Freddy R. Troya

9.0

Château Grand-Pontet Grand Cru Classé 2019, Saint-Émilion, Bordeaux, France 🇫🇷

Overview
A structured Saint-Émilion Grand Cru Classé. The 2019 vintage is a blend of 77.5% Merlot, 17.5% Cabernet Franc, and 5% Malbec, showing a more classical Right Bank profile with emphasis on structure and finesse rather than overt plushness.

Aromas & Flavors
Black cherry, cassis, dark plum, graphite, cedar, and subtle baking spice. As the wine opens, layers of cocoa, tobacco leaf, and earthy minerality begin to emerge.

Mouthfeel
Medium-to-full bodied with refined structure and beautifully integrated tannins. After extended decanting, the tannins become silky and the palate reveals impressive balance with a superb, polished texture.

Food Pairings
Roast lamb, beef tenderloin, duck breast, mushroom risotto, or aged hard cheeses.

Verdict
A refined and structured Saint-Émilion that showcases the elegance of the 2019 vintage. Balanced, layered, and already showing impressive harmony while still capable of further evolution.

Did You Know?
Unlike the fixed 1855 Bordeaux classification, the Saint-Émilion classification is periodically revised, meaning estates can move up or down depending on quality and vineyard performance.

🍷 Personal Pick
A beautifully composed Saint-Émilion with remarkable texture and finesse. After proper decanting (+2hrs), it shows silky tannins and impressive balance, already entering a very enjoyable drinking now window. — 4 months ago

Peter van den Besselaar

9.2

Vintage 2014 | Lots of character and solid performance, vanilla driven — 4 years ago

William Paley

9.4

New Year’s Eve leftovers forgotten (open) in the fridge after an epic night and a full day of napping. So after 36 hours it’s still pretty righteous amber bliss, a bitter edge with singular notes of butterscotch, anise, petrol, citrus rind, pine, and the faintest bit of untanned leather on the way way back....nice performance. very easy late morning armchair drinking. vendor says 2015 but the bottle is not marked. — 5 years ago

with Ron, Marisa and 1 other

Fredrik Finn

9.8

Absolutely outstanding performance by the 2011 Opus One. Dense and concentrated with a mesmerising complexity, a fresh and vibrant core that keeps the wine very much alive with a penetrating sensation through an everlasting finish. The nose shows an multidimensional complexity, ranging from cassis, blackberries, lavender, through cedar, pencil shavings, coffee, cocoa powder before finishing with a gravelly sensation. The palate is marked by its high, yet powdery tannins with a good acidity with an athletic stamina that holds the complex profile a length that lasts for minutes. Drinks well right now but with plenty of life ahead. — 6 years ago

E & K G

9.1

Blind, I would have been very confused as whether to call it old or new world. It’s light yet well structured, some oak yet great freshness and acidity. At a good place in terms of cost performance and matches the strengths of old/new world. — 7 years ago

Fredrik Finn

9.1

Dark and dense, but with a fresh line and earthy/bloody component nestled in the dark fruit and balanced oak. The flavor is of course driven by its lip smacking tannins, yet with a good fruit coverage which made them more approachable than expected. Modern winemaking in this rural outpost is the recipe for success. Nice performance — 8 years ago

Ebbe Bonde Soerensen

9.2

Fantastic wine, crispy and tasty, for the moment my Tuscan desire, glorious Cabernet that tighten up the performance. Still young but approachable when decanted. Vintage 2014 — 8 years ago

Jay Kline

9.3

Popped and poured; enjoyed from red Solo cups over the course of a few hours. This bottle of the 1966 came to party! The wine pours a garnet color with a near translucent core; medium viscosity with light staining of the tears and loads sediment. On the nose, the wine is vinous with beautiful notes of black and red currants, Montmorency cherry, tobacco, Poblano pepper, pencil shavings, old leather bound books, espresso, loads of organic and inorganic earth, and a pleasant mix of cool and warm spices. On the palate, the wine is dry with medium+ tannin (integrated) and medium+ acid. Confirming the notes from the nose. The finish is long. What a fantastic performance by the ‘66. Drink now though similarly stored examples won’t be falling off a cliff anytime soon. — 8 months ago

Christian Fischer

9.4

At peak performance but many years to go — 3 years ago

Billy L.

9.4

Magnum, Excellent QPR Co-Owner/Winemaker Francois Peschon rocked 2012 Vintage! I’m seeking out 2018’s based on this performance. Cheers 🍇🍷👍🏻👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻 — 5 years ago

Daniel Taub

9.4

@Benoit Touquette yet another magic performance. Cheers — 6 years ago

Mike Saviage

9.7

Dark reddish tawny. Mostly opaque. Great reddish regal color when the light hits the glass. Notes of black cherries, blueberries, cranberries, slate stone, moist earth and a little menthol. Velvet glove in the mouth. Amazingly rich with tannins totally integrated. Silky. Flying high from the moment it was opened. 6 hours in this is getting bigger and more complex. Definitely the best performance I’ve had with this wine. — 6 years ago

Somm David T

Independent Sommelier/Wine Educator

9.2

The nose reveals, black & bing sour cherries, blackberries, slightly baked strawberries, blueberries, some black raspberries, pomegranate extract and hint of plum, a fair amount of vanillin, soft limestone, whiffs of other baking spices, black tea, rich dark soils, faint crushed rocks, beautiful, fragrant, bright, blue, red and dark red florals.

The body is round & full. The tannins just starting to hit a good point of softening and rounding, yet have 10 plus years ahead. The structure, tension are hitting their stride. The length and balance are just getting to near perfect form. Two years ago, this wine was not ready and is now at the place I was hoping to get. I have two bottles left and I will have another in five years. Based on that performance, another in three to five plus years more. It’s the evolution that is so much fun to follow.

Black & bing sour cherries, blackberries show more on the palate and the pork pasta bring them out more deeply, slightly baked strawberries, blueberries, some black raspberries, pomegranate extract, cranberries and hint of plum, a fair amount of vanillin, soft limestone, nuances of volcanic minerals, soft baking spices, dark medium intensity of spice, black tea, rich dark soils, faint crushed rocks, beautiful, fragrant, bright, blue, red and dark red florals. The acidy is like a fresh water river. The long finish is unbelievably elegant, well balanced with a touch more fruit than earth, polished and persists seamlessly for several minutes.

I look forward to trying this wine again as it continues to evolve and improve over the next five to ten years...should be stunning! Well made Brunello’s simply take more than ten years in bottle to even begin to amaze.

Photos of, a wide hilltop shot of Casanuova, field hand harvesting their Sangiovese, large oak fermentation cask so there is less noticeable oak influence on the wine and their sloping vines on a sunny beautiful day.

@Oenotri Napa — 7 years ago

Scott@Mister A’s-San Diego

9.4

2021 vintage. Big Thunder Mountain. Great mineral presence for the duration of the performance. Light-medium/medium body. This is rockin.’ Pick it up. 1.10.24. — 2 years ago

Pete Tulyathan

9.3

Haven't had a fairly aged red Bordeaux in a long while. It was very good. My wife and I enjoyed it very much. Can see a lot of sediment sticking to the side of the glass after the swirl. Beautiful nose of black fruits, dark chocolate, old leather and cigar box. On the palate, full body, well-balanced acidity and tanin. Long finish. This is probably at its peak performance, so better to drink now rather than cellared. — 3 years ago

Mike Saviage

9.8

Popped for our 30th and taken to Sons & Daughters in SF. Straw gold color, still looks youthful. Spectacular nose. Notes of lemon curd, marzipan, wet river stones, white acacia flowers, tan spice and some petrol. Equally amazing in the mouth, this explodes in the glass with great structure and acidity, bounded by ample fruit. In short, this is everything you want in a white burg. Still easily has a decade or more of enjoyment at this peak performance. A top all time bottle for me. — 5 years ago

Mark Howard

9.3

Aromas of dark black fruits - blackberry, plum, blueberry. Bold and big, with soft integrated tannins that draw you into the inner sanctum of the grape varietal. A tinge of age at the ends, but not in the fore front. Nice lovely finish lasting over 30 seconds before it breaks down. Definitely at its peak of performance. Paired well with the bolognese. Even better with the veal chop with figs, pluots, and watermelon radish. As Elizabeth says, this is a gorgeous wine. “It’s a grown up, but not old”. Or as I like to say, like a 40 year old classy lady wearing an evening gown and pearls - just stunning! — 6 years ago

with Elizabeth

Bob McDonald

8.9

Delectable this was the Pinot Noir. Having a nice pre performance meal prior to the “Book of Mormon “ at the Queensland Performing Arts Centre - Lyric Theatre - which was hilarious I thought. The wine was young, my first 2018 Red - fresh and simple. Some foresty and red fruit aromas. Good intensity for the price. — 7 years ago

Stef Van Der Vorst

9.9

99+
Best performance ever!! — 8 years ago

L Bram

9.9

Bloody delicious!!! Rounded, balanced .... I was expecting the typical watery French quartet and instead got an incredible performance from a full orchestra! Really impressive French red! MUST BUY AGAIN! — 8 years ago

with Dan and Madeleine