2019 Chateau Le Boscq, Saint-Estephe

The 2019 Le Boscq is fabulous. A rush of wild cherry, smoke, licorice, tobacco, incense and scorched earth races across the palate. This deep, flavorful Saint-Estèphe is wonderfully expressive today. I would give the tannins a few years to soften. Le Boscq is a great choice for readers who want to explore the appellation without splurging on some of the bigger names.

The 2019 Le Boscq has a splendid bouquet with blackberry, bilberry and light estuarine scents, as if they captured a whiff of the Gironde in the bottle. Good definition too. The palate is medium-bodied with crunchy black fruit, a little oaky on the entry though it seems better integrated towards the smooth finish, with a mouth-coating graphite aftertaste. Good potential.

The 2019 le Boscq exhibits rich aromas of cassis, cherries, tobacco leaf and underbrush, followed by a medium-bodied palate with creditable depth of fruit, lively acids and ripe but youthfully chewy tannins. It appears to possess some of the most aging potential of the various Dourthe wines.

Tasted blind. A mix of ripe fruit and sharpness – picked at two different times? Fairly simple, with all the appeal on the nose, and the palate a little lacking in fruit concentration, but certainly better than many vintages! Tannins on the end. (JR)