Le Dôme 2019

Inky dark purple core and hue. Fragrant and layered nose offering violet, black currant, black cherry, pain d´épice, fine tobacco and and rather discreet oak notes. More muscular than bold palate with tremendous concentration and length blending the pure fruity notes with the chalky and earthy, very savoury and superbly long, a wine deemed for very long ageing.

2019 Le Dôme 96+p
Tasted in November 2021. This vineyard consists of several parcels situated on the right side of the slopes near Beausejour Becot and Canon. 80% C. Franc + 20% Merlot. There was a sophisticated and intense nose of creamy black-/blueberries with great depth, a strong backbone provided by C. Franc, silky texture on the palate, sweet, crunchy tannins, remarkable complexity, depth and length. Intelligent winemaking! Wow!

The 2019 Le Dôme is a wine of pure and total sensuality. Far more restrained than it can be, the 2019 possesses tremendous nuance and plenty of intensity, but it is also less of a bruiser than it can be. There is so much going on. Striking Cabernet Franc inflections and structure reveal themselves with time in the glass. Vivid and wonderfully deep, Le Dôme has so much to offer for readers who can give it a few years in the cellar. 94-96p

Jonathan Maltus' 2019s are superb across the board. I imagine many readers will be drawn to the micro-cuvées, Le Carré, Le Dôme and Les Astéries, in particular, and right so. In my view, though the most impressive wine in the lineup is Teyssier because of its quality at a production level that is very hard to achieve. The growing season was hot, as it was everywhere, with rain episodes in July, August and September that helped balance things out. Frost was an issue in some of the lower-lying parcels that typically inform Teyssier and Laforge. More importantly, the decision to give the wines a bit more energy while retaining all of the richness readers have come to expect yields a range of wines that really stand out in 2019.