage until 1920, before connecting with another family in 1978—the Borie.

This is a very good vintage with quality underlined by cabernets sauvignons of exceptional nobility. This wine presents a very deep, dark red colour. The "bouquet” reveals aromas of complex fruits and hints of ripe blackcurrant. The attack on the palate is precise, very dense, and
follows with an exceptional velvety richness. The tannins are suave and elegant. It shows a beautiful complexity, combining smoothness and purity. A very well balanced wine with a spectacular length. In one word, a Grand Puy Lacoste with the promise of a bright future.

The Barrel Sample for this wine is above 14% ABV.

Critical Acclaim

V97
Vinous

The 2019 Grand Puy Lacoste is deep purple in colour. Initially the bouquet is tight and so I left my sample for 15-20 minutes to open. It rewards patience with a beguiling mélange of pure blackberry, raspberry, crushed violet and pencil shavings, very focused and mineral-driven. The palate is medium-bodied with finely chiseled tannins. Compared to the robust, tannic GPL's of old, this is much more lithe and approachable, yet it still bears the DNA of this Pauillac estate. It might not possess the flair of other 2019 Left Banks, but that it is not what I seek from this estate. Classy and full of breeding - quintessential Pauillac. -- Neal Martin

Barrel Sample:95-97

JS96
James Suckling

This is a very polished young wine with lemon-rind, blackcurrant, cedar and lavender character. It’s full, yet so refined and sophisticated, with floral undertones to the pretty fruit. The tannins are intense and long. Give this at least five or six years to soften. Try after 2025.

D96
Decanter
Lovely depth of colour, a big difference between the 1st and 2nd wine in this vintage, this just screams Pauillac with its pencil lead, charcoal and cassis notes. Glass-staining colour, extremely silky, with liquorice and chocolate adding layers without taking away from the purity of expression. Fine tannic hold, tons of character and clear longevity - this is a brilliant wine, easily equal to the 2018 and approaching the 2016.
Barrel Sample:
Barrel Sample:
RP96
Robert Parker's Wine Advocate

The 2019 Grand-Puy-Lacoste exhibits notions of minty cassis, plums, loamy soil, burning embers and cigar wrapper, followed by a medium to full-bodied, rich and velvety palate that’s deep and concentrated, its generous core of lively fruit concealing an elegantly muscular chassis of ripe, powdery tannin. Consisting of fully 83% Cabernet Sauvignon, this is another true classic from the Borie family. Best after 2027.

WS95
Wine Spectator

Dark but vibrant and racy, with sleek black currant, blackberry and black cherry puree flavors coursing through, pierced by a graphite spine and backed by tobacco, singed alder and freshly plowed humus notes. The long finish has a smoldering hint without sacrificing the purity of the fruit. Rock-solid. Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot. Best from 2024

JD94
Jeb Dunnuck

A beautiful effort that does everything right, the 2019 Château Grand-Puy Ducasse offers a rich, medium to full-bodied, concentrated style that shows the inherent elegance, as well as richness, of the vintage. Darker currants, toasted spice, cedar pencil, and tobacco notes all define the bouquet, and it's quintessentially Pauillac with its aromatics as well as structure. It already offers pleasure, particularly with a decant (I followed this bottle for multiple days), but it will certainly benefit from 5-7 years in the cellar and is going to shine for at least two decades. Best after 2027.