2019 Futures
Under the name « gems », we refer to unsung producers who make admirable wines due to their excellent vineyards and their own talent.
These wines are always produced in very small amounts, in vineyards maintained as gardens by gifted and meticulous wine-growers. Even if they do not make the headlines of magazines, they highly deserve to be discovered and tasted for their exemplary quality.
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The great white wine of Ch. Valandraud, with a sparkling sap and balance. With only 4000 bottles produced, it is a nugget that will do wonders on the table in 5 years (to take advantage of its youthful brilliance) or in 15 years.
Bettane & Desseauve : 95/100
Revue du Vin de France :
Dupont (Le Point) :
Quarin : 94/100 « Ma meilleure note donnée à ce cru en Primeur. [...] Délicat dès l’entrée en bouche et immédiatement fondant, avec un très beau toucher et du corps , le vin s’étire épicé, avant de rebondir en finale, très savoureux, beau et incrachable. Bravo ! »
Galloni (Vinous) : 91-93/100 « The 2019 Valandraud Blanc is a bright, crisp and finely cut wine of energy and tension. Time in the glass brings out the wine's textural depth and creaminess. Green apple, mint, white flowers and sage add freshness and brilliance. »
Martin (Vinous) : 92-94/100 « The palate is fresh on the entry with a fine bead of acidity. This is where there is a major, tangible difference with the Virginie as there is more depth and complexity here, offering a lovely, caressing, creamy finish with a hint of ginger on the aftertaste. Excellent. »More- To keep or to drink:
- Available February 2022
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The dry white wine of Mouton-Rothschild, very confidential (1000 cases produced per year).
Bettane & Desseauve : 93/100
Revue du Vin de France :
Dupont (Le Point) :
Quarin : 94/100 « Caressant en entrée de bouche, gras au milieu, particulièrement fruité et savoureux, le vin conserve ce toucher raffiné jusqu'en finale où il se double de saveurs complexes. C'est vraiment très bon. »
Galloni (Vinous) : 91-93/100 « The 2019 Aile d'Argent, Mouton Rothschild's white is laced with hints of pineapple, mint, white flowers, apple and lemon confit. In 2019, Aile d'Argent is distinguished by its energy, even with a touch of malolactic fermentation, and a bit more restraint than in the past, all huge positives. »
Martin (Vinous) : 90-92/100 « The palate is well balanced with a brisk, sharp opening, moderate weight, good tension with a touch of bitter lemon neatly counterbalancing the richness, whilst a potent spicy stem ginger note rounds things off nicely. »More- To keep or to drink:
- Available February 2022
- Potential alcohol:
- 13.5%
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Property of 6 ha in Côtes de Castillon acquired in 2011 by the oenologist M. Thienpont (Puyguéraud, Pavie-Macquin, Larcis-Ducasse, Berliquet, etc.). After 5 years of restructuring, Mr. Thienpont is finally proud of his wine and offers it for the first time in 2016. Even if Merlot is dominant (92%), Alcée stands out from its neighbours by its emphasis on finesse, minerality and distinction. A wine in length and not in width!
Bettane & Desseauve : 92-93/100
Revue du Vin de France :
Dupont (Le Point) :
Quarin : 87/100 « Nez aromatique, au fruité crémeux. Jolie bouche moelleuse, savoureuse et particulièrement parfumée. Longueur normale, sans tannin marqué. »
Galloni (Vinous) : 90-92/100 « The 2019 Alcée is effusive and charming, especially in its aromatics, which are quite expressive. Rose petal, raspberry jam, spice and mint are all laced together in this silky, mid-weight Côtes de Castillon. Gracious and refined, Alcée is shaping up quite nicely. »More- To keep or to drink:
- Available February 2022
- Potential alcohol:
- 14.5%
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A 4 ha plot selection from Château Rigaud, La Mauriane is not yet another luxurious cuvée on the right bank but a wine built on fine grain tannins where the brilliance and precision of the fruit prevail.
Bettane & Desseauve :
Revue du Vin de France :
Dupont (Le Point) :
Quarin : 93/100 « Minutieusement charnu en entrée de bouche, fondant et plein au milieu, éclatant de fruits frais et mûrs, le vin évolue profond sur une longue finale savoureuse, au grain de tannin fin. C'est très bon et quel beau travail pour un Outsider ! »More- To keep or to drink:
- Available February 2022
- Potential alcohol:
- 14.9%
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Mr. Durantou (Église-Clinet) produces only 1200 cases per year of his remarkable Lalande de Pomerol Les Cruzelles, much higher than Pomerol of equivalent price.
Bettane & Desseauve :
Revue du Vin de France :
Dupont (Le Point) :
Quarin : 91/100 « Délicat à l’attaque, suave en milieu de bouche, avec un corps longiforme, le vin offre des sensations ascendantes en finale. Il s’achève savoureux, très long, avec beaucoup de goût et des tannins fins. »
Galloni (Vinous) : 92-94/100 « The 2019 Les Cruzelles is a big wine. Black cherry, gravel, smoke, licorice and new leather blast out of the glass. Dizzyingly intense and deep, with equally potent tannins, Les Cruzelles is fabulous in 2019. »
Martin (Vinous) : 91-93/100 « The palate is medium-bodied with dark berry fruit mixed with dried orange peel and a pinch of sea salt. This has so much character and personality, the salinity on the finish lingers wonderfully. »More- To keep or to drink:
- Available February 2022
- Potential alcohol:
- 14.5%
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Mr Derenoncourt, Bordeaux's most sought-after consultant, is also a producer. Obviously, he (with his wife) applies in his vineyards the methods that have made his success: respect for the terroir and biotope, subtle vinification and maturation, wines of great aromatic precision.
Bettane & Desseauve : 92/100
Revue du Vin de France :
Dupont (Le Point) :
Quarin : 88/100 « Nez très aromatique, au fruité mûr. Délicat en entrée de bouche, savoureux au milieu, avec un toucher minutieux, le vin glisse en bouche, très agréable, sur une longueur moyenne. »
Galloni (Vinous) : 92-94/100 « The 2019 Domaine de l'A is a wine of extreme purity and class. Long, nuanced, and elegantly spun, the 2019 impresses with its exquisite beauty and total class. Silky tannins wrap around a core of fruit in this striking mid-weight wine. One of the recent developments here is an increase in Cabernet Franc. »More- To keep or to drink:
- Available February 2022
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Belle-Vue (Haut-Médoc) has been making an original cuvée since 2016, 100% Petit Verdot, with its oldest vines (77 years old and over) of this wonderful fruity and late grape variety (hence its name), adapted to global warming.
Watch the presentation film (30''') of Petit-Verdot By BELLE-VUE
Bettane & Desseauve :
Revue du Vin de France :
Dupont (Le Point) :
Quarin : 88/100 « Superbe nez intense, au fruité mûr, frais et épicé. Moelleux en départ de bouche, très fruité au milieu quoique tannique, le vin évolue juteux, avec un profil légèrement austère dans la persistance. Ensemble très attachant pour ceux qui aiment le petit verdot. »
Galloni (Vinous) : 90-92/100 « The 2019 Le Petit Verdot by Belle-Vue is once again one of the sleepers of the vintage. Rich in both fruit and tannin, the Petit Verdot is a wine for readers who enjoy bold, structured reds. Sweet tobacco, iron, dried flowers, red cherry preserves and scorched earth add lovely touches of savoriness. »
Martin (Vinous) : 86-88/100 « The palate is medium-bodied with slightly coarse tannins on the entry, nice 'n saline towards the finish with just the right amount of piquancy. Finishes better than it begins. »More- To keep or to drink:
- Available February 2022
- Potential alcohol:
- 14.50%
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The incessant work of Mr. and Mrs. Dief since 2000 is bearing fruit today: in a tense and distinguished style, Clos Manou shines with a vibrant, deep energy, with pure and radiant fruit, combining length and density. Undoubtedly the most beautiful revelation of the northern Médoc in recent vintages.
Bettane & Desseauve :
Revue du Vin de France :
Dupont (Le Point) :
Quarin : 91/100 « Moelleux à l’attaque, caressant au développement, particulièrement fruité au milieu, bien construit et savoureux, le vin s’étire en finale sur une bonne longueur sans angle. Un bel Outsider. »
Martin (Vinous) : 90-92/100 « There is something just a little Oriental about the aromatics. The palate is well balanced with saturated tannin. The acidity is certainly well judged and there is real body and depth towards the fresh and quite persistent finish. Excellent. »More- To keep or to drink:
- Available February 2022
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A small estate (12 ha), carefully tended and vinified with constant regularity, Deyrem Valentin is one of the most typical Margaux crus. Distinguished by the Revue du Vin de France among the hidden nuggets of the Médoc, "its Margaux wines draw a delicious balance".
Bettane & Desseauve :
Revue du Vin de France :
Dupont (Le Point) :
Quarin : 90/100 « Moelleux à l’attaque, puis rond et suave en milieu de bouche, avec une belle tenue, le vin s’étire savoureux, sur une longue finale, sans tannin marqué. C’est une grande réussite de la propriété et un nouvel Outsider à Margaux. »
Galloni (Vinous) :
Martin (Vinous) :More- To keep or to drink:
- Available February 2022
- Potential alcohol:
- 14.5%
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Historical bourgeois cru of Saint-Estephe since in the same family since 1678! With a grape variety dominated by Merlot (60%) and the arrival of Hubert de Boüard (Angelus) as a consultant from 2016, Tour des Termes has a velvety and supple texture that gives it its charm.
Bettane & Desseauve :
Revue du Vin de France :
Dupont (Le Point) :
Quarin : 87/100 « Juteux dès l’entrée en bouche, savoureux au milieu, le vin s’étire en finale, sur des tannins enrobés et plutôt aromatiques. C’est bon. »
Galloni (Vinous) : 91-93/100 « The 2019 Tour de Termes is succulent, racy and so expressive. Blueberry jam, graphite, chocolate, licorice, spice and lavender infuse the 2019 with captivating depth. Tour des Termes shows off the more flamboyant side of Saint-Estèphe to great effect. All the elements are impeccably balanced here. »
Martin (Vinous) : 88-90/100 « The palate is medium-bodied with succulent tannins, fleshy for a Saint-Estèphe but just missing some personality and charm towards its earthy finish. »More- To keep or to drink:
- Available February 2022
- Potential alcohol:
- 14%