From the talented Nicolas Thienpont, the 2019 Château La Prade sports a deep ruby/purple color to go with a great nose of spicy dark fruits, damp earth, and violet. Wonderfully pure, medium-bodied, elegant, and seamless on the palate, it's easily the finest vintage of this cuvée I've tasted. It's going to drink brilliantly for 10-12 years.
93 points, Jeb Dunnuck (Apr 2022)
An intense, aromatic red with notes of ripe plums and blackberries, spices, chocolate and tar. Polished and refined with an array of fine-grained, chewy tannins and a velvety mouth-feel. Full-bodied, compact and long. Impressive power and depth. Drink in a year or two or hold.
92 points, James Suckling (Jan 2022)
Chalky tannins along with plenty of berry fruits and seductive richly smoked caramel, tobacco leaf and saffron. Plenty of character, easy to love. Owned by Nicolas Thienpont since 2000
92 points, Jane Anson (Jan 2022)
A deep, dark, rich nose - smells seductive with softly perfumed flowers and gorgeous ripe red fruit aromas. Lovely energy here, this is chewy and tannic no doubt, they coat the mouth but with a wonderful cooling minty, stone aspect to the fruit too. A real aerial style - cooling in the mouth, not sombre necessarily as there is good acidity but this is just lighter and fresher than many. Still needs time but this has a lovely cleanliness, you can taste the minerality and salty tang driving the fruit and spice across the palate - it feels precise and poised. Will be delicious in time. A blend of 85% Merlot and 15% Cabernet Franc.
92 points, Georgina Hindle, Decanter (Jan 2022)
The 2019 La Prade is a gorgeous, inviting wine. Succulent dark cherry, menthol, licorice, chocolate, spice and mocha flesh out in this racy, beautifully layered Côtes de Bordeaux from Nicolas Thienpont. The 2019 has come together so well. Tasted three times.
91 points, Antonio Galloni, Vinous (Feb 2022)
Medium to deep garnet-purple in color, the 2019 La Prade reveals pretty floral notes of violets and lavender with an underlying core of baked plums and stewed cherries. Medium to full-bodied, it has a firm frame of rounded tannins and just enough freshness to support the tightly knit fruit, finishing on a minerally note.
91 points, Lisa Perrotti-Brown, Wine Independent (May 2022)