Château Grand Corbin-Despagne 2019

A richly fruity version, with cherry compote and plum puree notes gliding through easily, while melted licorice and warm fruitcake fill in through the cedar-tinged finish. Enticing, if a touch shy on energy in the end. Merlot, Cabernet Franc and Cabernet Sauvignon. Drink now through 2032. 7,000 cases made, 1,500 cases imported.

Strong aromas on the nose, concentrated and generous. This is taut but well defined. It's a little restrained at the moment but there is a lovely core of juicy, cool blue and dark fruits with velvety tannins. I like the initial brightness and then it settles into a deeper, more seductive wine with cinnamon edges and some soft liquorice spice.

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.

Half-bottle sample. 75% Merlot, 24% Cabernet Franc, 1% Cabernet Sauvignon grown on sandy clay on the local iron-rich crasse de fer. Mid crimson shading to a pale rim. Ripe but well-balanced nose that is very obviously a rich St-Émilion. The richness and freshness of the most successful 2019s are both evident and no heat on the end. In fact, it's quite appetising and could be enjoyed already although there is no shortage of ripe tannin and fruit concentration. Long. (JR)

The 2019 Grand Corbin Despagne has a well-defined, mocha-tinged bouquet that unfolds in the glass, the oak nicely integrated. The palate is medium-bodied, ripe and generous, with lithe tannins, fine acidity and a poised, persistent finish. Good potential.

Looking for a superb wine that’s ready to drink today? And most importantly, it sells for a song! Look no further. This supple-textured, ripe, round beauty is packed with licorice, sweet, ripe red and black cherries, plums, and chocolate. It’s so easy to drink, I wish I had a second bottle! Drink from 2025–2039.

Deep ruby garnet with purple reflections and a subtle ochre rim. Delicate herbal savouriness and dark wild berry fruit are underlaid by fine, precious wood and a touch of liquorice. On the palate, juicy, ripe heart cherries take the lead, with a fine fruity sweetness and ripe tannins that provide good length. A full-bodied food companion with secure ageing potential.

Well-judged balance of power and finesse, an excellent vintage at Grand Corbin Despagne with gourmet black cherry notes, black pepper and olive tapenade spices, and a kiss of black chocolate to add generosity. Love this, an upscore from En Primeur. The Corbin sector on the clays near to Pomerol did a great job of resisting the periods of drought in 2019. A yield of 36hl/ha. 50% new oak. The 208th vintage of the Despagne family here, 24th for François Despagne.

A nose revealing hints of Port, both precise and glowing. On the palate, those same Madeira-like notes make a comeback, with opulence, promising suppleness, and tannins that only ask to be softened by the patina of time.

The bouquet of the 2019 unfolds with finesse and authenticity. It is marked by chalky notes, a hint of toasted bread, and inviting nuances of black berries. Like the bouquet, the palate shines with finesse but also with a distinctive character and tightly knit tannins. The wine is sapid and endowed with a tonic tension. What energy, freshness, and authenticity in this wine!

Dark color. Intense nose, fruity, ripe, even deep. Delicate on the attack, very aromatic mid-palate, with a melting body, flavor, richness and depth, the wine finishes sappy and long, with present yet wrapped tannins. It’s very good.

Deep garnet-purple in color, the 2019 Grand Corbin-Despagne needs coaxing, with baked plums and boysenberries with a tobacco and tilled soil undercurrent. Full-bodied, soft, and with a lively backbone to invigorate the rich fruit, it has velvety tannins and a fragrant finish.