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-Émilion. Give it a few years to soften.

Stephan von Neipperg's 2019 Clos de l'Oratoire has turned out very nicely in bottle, opening in the glass to reveal aromas of sweet wild berries, cherries, loamy soil and raw cocoa. Medium to full-bodied, ample and fleshy, it's broad and succulent, with lively acids, powdery tannins and a nicely defined finish. It's produced from holdings on sandy-clay soils in the northeast of Saint-Émilion.

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.

Tasted blind. Creamy, rich nose and very round palate with the (sufficient) tannins very much in the background. Good vigour and lots of attack. Classic early-21st-century St-Émilion! (JR)

81% Merlot, 19% Cabernet Franc. Deep crimson with smudgy rim. A hint of maturity here, touch of undergrowth, but also an attractive note of crushed stones. Tannins are firm and dark, the fruit just enough to hold the core. Firmly tannic aftertaste with excellent freshness. (JH)