William Kelley im April 2022:
From holdings just across the border from Pomerol characterized by predominantly sandy-clay soils, the 2019 Grand Corbin-Despagne offers up aromas of plums, sweet berries and cherries mingled with raw cocoa, cigar wrapper, licorice, violets and spices. Medium to full-bodied, ample and succulent, with fine concentration, lively acids and ripe, powdery tannins, it's a beautifully balanced classic that will age with grace. François Despagne is the seventh generation of his family to steward this 28-hectare Saint-Émilion estate, located just across the border from Pomerol, and he is intent on bringing it back to the heights of which anyone who has tasted vintages such as 1929 or 1961 know it is capable.
Returning to the estate after some years researching wine microbiology, he dug 150 soil pits—discovering that the historic delimitation of parcels on the estate corresponded precisely to the underlying geology. Soils are thin sand over blue clay, and replanting favors Cabernet Franc (with an in-house massale selection)—which represented about 60% of the surface area before the 1956 frosts and subsequent replanting. Despagne has converted to organic and biodynamic farming, reducing yields, and that is translating to new levels of depth and concentration. In the winery and cellar, however, the approach is rather classical, with a tendency to work more reductively and preserve better purity of fruit (Thomas Duclos consults), emphasizing seamlessness and depth over extraction and impact. This is an estate to watch.
James Suckling über den Chateau Grand Corbin Despagne 2019 Saint Emilion Grand Cru:
This is a very salty and spicy red with ripe berry, cherry, chocolate and dried dark mushrooms. Chalky, too. It’s full and layered with chewy, velvety tannins and a fresh finish. Citrusy undertone. Better after 2025.
Antonio Galloni (Vinous) bewertet den Chateau Grand Corbin Despagne 2019 Saint Emilion Grand Cru:
The 2019 Grand Corbin Despagne turned out beautifully. Readers will find a big, statuesque Saint-Émilion built on vertical energy. Black cherry, plum, graphite, spice, licorice and gravel lend nuance to this explosive, potent Saint-Émilion. Gravel, scorched earth, tobacco and incense lend gravitas on the substantial finish. This is an especially powerful, earthy Saint-Émilion. Quite simply, the 2019 is a flat out stunner.
Der Chateau Grand Corbin Despagne 2019 Saint Emilion Grand Cru am Gaumen der Falstaff-Verköstiger:
Kräftiges Rubingranat, violette Reflexe, dezente Ockerrandaufhellung. Zarte Kräuterwürze, mit Edelholz unterlegte dunkle Waldbeerfrucht, etwas Lakritze. Saftig, reife Herzkirschen, feine Fruchtsüße, reife Tannine, gute Länge, ein stoffiger Speisenbegleiter mit sicherem Reifepotenzial.
James Suckling bewertet den Chateau de Pressac 2018 Saint Emilion wie folgt:
Antonio Galloni bewertet den Chateau de Pressac 2018 Saint Emilion wie folgt: