On the other hand, when a bottle racks up top accolades across the board, from almost every major reviewer—well, then you know it’s time to pay attention.
Rarely do we come across a wine capable of generating such universal appeal, but in the case of the stunning 2019 Saint-emilion Grand Cru Classe from Chateau La Dominique, the verdict is clear. One of the hottest rising stars of Bordeaux’s Right Bank, located a stone’s throw from the legendary Chateau Cheval Blanc, this still-under-the-radar estate pulled off a clean sweep.
Not only did Jeb Dunnuck score it 95–97 points, praising La Dominique as “an estate readers need to have on their radar” while gushing over the wine’s “pure, layered, seamless mouthfeel, ripe tannins, and…great finish,” Decanter named it one of the top Saint-emilions of 2019 tasted en primeur. Add to that rave reviews from James Suckling and Antonio Galloni, the latter of whom said the wine "shimmers with beauty," and it’s clear this is no ordinary bottle of Bordeaux!
La Dominique has been considered an up-and-coming estate for several years, but when General Manager Gwendeline Lucas joined the team in 2017, at just 32 years old, she made it her mission to transform the property into one of the next reference points for Saint-emilion Grand Cru Classe.
Now, in partnership with technical director Yann Monties, formerly of Pessac-Leognan’s Chateau Haut-Bailly, she’s clearly on track to realize that dream. In fact, based on this breathtaking 2019 alone, we wouldn’t be surprised if La Dominique joins the rarefied ranks of Saint-emilion’s classified Premier Grand Crus during the next ranking later this year.
