La Chenade 2019

The 2019 La Chenade is a lovely Lalande-de-Pomerol from the Darantou family, bursting with aromas of plummy fruit, wild berries, rose petals, smoke and loamy soil. Medium to full-bodied, ample and enveloping, with supple tannins, succulent acids and a nicely defined finish, this charming wine represents one of the great values of right bank Bordeaux.

Score: 92

William Kelley, Wine Advocate, RobertParker.com Maturity: 2021 - 2039 07 April 2022

Plenty of sweet berries with chocolate and smoke. Even coffee. It’s medium-bodied with ripe tannins. Cherries at the end.

Score: 92 - 93

James Suckling, JamesSuckling.com 13 May 2020

The 2019 La Chenade in Lalande-de-Pomerol was picked between 18 and 26 September and matured in 30% new oak. Unlike Durantou's fellow Lalande-de-Pomerol, this is predominantly red fruit rather than black with exuberant raspberry and cranberry, almost pastille-like. The palate is extremely well balanced, maybe with a bit more structure and weight than Les Cruzelles. The finish is spicy thanks to a liberal dash of cracked black pepper. Wonderful, as usual.

Score: 91 - 93

Neal Martin, Vinous.com Maturity: 2023-2038 16 June 2020

The 2019 La Chenade is a racy, voluptuous wine that will thrill readers who admire the late Denis Durantou's wines. Plush and succulent in the glass, with terrific presence, the 2019 exudes class from start to finish. Spice, cedar, leather and tobacco accents meld into a core of red-fleshed fruit. Persistent and vibrant from start to finish, La Chenade is a winner.

Score: 92

Antonio Galloni, Vinous.com Maturity: 2024 - 2039 01 February 2022

The 2019 La Chenade is plump and voluptuous in the glass, with terrific fruit presence and tons of pure character. Inky dark cherry, plum, spice, new oak and chocolate are all amped up in this racy, super-inviting Lalande de Pomerol. Denis Durantou and his team coaxed an unreal level of finesse in 2019. Harvest took place between September 18 and 26. Denis Durantou's 2019s are absolutely brilliant across the board. My tasting was obviously bittersweet, as Durantou lost his battle with illness just a few weeks prior. Denis Durantou was one of the most intriguing characters in Bordeaux. I can't say I knew him well, but I always enjoyed tasting with him, as he was a person that spoke more with his eyes than with words. Things were implied rather than overtly stated. So, I tasted the 2019s with daughters Constance and Noémie over Zoom, in typical 2020 fashion. The Durantou sisters describe 2019 as a year with an early flowering and homogenous ripening that led to small, concentrated berries and higher pHs than normal. Temperatures were kept cool in the cellar, where both alcoholic and malolactic fermentations took place over cuvaison of 21 days (for all wines), in a reductive environment with little oxygen. From top to bottom, the Durantou 2019s are positively stellar. Don't miss them!

Score: 91 - 93

Antonio Galloni, Vinous.com 01 June 2020

Sweet, carefully extracted and poised blackberry and brambled fruits with gentle smoked oak notes and fresh acidities that cut through the heat of the summer. Delicate overall, this is an unforced and highly enjoyable wine.

Score: 91

Jane Anson, Decanter.com Maturity: 2023-2036 14 May 2020

80% Merlot, 20% Cabernet Franc; 30% new oak. Barrel sample. Round, forward and clearly for early drinking. Meaty, savoury edge to the fruit but aromatic freshness as well. Palate juicy with light but fine tannins. No great complexity but plenty of simple pleasure. (JL) 14%

Score: 16

James Lawther MW, JancisRobinson.com Maturity: 2022-2028 25 May 2020