James Suckling's #1 Wine of 2022

100pts James Suckling

Wow! The aromas to this are really exceptional, with a tangerine edge to the blackcurrants, graphite, lead pencil, flowers and wet earth. It changes all the time. So expressive and refined. Full-bodied with great intensity and depth of fruit. The ultra-fine tannins display millions of layers. The texture on the palate is superb and lasts for minutes. This is the new 1974 Georges de Latour, which was a legend. Real Napa Valley red here. Drinkable now, to understand it, but truly great in five to six years and onwards. Benchmark.

99pts Jeb Dunnuck

Lastly, the Grand Vin 2019 Cabernet Sauvignon Georges De Latour Private Reserve is just about pure perfection, and the fact that there are roughly 12,000 cases is incredible. Classis darker fruits (cassis, currants) as well as chocolate, leafy tobacco, and loamy earth all define the bouquet, and this full-bodied, concentrated, powerful, yet also elegant 2019 has the balance and structure to evolve for decades. It should be relatively easy to find this in the market, and you won't be disappointed.

97pts Wine Enthusiast

Another stunning vintage of this classic wine, blended with 9% Petit Verdot, this wine is dark and brooding in black cherry, cassis and currant, with a rich nose of baking spice. Lengthy and generous in tannin, it shows a backbone of ageworthy structure and complexity, with a lasting thread of dark chocolate. Enjoy best from 2029–2039.

94pts Robert Parker's Wine Advocate

While the quality of the 2019 Cabernet Sauvignon Private Reserve Georges de Latour is indeed excellent, what may be even more impressive is that there are more than 12,000 cases of the stuff. Marked by scents of cherries, dusty earth, dried herbs and hints of cedar, it's full-bodied, silky and complex, with a lingering finish. It doesn't require much cellaring, but it should drink well for close to two decades. Nicely done.

94pts Wine and Spirits

Trevor Durling hit another home run with the 2019 Georges de Latour, a brilliant follow-up to his 2017. He selects the fruit from BV1 and BV2, parcels on the western benchlands of Rutherford, fi rst planted by Georges de Latour in the early 1900s. The latest generation of vines produced a silken cabernet in 2019, its fi rm, grape-skin tannins surrounding ripe purpleplum fruit, lasting on that fruit perfume with a sense of restraint and elegance. This is the kind of gracious cabernet that made the Rutherford Bench famous.

93pts Wine Spectator

A dark, winey style, with a core of gently steeped black currant and blackberry fruit flavors that tumble around with warm earth, dark licorice and roasted alder. Gaining nice contrast from a flash of violet, this is tightly focused and bears a dust-tinged structure, signaling the need for a touch of cellaring to stretch out fully. Best from 2024.

Winemaker Notes

The 2019 Georges de Latour Private Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon is truly exemplary of this iconic wine, with a nuanced, exuberant nose that shows dark, ripe, berry fruit aromas of black raspberry, red currant, and black cherry, alongside delicate chaparral herb notes of wild lavender, rose, fresh mint, sage, and thyme. Exotic spiced notes from the well-integrated new French oak barrel aging adds caramel, cedar, and clove, all accompanying the plush fruit seamlessly, showcasing the depth, elegance, and balance of this world-renowned Cabernet. Full-bodied with tremendous concentration and power, the broad palate is multilayered with enticing flavors of dark black cherry, red currant, cocoa nib, amaretto, espresso, and graphite. Signature "Rutherford Dust" tannins add a fine cocoa-powder texture, with a long lift and persistent finish, while secondary notes of earth, espresso and pencil shavings add to the complexity and nuance. The mouthwatering palate is supple and fresh, with balanced acidity, demonstrating the classically elegant, luscious, and alluring character this wine is known for. Incredibly drinkable upon release in its youth and highly cellarable for many years to come.

Blend: 91% Cabernet Sauvignon, 9% Petit Verdot