Grand Vin de Reignac - Bordeaux Supérieur 2019

Yves and Stéphanie Vatelot are part of a generation of business leaders who became winemakers about twenty years ago. They have greatly enhanced the potential of this estate, both in the vineyard and in the cellars. With the guidance of Michel Rolland, they produce red and white wines of exemplary quality and consistency, which rank them among the appellation’s leaders.

Built around rich, pure, and expressive fruit, this red wine captivates from the very first sip. We love its structure, its ripe, velvety tannins, its smoothness, and its lingering aroma. What more could you ask for?

 

Yves and Stéphanie Vatelot celebrated their 30th anniversary at the helm of Reignac this year. From the very beginning, the couple has gone all out to position their Bordeaux Supérieurs at the highest level by following the advice of Michel Roland. With the arrival of director Nicolas Lesaint in 2009, cultivation methods have evolved to align more closely with organic practices. This effort is beginning to show in the wines, despite aging practices that are still somewhat intrusive. Extraction is more precise thanks to six small truncated-cone-shaped tanks designed to reflect the specific characteristics of each vineyard plot.

Reignac 2019 offers a lovely, well-defined nose of red berries from perennial brambles, with a hint of rose petals and forest floor. On the palate, it is medium-bodied and classic in style, with fine tannins, lively acidity, and black fruit accented by notes of charcoal and toast on the finish. Excellent. 2024–2042

The 2019 Grand Vin de Reignac, which proved magnificent in the barrel and now in the bottle. It displays a dense purple-ruby color, along with an elegant and incredibly impressive bouquet of blackcurrant, smoked tobacco, damp earth, graphite, and pencil lead. Drinking like a great Médoc, it is medium-bodied to full-bodied, with a complex and elegant palate, magnificent tannins, and a superb finish. If you want to surprise your friends during a blind tasting (or if you simply want to enjoy a brilliant wine), don’t miss this gem—it’s well worth the effort. It will age well for 10 to 15 years. This is the best vintage I’ve tasted, and I may even be conservative in my rating. 2022–2037

The area dedicated to Reignac’s Grand Vin is 45 hectares. The soils are clay-gravel and clay-limestone. Planting density is 6,600 vines per hectare. In 2019, the yield barely reached 27 hectoliters per hectare. The wines are crafted by an excellent team led by Nicolas Lesaint, a brilliant winemaker and, incidentally, an artist as well. The bouquet unfolds slowly and subtly, revealing inviting fruity and spicy notes. It is on the palate that Reignac truly demonstrates its caliber, which is, once again, exceptional. The tannins are compact, very refined, and reach their full expression on the finish. A truly outstanding wine that will require patience—or decanting for at least one hour when young. A truly outstanding wine. 2024–2039

The nose is aromatic and offers a lovely, fine texture, intensity, and precision, as well as an elegant and appealing range of aromas. It features notes of juicy blackberry, ripe wild strawberry, and, more subtly, ripe blackcurrant, combined with delicate hints of morello cherry, violet, and lily; subtle hints of licorice and black tea; very subtle saline notes; and a hint of pepper and fresh clove. On the palate, it is fresh and mineral, offering richness, roundness, luscious and indulgent fruit, a delicate tangy framework, a lovely tannic structure, elegance, roundness, as well as nice definition and a rich, indulgent texture. On the palate, this wine expresses notes of vibrant Boysenberry, juicy blueberry, and, more subtly, violet, combined with hints of morello cherry, licorice, chocolate, and Bourbon vanilla bean, as well as subtle hints of black tea, nutmeg, and a touch of roasted hazelnut. The tannins are elegant, structuring, refined, and well-integrated. Good length. Lovely freshness, definition, and complexity.