2019 La Chenade (Denis Durantou), Lalande-de-Pomerol

CRITICAL ACCLAIM


James Suckling - "Plenty of sweet berries with chocolate and smoke. Even coffee. It’s medium-bodied with ripe tannins. Cherries at the end. (92-93pts)"


Vinous - "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. 2023 - 2038.  (91-93pts)" - Neal Martin

"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!" - Antonio Galloni


Robert Parker's Wine Advocate - "Produced by Denis Darantou and family of Château L’Eglise-Clinet, this is a blend of 80% Merlot and 20% Cabernet Franc. Medium to deep garnet-purple colored, the 2019 La Chenade has a little reduction to begin, soon breaking through to reveal notes of raspberry pie, baked plums and boysenberries with hints of dusty soil, charcoal and wild sage. Medium-bodied, the palate is juicy and refreshing, with a light chewiness to the tannins and bags of freshness, finishing savory. (88-90pts)"