Producer note: Jean-Nicolas Méo briefly described 2019 as another "hot and dry vintage that produced high fruit maturities. We picked from the 13th of September and the bunches were exceptionally clean so there wasn't much sorting required save for a few sunburned berries. I would call the yields correct, which is to say about 20% lower than what we obtained in 2018 but since yields were generous, essentially 2019 gave us normal volumes. Alcohols were on the higher side as they mostly came in between 13.8 and 14.3% with better acidities than in 2018. We vinified carefully as the fruit had a very high level of extractability and it would have been easy to unbalance the wines with too much tannin but otherwise, there was no drama with the vinifications. As to the wines, they remind me quite a bit of what we produced in 2009 and 2015, both of which I like quite a bit." See also the reviews for the Maison Méo-Camuzet Frère et Soeurs wines directly below. (Kermit Lynch Wine Merchant, www.kermitlynch.com, CA, Jeanne-Marie de Champs, www.ds-collection.com, NY, Frederick Wildman, www.frederickwildman.com, NY and Boston Wine Company, MA, all USA; Goedhuis & Co., www.goedhuis.com, Justerini & Brooks, www.justerinis.com, Uncorked Ltd, www.uncorked.co.uk, Berry Brothers & Rudd, www.bbr.com, The Rare & Fine Wine Company Limited, www.therareandfinewinecompany.com and Fields, Morris & Verdin, www.fmvwines.com, all UK).
Tasting note: Ultra-spicy red and black berry aromas combine with those of jasmine tea, violet, star anise and discreet oak. The succulent, rich and delicious flavors possess excellent volume and mid-palate density while exhibiting a subtle minerality on the firm, serious and built-to-age finale that also flashes a touch of warmth. This is terrific and in 2019 it is a bit more elegant than usual.