Clos de L'Oratoire Saint Emilion 2019

(Pre-Arrival) Wine arrives summer 2023.

96 points Jeb Dunnuck
Ripe black fruit (there's some red fruit as well), tobacco leaf, damp earth, exotic flowers, and some chocolaty notes all emerge from the 2019 Clos De L'Oratoire, another beautiful wine from the Neipperg family and team. Rich, medium to full-bodied, and seamless on the palate, I love its mid-palate, it has gorgeous tannins, no hard edges, and a great finish. This is clearly a great vintage for this cuvee. Hide bottles for 4-5 years, and it's going to have 2-3 decades of longevity, and probably a gradual decline after that as well. It's beautiful. Best After 2026

94 points James Suckling
Aromas of blackberries, blackcurrants, plum leaves, violets and bitter chocolate. Medium-to full-bodied with firm, compact tannins. Very solid with a dense core of dark fruit. Chewy finish. Best from 2026.

94 points Vinous
Powerful and explosive in the glass, the 2019 Clos de l'Oratoire possesses tremendous depth and density from start to finish. Black cherry, chocolate, licorice, spice, menthol and lavender are all amplified in this potent, structured Saint-Emilion. Give it a few years to soften. (2/22) Antonio Galloni

92-94 points Vinous
The 2019 Clos de l'Oratoire was picked from 23 September to 7 October at 51hl/ha and matured in 50% new oak. For the vintage, it has a slightly broodier nose than its peers, but still attractive with blackberry, briary, undergrowth and a trace of peppermint. The palate displays more vivacity with fine-grain tannins and an almost Left Bank pencil lead note emanating from the 19% Cabernet Franc. Quite linear but persistent on the finish, this is a very well-crafted, elegant, intellectual Clos d'Oratoire from Stephan von Neipperg's team. (6/20) Neal Martin