Bordeaux 2021 | Best of the Best
This is a small selection of several of the most sought-after wines of the campaign. Many perennially compete in quality against the finest wines of Bordeaux, others are wines which have gone above and beyond their typical quality level in the 2021 vintage. Looking for a case to put down for that special birthday in years to come, or to enjoy with your children on their 21st, these are the wines we would recommend.
2021 Ch Ausone 1er Grand Cru Classé St Emilion
£500.00 In Bond £602.68 Inc VAT-
Goedhuis, April 2022, Score: 97-98
St Emilion’s most historic estate expresses its great terroir of limestone and calcareous clay to absolute perfection. A blend of 65% Cabernet Franc and 35% Merlot, with an array of wild hedgerow fruits and black forest gâteau. It is extraordinarily layered, poised and yet lively at the same time. The generosity of the Merlot fruit is supported by the energy and purity of the Cabernet Franc, which gives additional grip and a noticeable lift of fresh acidity. This wine has so much potential and great class.
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Neal Martin, April 2022, Score: 93-95
The 2021 Ausone was picked on September 30 for the Merlot and October 4–6 for the Cabernet Franc, with a higher percentage of Cabernet Franc because some of the Merlot was deselected into the Chapelle. Matured in 90% new oak, this has a fragrant and floral bouquet, more iris than violet, revealing a hint of seaweed in the background. The palate is well-defined, quite strict and focused, certainly one of the more mineral-driven Ausones that I have encountered at this stage. The limestone terroir is evident on the finish. Again, this is a little leaner and less flamboyant than recent vintages. Having tasted Ausone at this prenatal stage for over 20 years, I don’t find the thrilling "drive” or the pyrotechnics of the 2001, 2010, 2016 or 2019. Yet this Ausone is compelling in its own uncompromising way, and I wouldn't want it any different. Drink 2026 - 2050
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Antonio Galloni, April 2022, Score: 93-95
The 2021 Ausone could turn out to be one of the wines of the vintage on the Right Bank. It shows terrific balance, with just enough mid-palate sweetness and texture to fill out the layers. To be sure the 2021 is an understated Ausone, but all the elements are so nicely balanced. Red/purplish berry fruit, pomegranate, spice and mocha are pushed forward. The blend is 60% Cabernet Franc and 40% Merlot, with the Merlot more in evidence today while the Franc is felt mostly in the wine's finish. Rose petal, cinnamon and blood orange add an exotic flourish. Drink 2036-2061
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Wine Advocate, April 2022, Score: 97-100
A blend of 65% Cabernet Franc and 35% Merlot, the 2021 Ausone is a strong candidate for the title of wine of the vintage. Wafting from the glass with aromas of wild blueberries and raspberries mingled with rose petals, violets, exotic spices, vine smoke and blood orange, it's full-bodied, seamless and sensual, with a satiny attack that segues into a deep, layered mid-palate of breathtaking precision and intensity without weight. Built around bright acids and ultra-refined tannins and concluding with a resonant, perfumed finish, this profound young Ausone represents the essence of this great limestone terroir. I am not in the habit of drinking six-month-old Bordeaux cask samples, but this is one wine that would have sorely tempted me to make an exception to that rule if my appointment at the estate hadn't been one of the first of the day!
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Matthew Jukes, April 2022, Score: 19+
This is a wonderfully suave and cultured Ausone with a quietness and composure that is compelling. The nose is floral and slightly spicy over a core of classic Ausone wild red and black fruit and it is delivered sotte voce with the palate following in a similar vein. The finish is as civilised as it gets with discreet levels of tannins hidden beneath the flowing crimson gown of fruit. It seems so calm and restrained that you wonder where the classic Ausone power and majesty is to be found and the answer is on the nose. If you don’t spend some time on the perfume, you will miss everything – the whole story, the plot line, the set-up, the truth. While the finale will happen in a couple of decades time, the cast is complete. If you read the statistics above, just as in any situation then you might conclude that this is a powerful, oaky, concentrated wine. This could not be further from the truth – it is sensational and as considered, calm and sophisticated as any the very finest in vintage.
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Wine Cellar Insider, April 2022, Score: 95
Underbrush, smoke, cigar wrapper, espresso, spice, dark cocoa, flowers and the strong sensation of crushed rocks and stones tossed into the Atlantic ocean create the the enticing bouquet. On the palate, the wine is medium/full-bodied, elegant, polished and chalky with layers of sweet, ripe, earthy, red pit fruits, salty tannins, herbs dark chocolate. There is length, minerality and complexity on the mid-palate and a vibrancy to the red fruits with a strong crushed rock influence in the finish. This is a serious candidate for the wine of the vintage. Made from a blend of 65% Cabernet Franc and 35% Merlot,12.8% ABV, pH 3.6. The harvest took place from September 30 - October 6. The yields were 30 hectoliters per hectare. Only 1,200 cases were produced this year. Drink from 2028-2065.
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Jane Anson, TYPE1 Desc, Score: 95
Violet edging, jewel red depths. There is austerity on the tannins here, but also great depths through the palate, with controlled but juicy loganberry and raspberry fruits, and waves of saffron, creamy red-fruit puree, crushed rock, cold ash and salt-cracker salinity. Subdued, with hidden power and complexity. A tough year for this stable of wines - or rather proof of their exceptionally high standards, making a half production of Simard, no Haut Simard, tiny amounts of Fonbel and almost certainly no Moulin St Georges. The last year that Ausone will be recorded as a Premier Grand Cru Classé A, before publication of the new ranking in September 2022. Harvest September 30 to October 6, 100% new oak. In conversion to organic farming since 2020, Philippe Baillarguet cellar master. Average vine age 55 years.
2021 Ch Ausone 1er Grand Cru Classé St Emilion
£1,500.00 In Bond £1,808.04 Inc VAT-
Goedhuis, April 2022, Score: 97-98
St Emilion’s most historic estate expresses its great terroir of limestone and calcareous clay to absolute perfection. A blend of 65% Cabernet Franc and 35% Merlot, with an array of wild hedgerow fruits and black forest gâteau. It is extraordinarily layered, poised and yet lively at the same time. The generosity of the Merlot fruit is supported by the energy and purity of the Cabernet Franc, which gives additional grip and a noticeable lift of fresh acidity. This wine has so much potential and great class.
-
Neal Martin, April 2022, Score: 93-95
The 2021 Ausone was picked on September 30 for the Merlot and October 4–6 for the Cabernet Franc, with a higher percentage of Cabernet Franc because some of the Merlot was deselected into the Chapelle. Matured in 90% new oak, this has a fragrant and floral bouquet, more iris than violet, revealing a hint of seaweed in the background. The palate is well-defined, quite strict and focused, certainly one of the more mineral-driven Ausones that I have encountered at this stage. The limestone terroir is evident on the finish. Again, this is a little leaner and less flamboyant than recent vintages. Having tasted Ausone at this prenatal stage for over 20 years, I don’t find the thrilling "drive” or the pyrotechnics of the 2001, 2010, 2016 or 2019. Yet this Ausone is compelling in its own uncompromising way, and I wouldn't want it any different. Drink 2026 - 2050
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Antonio Galloni, April 2022, Score: 93-95
The 2021 Ausone could turn out to be one of the wines of the vintage on the Right Bank. It shows terrific balance, with just enough mid-palate sweetness and texture to fill out the layers. To be sure the 2021 is an understated Ausone, but all the elements are so nicely balanced. Red/purplish berry fruit, pomegranate, spice and mocha are pushed forward. The blend is 60% Cabernet Franc and 40% Merlot, with the Merlot more in evidence today while the Franc is felt mostly in the wine's finish. Rose petal, cinnamon and blood orange add an exotic flourish. Drink 2036-2061
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Wine Advocate, April 2022, Score: 97-100
A blend of 65% Cabernet Franc and 35% Merlot, the 2021 Ausone is a strong candidate for the title of wine of the vintage. Wafting from the glass with aromas of wild blueberries and raspberries mingled with rose petals, violets, exotic spices, vine smoke and blood orange, it's full-bodied, seamless and sensual, with a satiny attack that segues into a deep, layered mid-palate of breathtaking precision and intensity without weight. Built around bright acids and ultra-refined tannins and concluding with a resonant, perfumed finish, this profound young Ausone represents the essence of this great limestone terroir. I am not in the habit of drinking six-month-old Bordeaux cask samples, but this is one wine that would have sorely tempted me to make an exception to that rule if my appointment at the estate hadn't been one of the first of the day!
-
Matthew Jukes, April 2022, Score: 19+
This is a wonderfully suave and cultured Ausone with a quietness and composure that is compelling. The nose is floral and slightly spicy over a core of classic Ausone wild red and black fruit and it is delivered sotte voce with the palate following in a similar vein. The finish is as civilised as it gets with discreet levels of tannins hidden beneath the flowing crimson gown of fruit. It seems so calm and restrained that you wonder where the classic Ausone power and majesty is to be found and the answer is on the nose. If you don’t spend some time on the perfume, you will miss everything – the whole story, the plot line, the set-up, the truth. While the finale will happen in a couple of decades time, the cast is complete. If you read the statistics above, just as in any situation then you might conclude that this is a powerful, oaky, concentrated wine. This could not be further from the truth – it is sensational and as considered, calm and sophisticated as any the very finest in vintage.
-
Wine Cellar Insider, April 2022, Score: 95
Underbrush, smoke, cigar wrapper, espresso, spice, dark cocoa, flowers and the strong sensation of crushed rocks and stones tossed into the Atlantic ocean create the the enticing bouquet. On the palate, the wine is medium/full-bodied, elegant, polished and chalky with layers of sweet, ripe, earthy, red pit fruits, salty tannins, herbs dark chocolate. There is length, minerality and complexity on the mid-palate and a vibrancy to the red fruits with a strong crushed rock influence in the finish. This is a serious candidate for the wine of the vintage. Made from a blend of 65% Cabernet Franc and 35% Merlot,12.8% ABV, pH 3.6. The harvest took place from September 30 - October 6. The yields were 30 hectoliters per hectare. Only 1,200 cases were produced this year. Drink from 2028-2065.
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Jane Anson, TYPE1 Desc, Score: 95
Violet edging, jewel red depths. There is austerity on the tannins here, but also great depths through the palate, with controlled but juicy loganberry and raspberry fruits, and waves of saffron, creamy red-fruit puree, crushed rock, cold ash and salt-cracker salinity. Subdued, with hidden power and complexity. A tough year for this stable of wines - or rather proof of their exceptionally high standards, making a half production of Simard, no Haut Simard, tiny amounts of Fonbel and almost certainly no Moulin St Georges. The last year that Ausone will be recorded as a Premier Grand Cru Classé A, before publication of the new ranking in September 2022. Harvest September 30 to October 6, 100% new oak. In conversion to organic farming since 2020, Philippe Baillarguet cellar master. Average vine age 55 years.
2021 Ch Canon 1er Grand Cru Classé St Emilion
£540.00 In Bond £664.07 Inc VAT-
Goedhuis, April 2022, Score: 94-96
A bright, fresh and racy wine, combining both red and black currants, it is full of electrifying energy. 71% Merlot fills out the palate with deep, dark toffee and oriental spice, whilst 29% Cabernet Franc brings a joyful, fresh vibrance. Well-structured tannins come through on the finish. This has tremendous potential.
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Neal Martin, April 2022, Score: 92-94
The 2021 Canon was picked September 16 to October 6 and matured in 50% new oak for a planned 16–18 months. Around 70% of the vineyard produced the normal yield, which underwent a 50% deselection, yet it still yielded 40hL/ha because the vines did not suffer stress. After mildew, any bunches that showed damage on the stems were removed. Nicolas Audebert told me that there was no concentration or saignée, just a little chaptalization (around 0.5–1.0%, depending on the tank). This has quite a concentrated bouquet of opulent dark cherries, blueberry, violet and just a hint of camphor. The palate is medium-bodied and pliant, with gentle grip, saturated tannins and a judicious touch of spice toward the compact finish. While recent top-flight vintages may well eclipse this Canon, it still stands as a fine addition to the recent roster. Drink 2030 - 2060
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Antonio Galloni, April 2022, Score: 95-97
Dramatic, rich and imposing, the 2021 Canon is shaping up to be one of the wines of the vintage. Sculpted red purplish fruit, rose petal, lavender, sage and crushed rocks all race out of the glass. A heady, vertical wine, Canon is endowed with tremendous concentration and class. The aromatics alone are beguiling, but it is the wine's balance that impresses most. Tasted three times. This is such an elegant and regal wine. Drink 2031-2061
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Wine Advocate, April 2022, Score: 94-96
A brilliant wine in the making, the 2021 Canon offers up aromas of cherries, wild berries, licorice, sweet soil tones, raw cocoa, Indian spices and rose petals. Medium to full-bodied, layered and multidimensional, it's immensely refined and seamless, with a lively spine of acidity, ripe tannins and a long, penetrating, intensely saline finish. This beautifully balanced Canon is one of the classiest, most complete wines of the Right Bank in this vintage. Tasted four times.
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Matthew Jukes, April 2022, Score: 18.5
This is a gentle, layered, silky and near-flamboyant Canon, and nothing is forced nor too urgent, and the result is a wine that is serenely fruited and beautifully balanced on the nose and palate. While this is firmly a medium-weight wine, there is a density of perfume and succulence on the palate, and it will enchant all-comers. The freshness and elegance here are tremendous, and the flavours are kaleidoscopic. With an impressive length and thought-provoking complexity, this is a multifaceted wine with great accuracy, refinement, and drive.
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Wine Cellar Insider, April 2022, Score: 94-96
The nose stands out with its nuances of flowers, crushed stones, spearmint, cigar wrapper, red plums, fresh cherries, herbs, and a touch of fennel. The wine is all about its freshness, purity, energy and elegant nature, finishing with silky tannins with their trademark touch of salt, mint leaf, and sweet, vibrant red berries. The wine blends 71% Merlot with 29% Cabernet Franc, 13.5% ABV. The harvest took place September 16 - October 6. Drink from 2026-2055.
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Jane Anson, April 2022, Score: 96
Gorgeous bright plum colour with violet reflections. The epitome of careful, precise, well-spliced winemaking. Sibling estate Berliquet has perhaps more immediate charm, because there is more power running through it, but this is just elegance and finesse personified. Red cherry, raspberry, blueberry, blackberry, slate, saffron, oyster shell, they have teased out layers of complexity that were not easy to find in the vintage, and there is length also, with pummice stone salinity scraping across the palate. It's subtle, and it's not at the heights of a 2019 Canon, but this will not be out of place in a vertical of the estate. Tasted twice. 50% new oak, 40hl/h yield, harvest September 16 to October 8. Thomas Duclos consultant.
2021 Ch Canon 1er Grand Cru Classé St Emilion
£185.00 In Bond £227.35 Inc VAT-
Goedhuis, April 2022, Score: 94-96
A bright, fresh and racy wine, combining both red and black currants, it is full of electrifying energy. 71% Merlot fills out the palate with deep, dark toffee and oriental spice, whilst 29% Cabernet Franc brings a joyful, fresh vibrance. Well-structured tannins come through on the finish. This has tremendous potential.
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Neal Martin, April 2022, Score: 92-94
The 2021 Canon was picked September 16 to October 6 and matured in 50% new oak for a planned 16–18 months. Around 70% of the vineyard produced the normal yield, which underwent a 50% deselection, yet it still yielded 40hL/ha because the vines did not suffer stress. After mildew, any bunches that showed damage on the stems were removed. Nicolas Audebert told me that there was no concentration or saignée, just a little chaptalization (around 0.5–1.0%, depending on the tank). This has quite a concentrated bouquet of opulent dark cherries, blueberry, violet and just a hint of camphor. The palate is medium-bodied and pliant, with gentle grip, saturated tannins and a judicious touch of spice toward the compact finish. While recent top-flight vintages may well eclipse this Canon, it still stands as a fine addition to the recent roster. Drink 2030 - 2060
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Antonio Galloni, April 2022, Score: 95-97
Dramatic, rich and imposing, the 2021 Canon is shaping up to be one of the wines of the vintage. Sculpted red purplish fruit, rose petal, lavender, sage and crushed rocks all race out of the glass. A heady, vertical wine, Canon is endowed with tremendous concentration and class. The aromatics alone are beguiling, but it is the wine's balance that impresses most. Tasted three times. This is such an elegant and regal wine. Drink 2031-2061
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Wine Advocate, April 2022, Score: 94-96
A brilliant wine in the making, the 2021 Canon offers up aromas of cherries, wild berries, licorice, sweet soil tones, raw cocoa, Indian spices and rose petals. Medium to full-bodied, layered and multidimensional, it's immensely refined and seamless, with a lively spine of acidity, ripe tannins and a long, penetrating, intensely saline finish. This beautifully balanced Canon is one of the classiest, most complete wines of the Right Bank in this vintage. Tasted four times.
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Matthew Jukes, April 2022, Score: 18.5
This is a gentle, layered, silky and near-flamboyant Canon, and nothing is forced nor too urgent, and the result is a wine that is serenely fruited and beautifully balanced on the nose and palate. While this is firmly a medium-weight wine, there is a density of perfume and succulence on the palate, and it will enchant all-comers. The freshness and elegance here are tremendous, and the flavours are kaleidoscopic. With an impressive length and thought-provoking complexity, this is a multifaceted wine with great accuracy, refinement, and drive.
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Wine Cellar Insider, April 2022, Score: 94-96
The nose stands out with its nuances of flowers, crushed stones, spearmint, cigar wrapper, red plums, fresh cherries, herbs, and a touch of fennel. The wine is all about its freshness, purity, energy and elegant nature, finishing with silky tannins with their trademark touch of salt, mint leaf, and sweet, vibrant red berries. The wine blends 71% Merlot with 29% Cabernet Franc, 13.5% ABV. The harvest took place September 16 - October 6. Drink from 2026-2055.
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Jane Anson, April 2022, Score: 96
Gorgeous bright plum colour with violet reflections. The epitome of careful, precise, well-spliced winemaking. Sibling estate Berliquet has perhaps more immediate charm, because there is more power running through it, but this is just elegance and finesse personified. Red cherry, raspberry, blueberry, blackberry, slate, saffron, oyster shell, they have teased out layers of complexity that were not easy to find in the vintage, and there is length also, with pummice stone salinity scraping across the palate. It's subtle, and it's not at the heights of a 2019 Canon, but this will not be out of place in a vertical of the estate. Tasted twice. 50% new oak, 40hl/h yield, harvest September 16 to October 8. Thomas Duclos consultant.
2021 Ch La Conseillante Pomerol
£942.00 In Bond £1,146.47 Inc VAT-
Goedhuis, April 2022, Score: 96-98
The privilege as the first person outside the property to taste the 2021, their 150th anniversary cuvée of La Conseillante, with wine director Marielle Cazaux could have influenced my judgement, but I think not. I simply love this wine! A blend of 85% Merlot and 15% Cabernet Franc it combines juicy Pomerol succulence with mocha, coffee bean and dark cassis fruits, and then the fresh, racy, almost crispness of fruit gives it an uplift and energy. So harmonious, no one component overpowers the other, this is what fine wine is all about: excitement!
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Neal Martin, April 2022, Score: 95-97
The 2021 La Conseillante was picked the latest in memory, from September 28 until October 8, at 39hL/ha, and matured in 70% new oak. It comes in at 13.3% alcohol and a pH of 3.6. The beautifully defined bouquet offers blackberry, bilberry and light iris petal scents, just a suggestion of black truffle coming though with time. The harmonious palate is medium-bodied with fine tannins and lightly spiced red fruit. There is a very subtle ferrous note, lovely depth and grip on the finish, and a persistent aftertaste. A beautiful La Conseillante courtesy of winemaker Marielle Cazaux and her team. Drink 2027 - 2060
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Antonio Galloni, April 2022, Score: 95-97
The 2021 is a super-classic La Conseillante the likes of which has not been made here in a very long time. A Pomerol of vibrancy and tension, the 2021 bristles with energy from start to finish. All the elements are so well-balanced. Aromatic and delineated, with terrific drive, the 2021 is so impressive in the early going. Dried herbs, licorice, mocha, cassis and blackberry open beautifully. The 70% new oak is already nicely integrated. To be sure, the 2021 is nervy and taut, as most wines are in this vintage. But it's all there. Drink 2031-2061
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Wine Advocate, April 2022, Score: 95-96
A superb effort that transcends the challenges of the vintage, the 2021 La Conseillante offers up a beautifully perfumed nose of wild berries, raspberry coulis, violets, exotic spices and vine smoke. Medium to full-bodied, supple and enveloping, it's a sensual, seamless wine that's deep and layered, structured around supple tannins and lively acids. Perfumed and penetrating, the 2021 isn't the most powerful wine this estate has produced, but it brilliantly exemplifies the rare structural elegance and almost Burgundian aromatic range that so often set this great estate apart from the rest of the Pomerol appellation. It's a blend of 85% Merlot and 15% Cabernet Franc.
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Matthew Jukes, April 2022, Score: 19.5+
It was clear within about two hours of tasting in the heartland of Pomerol that four pivotal producers that I visited had made stunning wines. So, in order to keep destroying the lies told before the campaign started, this is not a Cabernet vintage, nor is it a Merlot one. It is not a Left Bank vintage, nor is it a Right Bank one. It is nothing other than one thing – a forensic analysis, nay vinous audit, of every single estate’s fitness to deploy a finely drilled, immensely willing and able squads of teammates, whether they are in the field, in the chai, or both, to chaperone the finest grapes on their path to making the most complete and balanced wines possible. This has been achieved by all of those properties in this Report. Whether you gain Bronze, Silver or Gold scores is a moot point. But if you are here, on these pages, you have done a good job. But we all know why I am moved to taste this number of extremely young wines in a short space of time to determine those with the most potential to astound and amaze peoples’ senses. So, to La Conseillante – the 150th anniversary of this Château. Countless selfless employees and friends, under the guidance of a management team of prodigiously talented and excellence-focussed people, have made, yet again, a life-affirming wine. I know, having spent a few hours (only) over a goodly number of years, that winemaker Marielle Cazaux loves smooth, silky and pure wines. This is the starting point of her ambitions – a point at which few finish. But, in 2021, with the elements against her and her team, they simply knuckled down, shared equipment and bodies with her neighbour (Juliette at L’Evangile q.v.) and made the finest wine possible in this vintage. La Conseillante’s terroir is special. It has the innate ability to make astounding wines in hot years and cold years. Of course, La Conseillante is not alone in this skill, but the camaraderie, openness, and honesty here mean that tasters like me can understand how on earth this is possible. They ‘fought’ the frost. They had ‘great luck’. They kept ‘cool heads’. They were ‘amazed’ at the purity of the fruit. This is emotion triumphing, not just the vines triumphing over Mother Nature. Marielle and I talked about the ‘crumpled dune flower’ notes that I found over and over again in the greatest wines. It was here, too, at La Conseillante. But it was not everywhere. Why do the finest wines on both sides of the Gironde have this character, given that I felt it was a Cabernet Sauvignon trait (see my Margaux notes)? I found it again at Cheval Blanc in celestial Cabernet Franc and Merlot. Perhaps this is Bordeaux’s most elusive and essential pheromonal element – a magical spell I cannot resist. Either way, there are, I think, 12 wines that have this character in 2021, and they will remain in my taste memory forever as I seek out more and more and more. So, I wonder if it is relevant to record a traditional tasting note for this wine. It has a spellbinding perfume, an exquisite texture and the singular purity and persistence of the most outstanding red wines imaginable. So, on balance, I don’t think it is necessary.
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Wine Cellar Insider, April 2022, Score: 95
Violets, incense, black raspberry, dark kirsch, plums, espresso, and earthy overtones crowd into the finish. Deeply colored, on the palate the wine is exactly as it should be, elegant, refined, lifted, vivacious, and energetic, with a savory edge to the earthy red fruits and a hint of oak that should become completely integrated with a few years time. Perhaps this is a modern day version of the 1985, which if you have not tasted it lately, has aged extremely well. The harvest took place September 28, October 10, making this the latest vintage in the history of the estate. The wine blends 85% Merlot with 15% Cabernet Franc, 13.3% ABV, 3.6 pH. The yields were 39 hectoliters per hectare. Drink from 2025-2050.
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Jane Anson, April 2022, Score: 95
Flavoursome, sculpted, successful, this is rippling with violet and rosebud aromatics, followed by raspberry and black cherry fruits. It maintains momentum through the mid palate with a creamy texture and gourmet touches of liquorice root, cocoa bean and precisely-expressed slate minerality. Harvest began the latest ever, on September 28 through to October 12, 39hl/h yield, almost exactly average for the property (the average in Pomerol this year was closer to 29hl/h), from 9.77ha of vines in production, 3.6ph, 70% new oak with 3% amphora and 3.5% press wine. A successful showing for the 150th vintage of the estate from director Marielle Cazeaux. Michel Rolland consultant.
2021 Ch La Conseillante Pomerol
£315.00 In Bond £383.35 Inc VAT-
Goedhuis, April 2022, Score: 96-98
The privilege as the first person outside the property to taste the 2021, their 150th anniversary cuvée of La Conseillante, with wine director Marielle Cazaux could have influenced my judgement, but I think not. I simply love this wine! A blend of 85% Merlot and 15% Cabernet Franc it combines juicy Pomerol succulence with mocha, coffee bean and dark cassis fruits, and then the fresh, racy, almost crispness of fruit gives it an uplift and energy. So harmonious, no one component overpowers the other, this is what fine wine is all about: excitement!
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Neal Martin, April 2022, Score: 95-97
The 2021 La Conseillante was picked the latest in memory, from September 28 until October 8, at 39hL/ha, and matured in 70% new oak. It comes in at 13.3% alcohol and a pH of 3.6. The beautifully defined bouquet offers blackberry, bilberry and light iris petal scents, just a suggestion of black truffle coming though with time. The harmonious palate is medium-bodied with fine tannins and lightly spiced red fruit. There is a very subtle ferrous note, lovely depth and grip on the finish, and a persistent aftertaste. A beautiful La Conseillante courtesy of winemaker Marielle Cazaux and her team. Drink 2027 - 2060
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Antonio Galloni, April 2022, Score: 95-97
The 2021 is a super-classic La Conseillante the likes of which has not been made here in a very long time. A Pomerol of vibrancy and tension, the 2021 bristles with energy from start to finish. All the elements are so well-balanced. Aromatic and delineated, with terrific drive, the 2021 is so impressive in the early going. Dried herbs, licorice, mocha, cassis and blackberry open beautifully. The 70% new oak is already nicely integrated. To be sure, the 2021 is nervy and taut, as most wines are in this vintage. But it's all there. Drink 2031-2061
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Wine Advocate, April 2022, Score: 95-96
A superb effort that transcends the challenges of the vintage, the 2021 La Conseillante offers up a beautifully perfumed nose of wild berries, raspberry coulis, violets, exotic spices and vine smoke. Medium to full-bodied, supple and enveloping, it's a sensual, seamless wine that's deep and layered, structured around supple tannins and lively acids. Perfumed and penetrating, the 2021 isn't the most powerful wine this estate has produced, but it brilliantly exemplifies the rare structural elegance and almost Burgundian aromatic range that so often set this great estate apart from the rest of the Pomerol appellation. It's a blend of 85% Merlot and 15% Cabernet Franc.
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Matthew Jukes, April 2022, Score: 19.5+
It was clear within about two hours of tasting in the heartland of Pomerol that four pivotal producers that I visited had made stunning wines. So, in order to keep destroying the lies told before the campaign started, this is not a Cabernet vintage, nor is it a Merlot one. It is not a Left Bank vintage, nor is it a Right Bank one. It is nothing other than one thing – a forensic analysis, nay vinous audit, of every single estate’s fitness to deploy a finely drilled, immensely willing and able squads of teammates, whether they are in the field, in the chai, or both, to chaperone the finest grapes on their path to making the most complete and balanced wines possible. This has been achieved by all of those properties in this Report. Whether you gain Bronze, Silver or Gold scores is a moot point. But if you are here, on these pages, you have done a good job. But we all know why I am moved to taste this number of extremely young wines in a short space of time to determine those with the most potential to astound and amaze peoples’ senses. So, to La Conseillante – the 150th anniversary of this Château. Countless selfless employees and friends, under the guidance of a management team of prodigiously talented and excellence-focussed people, have made, yet again, a life-affirming wine. I know, having spent a few hours (only) over a goodly number of years, that winemaker Marielle Cazaux loves smooth, silky and pure wines. This is the starting point of her ambitions – a point at which few finish. But, in 2021, with the elements against her and her team, they simply knuckled down, shared equipment and bodies with her neighbour (Juliette at L’Evangile q.v.) and made the finest wine possible in this vintage. La Conseillante’s terroir is special. It has the innate ability to make astounding wines in hot years and cold years. Of course, La Conseillante is not alone in this skill, but the camaraderie, openness, and honesty here mean that tasters like me can understand how on earth this is possible. They ‘fought’ the frost. They had ‘great luck’. They kept ‘cool heads’. They were ‘amazed’ at the purity of the fruit. This is emotion triumphing, not just the vines triumphing over Mother Nature. Marielle and I talked about the ‘crumpled dune flower’ notes that I found over and over again in the greatest wines. It was here, too, at La Conseillante. But it was not everywhere. Why do the finest wines on both sides of the Gironde have this character, given that I felt it was a Cabernet Sauvignon trait (see my Margaux notes)? I found it again at Cheval Blanc in celestial Cabernet Franc and Merlot. Perhaps this is Bordeaux’s most elusive and essential pheromonal element – a magical spell I cannot resist. Either way, there are, I think, 12 wines that have this character in 2021, and they will remain in my taste memory forever as I seek out more and more and more. So, I wonder if it is relevant to record a traditional tasting note for this wine. It has a spellbinding perfume, an exquisite texture and the singular purity and persistence of the most outstanding red wines imaginable. So, on balance, I don’t think it is necessary.
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Wine Cellar Insider, April 2022, Score: 94-96
Violets, incense, black raspberry, dark kirsch, plums, espresso, and earthy overtones crowd into the finish. Deeply colored, on the palate the wine is exactly as it should be, elegant, refined, lifted, vivacious, and energetic, with a savory edge to the earthy red fruits and a hint of oak that should become completely integrated with a few years time. Perhaps this is a modern day version of the 1985, which if you have not tasted it lately, has aged extremely well. The harvest took place September 28, October 10, making this the latest vintage in the history of the estate. The wine blends 85% Merlot with 15% Cabernet Franc, 13.3% ABV, 3.6 pH. The yields were 39 hectoliters per hectare. Drink from 2025-2050.
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Jane Anson, April 2022, Score: 95
Flavoursome, sculpted, successful, this is rippling with violet and rosebud aromatics, followed by raspberry and black cherry fruits. It maintains momentum through the mid palate with a creamy texture and gourmet touches of liquorice root, cocoa bean and precisely-expressed slate minerality. Harvest began the latest ever, on September 28 through to October 12, 39hl/h yield, almost exactly average for the property (the average in Pomerol this year was closer to 29hl/h), from 9.77ha of vines in production, 3.6ph, 70% new oak with 3% amphora and 3.5% press wine. A successful showing for the 150th vintage of the estate from director Marielle Cazeaux. Michel Rolland consultant.
2021 Ch Cos d'Estournel 2ème Cru St Estèphe
£858.00 In Bond £1,045.67 Inc VAT-
Goedhuis, April 2022, Score: 96-98
Humility and precision were the buzz words 2021 at Ch Cos d’Estournel according to owner Michel Reybier: if you followed this mantra, the rewards were extremely high. 64% Cabernet Sauvignon, 30% Merlot, 4% Cabernet Franc and 2% Petit Verdot. This is a high-octane wine, with flavours of dark olive, a touch of pepper and deep black fruits. It is intense with a balanced structure and a tight central core. The tannins give the wine distinction and presence and freshness on the finish enlivens the palate. A wine full of confidence and plenty of class.
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Neal Martin, April 2022, Score: 93-95
The 2021 Cos d'Estournel has an attractive nose, more complex than the Pagodes (as you would expect), graphite and subtle cigar box scents permeating the black fruit and the Cabernet Sauvignon more expressive at this stage vis-à-vis the Merlot. The palate is medium-bodied with fine tannins. One of the most velvety Cos d'Estournel wines I have encountered at this stage, though linear and strict on the saline finish. This is old-school in some ways, and a bit grumpy in its youth – a wine that will oblige cellar aging. A Saint-Estèphe for the patient among you. (12.74% alcohol) Drink 2028 - 2050
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Antonio Galloni, April 2022, Score: 94-96
The 2021 Cos d'Estournel is a wine of real breadth and volume. It is also quite a departure from recent vintages in that strong Cabernet aromatics are very much front and center. Cedar, tobacco, dried herbs, menthol and licorice lend notable complexity to the bouquet. I expect the 2021 will need time to be at its best. Cos is usually much more alluring in its youth than the reticent but hugely promising 2021. Drink 2031-2051
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Wine Advocate, April 2022, Score: 94-95
The 2021 Cos d'Estournel is very promising, offering up rich aromas of dark berries, plums, exotic spices, loamy soil and rose petals, followed by a medium to full-bodied, deep and seamless palate that's impressively vibrant and concentrated, with powdery tannins, bright acids and a long, penetrating finish. Only 53% of the production made it into the grand vin, and the blend is 64% Cabernet Sauvignon, 30% Merlot, 4% Cabernet Franc and 2% Petit Verdot. Technical director Dominique Arangoïts reports that Cos was spared by frost and coulure at flowering, harvesting between September 23 and October 4, and fermenting a touch hotter than has been the case in recent years, at around 28-29 degrees Celsius.
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Matthew Jukes, May 2022, Score: 18.5
As always, I tasted the Cos family of wines with owner Michel Reybier and winemaker Dominique Arangoïts. This was only my third rendezvous of the campaign, and so it gave me a fabulous benchmark to compare to all other wines. Of course, tasting at Cos is a huge pleasure not last because the wines always seem honest and open regarding the vintage conditions. This is, therefore, one of a handful of Châteaux that I regard as barometers for the region and also the vintage. It was here that any notion of 2021 as a ‘disaster’, as a couple of hacks labelled it, went out of the window. With a sub 13% alcohol footprint supporting this magnificent wine, there was always going to be a freshness and directness about Cos. It is a charming and honed wine with intense, dark, smooth fruit touched by cool earth and bright acidity. It was impossible to suppress a beaming smile with a unique balance of freshness and low alcohol countering the lip-smacking exuberant fruit. As it turned out, the very best wines of 2021 are precisely terroir-specific, and this is one of the most accurate, rewarding and satisfying wines in 2021. It will be fascinating to see how it evolves, given its unique balance of sensational fruit, colour, detail, and life-affirming freshness.
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Wine Cellar Insider, April 2022, Score: 96
Earthy, spicy, black raspberries, blackberries, flowers, and black currants create the nose and the core of its medium/full-bodied palate. Soft, silky, fresh and polished, there is a nice sweetness and refined edge to the fruit on the palate, finishing with layers of vibrant, peppery, tea-stained, black currants with a gentle hint of herbs on the backend. The wine was made from blending 64% Cabernet Sauvignon, 30% Merlot, 1% Petit Verdot and 1% Cabernet Franc,13% alcohol, pH of 3.7. The yields were 35 hectoliters per hectare. The harvest took place September 23 to October 7. The Grand Vin was produced from 50% of the harvest. The wine is going to approachable early in its life. Drink from 2025-2055.
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Jane Anson, April 2022, Score: 96.0
This vintage, which can be overly straight and austere, benefits from the house style of Cos, where they are happy to add a twist of gourmet glamour, and I am seriously impressed with this wine. It showcases the successful sides of a cool vintage in spades, with bitter black chocolate, cool blue fruits, lemongrass and turmeric and black pepper spices. 55% new oak. 3.79ph. 53% of overall production is for the 1st wine, the rest in Pagodes. Easily one of the wines of the vintage.
2021 Ch L'Eglise-Clinet Pomerol
£625.00 In Bond £758.04 Inc VAT-
Goedhuis, April 2022, Score: 96-98
Noëmie Durantou has taken the pressure of succeeding her much loved and hugely talented father Denis totally in her stride. He would be rightly proud as the Durantou stable of wines have all excelled in 2021. A blend of 75% Merlot and 15% Cabernet Franc aged in 75% new oak gives flavours of dark chocolate, black olive and spiced oak. Composed, poised and refined, the sumptuously rich berry fruits unfurl and build in the palate. Deliciously vibrant, this is quite fabulous.
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Neal Martin, April 2022, Score: 94-96
The 2021 L'Eglise-Clinet was picked September 27–29, a rapid harvest within three days; winemaker Noëmie Durantou told me she wanted to beat the forecasted rain that would have diluted the fruit. Raised in 75% new oak, this has a less concentrated, mineral-driven bouquet that bides its time, offering nuanced pine cone scents with aeration. The palate is clearly built around elegance, with its finely chiseled tannins and wonderful crushed stone notes. Perhaps a more streamlined l'Eglise-Clinet, showing wonderful precision. This Pomerol never tries to outdo its limitations or ape previous vintages, lending it an intangible sense of honesty. Beautiful. (14.0% alcohol). Drink 2029 - 2060
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Antonio Galloni, April 2022, Score: 94-96
The 2021 L'Eglise-Clinet is a spherical, sensual Pomerol of uncommon depth and intensity. Racy and voluptuous, with terrific depth, the 2021 is striking. Crème de cassis, chocolate, new leather, spice, menthol and licorice all build as the 2021 opens in the glass. The combination of power and finesse is remarkable. I especially admire the energy and focus in the 2021. This is the first vintage that includes a parcel of Cabernet Franc that was previously used for the Petite Eglise. Drink 2031-2061
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Wine Advocate, April 2022, Score: 93-96
A deep, serious wine, the 2021 L'Eglise Clinet unwinds in the glass with notions of wild berries and plums mingled with dark chocolate, sweet loamy soil, warm spices, violets and black truffle. Full-bodied, concentrated and muscular, it's rich and layered, with a concentrated core of fruit, lively acids and plenty of ripe, powdery tannin that nods to its origins in a sector of Pomerol capable of producing some of the appellation's most structured, long-lived wines. It's a blend of 85% Merlot and 15% Cabernet Franc.
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Matthew Jukes, April 2022, Score: 19.5+
This is a very exciting L’Eglise Clinet with every element of La Petit Eglise’s armoury but with more volume, more richesse, slightly more structure, and infinite detail. The perfume is sensational and exotic and very real - like walking down a country lane in the autumn with your senses on red alert. The oak acidity and tannin are all perfectly entwined, but they take a back seat allowing the splendid fruit to shine. This thrilling wine is one of the most expressive and refined vintages from this brilliant label. Noëmie Durantou Reilhac mentioned that she found the calmness of going into a church in this wine. I think that this is an atmospheric image, as long as this moment coincided with a full peeling of bells coming to a dramatic stop. The cacophony and subsequent silence, with the aerial vibrations diminishing above the congregation, was akin to what was happening above my body after I tasted this wine.
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Wine Cellar Insider, April 2022, Score: 95
Deep ruby in color, roses, truffles, chocolate, clay and a touch of mint are easy to find in the nose. The wine is medium-bodied, bright, elevated, crisp and with a chalky edge to the finish, you also find fresh, sweet plums, cocoa-dusted cherries and a bit of chocolate covered orange rind in the endnote. From a blend of 85% % Merlot and 15% Cabernet Franc, 14% ABV, the harvest took place September 27-September 29. It is great to see continuing strong wines from the Durantou family. Drink from 2025-2050.
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Jane Anson, April 2022, Score: 95
Rich and precise on the nose, and here you see why austerity in tannic structure can be a rather beautiful attribute - carved, careful, precise, coming through as energy and potential rather than forbidding. Not as dense as the 2018 or 2019, think instead of the intellectual 2017 but with more depth to the tannins. Blueberry, bilberry, loganberry, violet flowers, slate, earth, mandarin zest and incense. Harvest September 27 to 29, no chaptilisation, 75% new oak.
2021 Ch L'Eglise-Clinet Pomerol
£1,250.00 In Bond £1,516.07 Inc VAT-
Goedhuis, April 2022, Score: 96-98
Noëmie Durantou has taken the pressure of succeeding her much loved and hugely talented father Denis totally in her stride. He would be rightly proud as the Durantou stable of wines have all excelled in 2021. A blend of 75% Merlot and 15% Cabernet Franc aged in 75% new oak gives flavours of dark chocolate, black olive and spiced oak. Composed, poised and refined, the sumptuously rich berry fruits unfurl and build in the palate. Deliciously vibrant, this is quite fabulous.
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Neal Martin, April 2022, Score: 94-96
The 2021 L'Eglise-Clinet was picked September 27–29, a rapid harvest within three days; winemaker Noëmie Durantou told me she wanted to beat the forecasted rain that would have diluted the fruit. Raised in 75% new oak, this has a less concentrated, mineral-driven bouquet that bides its time, offering nuanced pine cone scents with aeration. The palate is clearly built around elegance, with its finely chiseled tannins and wonderful crushed stone notes. Perhaps a more streamlined l'Eglise-Clinet, showing wonderful precision. This Pomerol never tries to outdo its limitations or ape previous vintages, lending it an intangible sense of honesty. Beautiful. (14.0% alcohol). Drink 2029 - 2060
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Antonio Galloni, April 2022, Score: 94-96
The 2021 L'Eglise-Clinet is a spherical, sensual Pomerol of uncommon depth and intensity. Racy and voluptuous, with terrific depth, the 2021 is striking. Crème de cassis, chocolate, new leather, spice, menthol and licorice all build as the 2021 opens in the glass. The combination of power and finesse is remarkable. I especially admire the energy and focus in the 2021. This is the first vintage that includes a parcel of Cabernet Franc that was previously used for the Petite Eglise. Drink 2031-2061
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Wine Advocate, April 2022, Score: 93-96
A deep, serious wine, the 2021 L'Eglise Clinet unwinds in the glass with notions of wild berries and plums mingled with dark chocolate, sweet loamy soil, warm spices, violets and black truffle. Full-bodied, concentrated and muscular, it's rich and layered, with a concentrated core of fruit, lively acids and plenty of ripe, powdery tannin that nods to its origins in a sector of Pomerol capable of producing some of the appellation's most structured, long-lived wines. It's a blend of 85% Merlot and 15% Cabernet Franc.
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Matthew Jukes, April 2022, Score: 19.5+
This is a very exciting L’Eglise Clinet with every element of La Petit Eglise’s armoury but with more volume, more richesse, slightly more structure, and infinite detail. The perfume is sensational and exotic and very real - like walking down a country lane in the autumn with your senses on red alert. The oak acidity and tannin are all perfectly entwined, but they take a back seat allowing the splendid fruit to shine. This thrilling wine is one of the most expressive and refined vintages from this brilliant label. Noëmie Durantou Reilhac mentioned that she found the calmness of going into a church in this wine. I think that this is an atmospheric image, as long as this moment coincided with a full peeling of bells coming to a dramatic stop. The cacophony and subsequent silence, with the aerial vibrations diminishing above the congregation, was akin to what was happening above my body after I tasted this wine.
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Wine Cellar Insider, April 2022, Score: 95
Deep ruby in color, roses, truffles, chocolate, clay and a touch of mint are easy to find in the nose. The wine is medium-bodied, bright, elevated, crisp and with a chalky edge to the finish, you also find fresh, sweet plums, cocoa-dusted cherries and a bit of chocolate covered orange rind in the endnote. From a blend of 85% % Merlot and 15% Cabernet Franc, 14% ABV, the harvest took place September 27-September 29. It is great to see continuing strong wines from the Durantou family. Drink from 2025-2050.
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Jane Anson, April 2022, Score: 95
Rich and precise on the nose, and here you see why austerity in tannic structure can be a rather beautiful attribute - carved, careful, precise, coming through as energy and potential rather than forbidding. Not as dense as the 2018 or 2019, think instead of the intellectual 2017 but with more depth to the tannins. Blueberry, bilberry, loganberry, violet flowers, slate, earth, mandarin zest and incense. Harvest September 27 to 29, no chaptilisation, 75% new oak.
2021 Ch L'Evangile Pomerol
£1,110.00 In Bond £1,348.07 Inc VAT-
Goedhuis, April 2022, Score: 98-99
A new team at this great Pomerol estate, run by the delightful Juliette Couderc. Her passion and enthusiasm were infectious as she talked us through her first full vintage at the estate. A blend of 69% Merlot, 30% Cabernet Franc and 1% Cabernet Sauvignon, the 2021 combines a previously unseen grace and finesse, but with Evangile’s hallmark opulence and self-confidence. An uplifting experience, a brilliant wine. Very lovely indeed.
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Neal Martin, April 2022, Score: 94-96
The 2021 L'Évangile was picked September 21 to October 4, and matured in 50% new oak and 15% in clay amphora. It registers 14.0% alcohol and a pH of 3.65. This is very different and, unsurprisingly, far superior on the nose of black cherries, black truffle, crushed stone and a touch of orange peel; very focused and very Pomerol. The palate is medium-bodied, cohesive and elegant with supple tannins and fine acidity, yet there is real depth and a sense of nascent energy toward the finish. The young Cabernet Franc on gravel soils from the Chantecaille lieu-dit absolutely defines this 2021. A great success for this reenergized estate. Drink 2030 - 2070
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Antonio Galloni, April 2022, Score: 94-96
The 2021 L'Évangile is a heady, sensual wine. Silky and pliant, with fabulous balance, L'Évangile is a stand-out. The blend includes 30% Cabernet Franc, high for the château, but what really stands out is the wine's balance. Red/purplish fruit, blood orange, rose petal and spice are all wrapped together by silky, pliant tannins. Franc aromatics and saline underpinnings extend the finish. Élevage is 50% new oak, 35% one year-old barrels and 15% amphora. Readers will find a super-classic Évangile that has tons of potential. I loved it. Drink 2031-2061
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Wine Advocate, April 2022, Score: 93-95
A blend of 69% Merlot, 30% Cabernet Franc and 1% Cabernet Sauvignon, the 2021 L'Evangile offers up aromas of plums, cherries and wild berries mingled with notions of rose petals, violets, licorice and tobacco leaf. Medium to full-bodied, ample and velvety, with fine concentration and rich, powdery structuring tannins that assert themselves on the finish, this estate's rather low average vine age meant Evangile didn't suffer much from coulure this year, and the rainy growing season also spared young Cabernet Franc from hydric stress—explaining its historically high percentage in the 2021 blend.
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Matthew Jukes, April 2022, Score: 18.5+
It was a pleasure to meet Juliette Couderc at L’Evangile, and there is no doubt that this woman has the work ethic and forensic knowledge of her craft to take this estate to another level. She explained that two plots of young vine Cabernet Franc vines performed amazingly well (like Cheval Blanc), contributing to an astoundingly ripe, dense and seriously impressive wine. The nose is exceptional and intriguing, and the colour is darker than many, with creamy tannins and superb weight. While it is formed of only 69% Merlot, this is a wine founded on clay, and the depth of flavour is wickedly enticing. Juliette explained that she and her team work on perfume intricacies, endeavouring to add spice notes and other higher, complex tones. While there is no doubt that some of this detail can be determined in the chai, the driving force of the elemental flavours in this beautiful wine is found only metres from the room in which I tasted this wine. Do skip to my note for Blason for more technical notes; suffice to say that this is a direction-shifting wine from L’Evangile, and while the adjustment is subtle, it will have a long-lasting effect, and this wine will stand as a vital marker in time for this noble property.
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Wine Cellar Insider, April 2022, Score: 94
Rich in color, with little effort you find chocolate, black plums, truffle, coffee bean, mint and flowers in the perfume. On the palate, the wine is medium-bodied, soft, vibrant, and loaded with chewy red fruits, chalky tannins, freshness, spice and leafy herbs that add to the sweetness in the red pit fruits. The wine blends 69% Merlot with 30% Cabernet Franc and 1% Cabernet Sauvignon. 14% ABV. The harvest took place September 21 - October 4. The wine is aging in a combination of 50% new, French oak, 15% amphora and used oak barrels. The Grand Vin was made from 55% of the harvest. Drink from 2025-2048.
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Jane Anson, April 2022, Score: 94
A good example of how skilful winemaking adapts to conditions - all the Cabernet Sauvignon has gone into the 1st wine this year because it achieved plenty of natural concentration, while recently it has been put into Blason because it took away from the elegance of the 1st wine. Savoury, supple black and blue fruits, austere but with sapidity and juice, and a gorgeous wash of campfire smoke, salted caramel, liquorice, cloves and saffron spices. 20hl/h yield after mildew. This is their first organic-certified vinified, and first year with Juliette Couderc as technical director from beginning to end of the growing season. Harvest September 21 to October 4. No chaptilisation. 50% new oak, 15% amphora, 3.6ph.
2021 Ch L'Evangile Pomerol
£765.00 In Bond £928.72 Inc VAT-
Goedhuis, April 2022, Score: 98-99
A new team at this great Pomerol estate, run by the delightful Juliette Couderc. Her passion and enthusiasm were infectious as she talked us through her first full vintage at the estate. A blend of 69% Merlot, 30% Cabernet Franc and 1% Cabernet Sauvignon, the 2021 combines a previously unseen grace and finesse, but with Evangile’s hallmark opulence and self-confidence. An uplifting experience, a brilliant wine. Very lovely indeed.
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Neal Martin, April 2022, Score: 94-96
The 2021 L'Évangile was picked September 21 to October 4, and matured in 50% new oak and 15% in clay amphora. It registers 14.0% alcohol and a pH of 3.65. This is very different and, unsurprisingly, far superior on the nose of black cherries, black truffle, crushed stone and a touch of orange peel; very focused and very Pomerol. The palate is medium-bodied, cohesive and elegant with supple tannins and fine acidity, yet there is real depth and a sense of nascent energy toward the finish. The young Cabernet Franc on gravel soils from the Chantecaille lieu-dit absolutely defines this 2021. A great success for this reenergized estate. Drink 2030 - 2070
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Antonio Galloni, April 2022, Score: 94-96
The 2021 L'Évangile is a heady, sensual wine. Silky and pliant, with fabulous balance, L'Évangile is a stand-out. The blend includes 30% Cabernet Franc, high for the château, but what really stands out is the wine's balance. Red/purplish fruit, blood orange, rose petal and spice are all wrapped together by silky, pliant tannins. Franc aromatics and saline underpinnings extend the finish. Élevage is 50% new oak, 35% one year-old barrels and 15% amphora. Readers will find a super-classic Évangile that has tons of potential. I loved it. Drink 2031-2061
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Wine Advocate, April 2022, Score: 93-95
A blend of 69% Merlot, 30% Cabernet Franc and 1% Cabernet Sauvignon, the 2021 L'Evangile offers up aromas of plums, cherries and wild berries mingled with notions of rose petals, violets, licorice and tobacco leaf. Medium to full-bodied, ample and velvety, with fine concentration and rich, powdery structuring tannins that assert themselves on the finish, this estate's rather low average vine age meant Evangile didn't suffer much from coulure this year, and the rainy growing season also spared young Cabernet Franc from hydric stress—explaining its historically high percentage in the 2021 blend.
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Matthew Jukes, April 2022, Score: 18.5+
It was a pleasure to meet Juliette Couderc at L’Evangile, and there is no doubt that this woman has the work ethic and forensic knowledge of her craft to take this estate to another level. She explained that two plots of young vine Cabernet Franc vines performed amazingly well (like Cheval Blanc), contributing to an astoundingly ripe, dense and seriously impressive wine. The nose is exceptional and intriguing, and the colour is darker than many, with creamy tannins and superb weight. While it is formed of only 69% Merlot, this is a wine founded on clay, and the depth of flavour is wickedly enticing. Juliette explained that she and her team work on perfume intricacies, endeavouring to add spice notes and other higher, complex tones. While there is no doubt that some of this detail can be determined in the chai, the driving force of the elemental flavours in this beautiful wine is found only metres from the room in which I tasted this wine. Do skip to my note for Blason for more technical notes; suffice to say that this is a direction-shifting wine from L’Evangile, and while the adjustment is subtle, it will have a long-lasting effect, and this wine will stand as a vital marker in time for this noble property.
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Wine Cellar Insider, April 2022, Score: 93-95
Rich in color, with little effort you find chocolate, black plums, truffle, coffee bean, mint and flowers in the perfume. On the palate, the wine is medium-bodied, soft, vibrant, and loaded with chewy red fruits, chalky tannins, freshness, spice and leafy herbs that add to the sweetness in the red pit fruits. The wine blends 69% Merlot with 30% Cabernet Franc and 1% Cabernet Sauvignon. 14% ABV. The harvest took place September 21 - October 4. The wine is aging in a combination of 50% new, French oak, 15% amphora and used oak barrels. The Grand Vin was made from 55% of the harvest. Drink from 2025-2048.
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Jane Anson, April 2022, Score: 94
A good example of how skilful winemaking adapts to conditions - all the Cabernet Sauvignon has gone into the 1st wine this year because it achieved plenty of natural concentration, while recently it has been put into Blason because it took away from the elegance of the 1st wine. Savoury, supple black and blue fruits, austere but with sapidity and juice, and a gorgeous wash of campfire smoke, salted caramel, liquorice, cloves and saffron spices. 20hl/h yield after mildew. This is their first organic-certified vinified, and first year with Juliette Couderc as technical director from beginning to end of the growing season. Harvest September 21 to October 4. No chaptilisation. 50% new oak, 15% amphora, 3.6ph.
2021 Ch Léoville Las Cases 2ème Cru St Julien
£975.00 In Bond £1,186.07 Inc VAT-
Goedhuis, April 2022, Score: 96-98
Arguably the most aristocratic of the great Médoc second growths. The 2021 is a superb example of this great estate’s pedigree. Comprising of 95 % Cabernet fruit (Sauvignon and Franc) it reflects the refinement of the very best of the vintage with a reserve of controlled power. The initial impression is graceful and slightly more in check than a bolder vintage. As the wine evolves, there is a sense of brooding power, always balanced by an overriding charm and finesse. A very lovely wine indeed.
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Neal Martin, April 2022, Score: 94-96
The 2021 Léoville Las Cases was picked from 28 September until 8 October and includes just 5% Merlot from the northern sectors of the vineyard due to coulure. They found that increased percentages of Merlot did not contribute to the blend. Matured in 85% new oak, it has an intense nose with black fruit, graphite and light iris flower aromas. The palate is medium-bodied with sappy black fruit, quite a potent marine influence at play, almost briny (perhaps accentuated by the changeable weather on the day of my visit). Very impressive in terms of depth and backbone/grip with iodine and oyster shells towards the finish, this is a cerebral Las-Cases that will demand patience. Then again, name me a vintage of Las-Cases that doesn't! Alcohol here is at 13.20%. Drink 2030 - 2070
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Antonio Galloni, April 2022, Score: 94-96
The 2021 Léoville Las-Cases is classy, nuanced and so expressive. There's gorgeous depth, and yet the 2021 is not as explosive as it has been in the recent past. That's not a bad thing, not at all. Cabernet Sauvignon and Franc comprise fully 95% of the blend in a Las Cases that is beautifully persistent from start to finish. It's a wine that has one foot in its rich, historical past, and the other very much in the more modern style of contemporary vintages. There is so much to look forward to. Drink 2031-2061
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Wine Advocate, April 2022, Score: 95-97
One of the wines of the vintage, the 2021 Léoville Las Cases is reminiscent of a hypothetical blend of the 1999 and 1996—only better. Offering up incipiently complex aromas of cassis, plums and dark berries mingled with loamy soil, cigar wrapper and exotic spices, it's full-bodied, layered and multidimensional, with superb amplitude and concentration, velvety tannins, lively acids and a long, penetrating finish. Uniting classicism and charm, it exemplifies how a great terroir, exigent agronomy and meticulous winemaking can deliver greatness even in a less propitious vintage. It's a blend of 80% Cabernet Sauvignon, 15% Cabernet Franc and a mere 5% Merlot this year, checking in at 13.2% alcohol.
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Matthew Jukes, April 2022, Score: 18.5
Las Cases has a thrilling Cabernet-drenched theme spiked with hints of anise and spice, and yet it stays the elegant and sophisticated side of the track and never lapses into flamboyance or ostentatiousness. This is the beauty of Bordeaux, and it is what makes every wine fascinating and so different. The skill of adapting to the vintage and creating the finest wine possible sets apart the great estates from the rest, and Las Cases has made a beautiful and immutably Las Cases-shaped wine in 2021. Interestingly, Cabernet Franc plays a vital role in this wine, lifting the nose and adding filigree, violet and blackberry leaf details to the Cabernet Sauvignon. This is a fleshy, bold wine with a sublime density of fruit, and yet it is the length that is most impressive. I tasted it directly after Clos du Marquis, and the finish must be two or three times as long! This is another triumphant 2021, and I do not doubt that while it will drink fairly young in the greater scheme of things, it will age perfectly, too.
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Wine Cellar Insider, April 2022, Score: 94
Dark ruby with hints of purple around the edge, the wine exudes smoke, cedar, tobacco leaf, slate, lead pencil, blackberries, espresso and currants. One of the more powerful wines of the vintage, the wine offers loads of black and red fruits, ripe, present, salty tannins, and a juicy, almost creamy, yet classically structured finish. Produced from a blend 80% Cabernet Sauvignon, 15% Cabernet Franc and 5% Merlot. 13.20% ABV. This is the first time you find more Cabernet Franc than Merlot in the blend in the history of the estate. Drink from 2025-2055.
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Jane Anson, April 2022, Score: 94.0
Plenty of fruit on display here, with waves of cassis, blackberry and bilberry along with the more typical of the vintage redcurrant and blueberry, savoury and full of juice, along with cloves, black pepper, slate and graphite. There is a power here, and estate signature, but the austerity that you often find in young Las Cases is really dominant in the architecture and character of the wine right now, and you will need patience over ageing for it to soften. 85% new oak. A strong candidate for upscoring in bottle.
2021 Ch Léoville Las Cases 2ème Cru St Julien
£981.00 In Bond £1,193.27 Inc VAT-
Goedhuis, April 2022, Score: 96-98
Arguably the most aristocratic of the great Médoc second growths. The 2021 is a superb example of this great estate’s pedigree. Comprising of 95 % Cabernet fruit (Sauvignon and Franc) it reflects the refinement of the very best of the vintage with a reserve of controlled power. The initial impression is graceful and slightly more in check than a bolder vintage. As the wine evolves, there is a sense of brooding power, always balanced by an overriding charm and finesse. A very lovely wine indeed.
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Neal Martin, April 2022, Score: 94-96
The 2021 Léoville Las Cases was picked from 28 September until 8 October and includes just 5% Merlot from the northern sectors of the vineyard due to coulure. They found that increased percentages of Merlot did not contribute to the blend. Matured in 85% new oak, it has an intense nose with black fruit, graphite and light iris flower aromas. The palate is medium-bodied with sappy black fruit, quite a potent marine influence at play, almost briny (perhaps accentuated by the changeable weather on the day of my visit). Very impressive in terms of depth and backbone/grip with iodine and oyster shells towards the finish, this is a cerebral Las-Cases that will demand patience. Then again, name me a vintage of Las-Cases that doesn't! Alcohol here is at 13.20%. Drink 2030 - 2070
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Antonio Galloni, April 2022, Score: 94-96
The 2021 Léoville Las-Cases is classy, nuanced and so expressive. There's gorgeous depth, and yet the 2021 is not as explosive as it has been in the recent past. That's not a bad thing, not at all. Cabernet Sauvignon and Franc comprise fully 95% of the blend in a Las Cases that is beautifully persistent from start to finish. It's a wine that has one foot in its rich, historical past, and the other very much in the more modern style of contemporary vintages. There is so much to look forward to. Drink 2031-2061
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Wine Advocate, April 2022, Score: 95-97
One of the wines of the vintage, the 2021 Léoville Las Cases is reminiscent of a hypothetical blend of the 1999 and 1996—only better. Offering up incipiently complex aromas of cassis, plums and dark berries mingled with loamy soil, cigar wrapper and exotic spices, it's full-bodied, layered and multidimensional, with superb amplitude and concentration, velvety tannins, lively acids and a long, penetrating finish. Uniting classicism and charm, it exemplifies how a great terroir, exigent agronomy and meticulous winemaking can deliver greatness even in a less propitious vintage. It's a blend of 80% Cabernet Sauvignon, 15% Cabernet Franc and a mere 5% Merlot this year, checking in at 13.2% alcohol.
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Matthew Jukes, April 2022, Score: 18.5
Las Cases has a thrilling Cabernet-drenched theme spiked with hints of anise and spice, and yet it stays the elegant and sophisticated side of the track and never lapses into flamboyance or ostentatiousness. This is the beauty of Bordeaux, and it is what makes every wine fascinating and so different. The skill of adapting to the vintage and creating the finest wine possible sets apart the great estates from the rest, and Las Cases has made a beautiful and immutably Las Cases-shaped wine in 2021. Interestingly, Cabernet Franc plays a vital role in this wine, lifting the nose and adding filigree, violet and blackberry leaf details to the Cabernet Sauvignon. This is a fleshy, bold wine with a sublime density of fruit, and yet it is the length that is most impressive. I tasted it directly after Clos du Marquis, and the finish must be two or three times as long! This is another triumphant 2021, and I do not doubt that while it will drink fairly young in the greater scheme of things, it will age perfectly, too.
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Wine Cellar Insider, April 2022, Score: 94-96
Dark ruby with hints of purple around the edge, the wine exudes smoke, cedar, tobacco leaf, slate, lead pencil, blackberries, espresso and currants. One of the more powerful wines of the vintage, the wine offers loads of black and red fruits, ripe, present, salty tannins, and a juicy, almost creamy, yet classically structured finish. Produced from a blend 80% Cabernet Sauvignon, 15% Cabernet Franc and 5% Merlot. 13.20% ABV. This is the first time you find more Cabernet Franc than Merlot in the blend in the history of the estate. Drink from 2025-2055.
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Jane Anson, April 2022, Score: 94
Plenty of fruit on display here, with waves of cassis, blackberry and bilberry along with the more typical of the vintage redcurrant and blueberry, savoury and full of juice, along with cloves, black pepper, slate and graphite. There is a power here, and estate signature, but the austerity that you often find in young Las Cases is really dominant in the architecture and character of the wine right now, and you will need patience over ageing for it to soften. 85% new oak. A strong candidate for upscoring in bottle.
2021 Ch Léoville Las Cases 2ème Cru St Julien
£680.00 In Bond £826.72 Inc VAT-
Goedhuis, April 2022, Score: 96-98
Arguably the most aristocratic of the great Médoc second growths. The 2021 is a superb example of this great estate’s pedigree. Comprising of 95 % Cabernet fruit (Sauvignon and Franc) it reflects the refinement of the very best of the vintage with a reserve of controlled power. The initial impression is graceful and slightly more in check than a bolder vintage. As the wine evolves, there is a sense of brooding power, always balanced by an overriding charm and finesse. A very lovely wine indeed.
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Neal Martin, April 2022, Score: 94-96
The 2021 Léoville Las Cases was picked from 28 September until 8 October and includes just 5% Merlot from the northern sectors of the vineyard due to coulure. They found that increased percentages of Merlot did not contribute to the blend. Matured in 85% new oak, it has an intense nose with black fruit, graphite and light iris flower aromas. The palate is medium-bodied with sappy black fruit, quite a potent marine influence at play, almost briny (perhaps accentuated by the changeable weather on the day of my visit). Very impressive in terms of depth and backbone/grip with iodine and oyster shells towards the finish, this is a cerebral Las-Cases that will demand patience. Then again, name me a vintage of Las-Cases that doesn't! Alcohol here is at 13.20%. Drink 2030 - 2070
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Antonio Galloni, April 2022, Score: 94-96
The 2021 Léoville Las-Cases is classy, nuanced and so expressive. There's gorgeous depth, and yet the 2021 is not as explosive as it has been in the recent past. That's not a bad thing, not at all. Cabernet Sauvignon and Franc comprise fully 95% of the blend in a Las Cases that is beautifully persistent from start to finish. It's a wine that has one foot in its rich, historical past, and the other very much in the more modern style of contemporary vintages. There is so much to look forward to. Drink 2031-2061
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Wine Advocate, April 2022, Score: 95-97
One of the wines of the vintage, the 2021 Léoville Las Cases is reminiscent of a hypothetical blend of the 1999 and 1996—only better. Offering up incipiently complex aromas of cassis, plums and dark berries mingled with loamy soil, cigar wrapper and exotic spices, it's full-bodied, layered and multidimensional, with superb amplitude and concentration, velvety tannins, lively acids and a long, penetrating finish. Uniting classicism and charm, it exemplifies how a great terroir, exigent agronomy and meticulous winemaking can deliver greatness even in a less propitious vintage. It's a blend of 80% Cabernet Sauvignon, 15% Cabernet Franc and a mere 5% Merlot this year, checking in at 13.2% alcohol.
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Matthew Jukes, April 2022, Score: 18.5
Las Cases has a thrilling Cabernet-drenched theme spiked with hints of anise and spice, and yet it stays the elegant and sophisticated side of the track and never lapses into flamboyance or ostentatiousness. This is the beauty of Bordeaux, and it is what makes every wine fascinating and so different. The skill of adapting to the vintage and creating the finest wine possible sets apart the great estates from the rest, and Las Cases has made a beautiful and immutably Las Cases-shaped wine in 2021. Interestingly, Cabernet Franc plays a vital role in this wine, lifting the nose and adding filigree, violet and blackberry leaf details to the Cabernet Sauvignon. This is a fleshy, bold wine with a sublime density of fruit, and yet it is the length that is most impressive. I tasted it directly after Clos du Marquis, and the finish must be two or three times as long! This is another triumphant 2021, and I do not doubt that while it will drink fairly young in the greater scheme of things, it will age perfectly, too.
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Wine Cellar Insider, April 2022, Score: 94-96
Dark ruby with hints of purple around the edge, the wine exudes smoke, cedar, tobacco leaf, slate, lead pencil, blackberries, espresso and currants. One of the more powerful wines of the vintage, the wine offers loads of black and red fruits, ripe, present, salty tannins, and a juicy, almost creamy, yet classically structured finish. Produced from a blend 80% Cabernet Sauvignon, 15% Cabernet Franc and 5% Merlot. 13.20% ABV. This is the first time you find more Cabernet Franc than Merlot in the blend in the history of the estate. Drink from 2025-2055.
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Jane Anson, April 2022, Score: 94
Plenty of fruit on display here, with waves of cassis, blackberry and bilberry along with the more typical of the vintage redcurrant and blueberry, savoury and full of juice, along with cloves, black pepper, slate and graphite. There is a power here, and estate signature, but the austerity that you often find in young Las Cases is really dominant in the architecture and character of the wine right now, and you will need patience over ageing for it to soften. 85% new oak. A strong candidate for upscoring in bottle.
2021 Ch Margaux 1er Cru Margaux
£428.00 In Bond £516.28 Inc VAT-
Goedhuis, April 2022, Score: 97-99
The 2021 Ch Margaux is an absolute beauty. With 87% Cabernet Sauvignon in the blend, the fruit sings with deep cassis and dark cherry notes. The epitome of harmony, it balances juicy succulence with racy energy. The early expression of grace and charm is somewhat misleading as there is so much underlying depth. The tannins, whilst lace-like in character have a structure to them. The alcohol (13.1%) is at lower end of the spectrum and its refreshing lift make for a heavenly Margaux this year.
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Neal Martin, April 2022, Score: 94-96
The 2021 Château Margaux, aged in 100% new oak as usual, is clean and precise on the nose, much more discrete than the outgoing Pavillon Rouge and unfolds like a temptress in the glass. Intense dark cherries, hints of blueberry and trademark crushed violets then start to billow, all exquisitely defined. The palate is medium-bodied with a silky smooth veneer that does a good job disguising the structure underneath. Surprisingly plush given the growing season, the concentration is very impressive with no hard edges. It's a very Margaux-like Château Margaux insofar that it could not come from any other appéllation. Drink 2027 - 2060
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Antonio Galloni, April 2022, Score: 95-97
The 2021 Château Margaux is a powerful, surprisingly brooding wine. According to Technical Director Philippe Bascaules, dry extract numbers are in line with 2019, which is hardly surprising in tasting the wine. Today, the Grand Vin is so primary. The intensity of the dark red/purplish fruit is notable, and yet the wine is positively embryonic. Bright acids and plenty of tannin abound. The 2021 is a rich, penetrating Margaux that is going to need a lot of time. Drink 2031-2071
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Wine Advocate, April 2022, Score: 95-97+
The 2021 Château Margaux is clearly one of the finest wines of the vintage. Offering up a deep bouquet of raspberries, wild blueberries and plums mingled with sweet spices, violets, licorice and hints of cigar box, it's full-bodied, layered and multidimensional, with terrific depth at the core and beautifully refined, powdery tannins, concluding with a long, floral finish. Combining the vibrant flavors and moderate alcohol (13.1%) of a vintage of the last century with all the precision of the present in extraction and élevage, it is a timeless classic; and lest that be mistaken for a euphemism for a lack of concentration, note that the wine is analytically as high in polyphenols as the brilliant 2019. Representing only 36% of the estate's production, the 2021 is a blend of 87% Cabernet Sauvignon, 8% Merlot, 3% Cabernet Franc and 2% Petit Verdot.
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Matthew Jukes, April 2022, Score: 19.5
Beautifully exotic and floral on the nose and then sensual and mesmerising at the start of the palate, Margaux then changes mood, tightens up and starts heading to a devastatingly dramatic point of grainy tension and ultra-fine tannins that take the breath away. The colour here is not black but a blend of glittering purple, blue and deep red hues that dance in the glass. The overall experience lifts the palate further on the second sip, while the perfume reveals a stunning secret. Only the very finest wines of the vintage exhibit this ethereal and very rare character, and it is the dreamy scent of Helichrysum arenarium or Immortelle (in English, Everlasting). In the same way that many of the greatest Cabernets in the world seem to invite subtle hints of local flora into their realm (Coonawarra’s eucalypt; Margaret River’s wild mint; Napa’s dried meadow grass; Stellenbosch’s fynbos; Bolgheri’s pines), Margaux and a handful of other estates in 2021 show wistful floral details that are absolutely captivating on the nose and palate, and they add immeasurably to the complexity and fascination of this celestial Cabernet celebration. Tightrope walking on the very edge of ripeness, this is a thrilling Margaux with near-perfect harmony and refinement.
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Wine Cellar Insider, April 2022, Score: 96-98
Deep garnet in color, the wine opens with lilacs, spice, black currants, tobacco leaf and a hint of cedar in the perfume. On the palate, the wine is elegant, polished, silky, fresh and reserved in character. Classic, (In a good way) there is lift, vibrancy and poise to the fruit on the mid-palate, leaving you with a supple, refined, discreet, almost formal finish. Give it 5 years or so and it will be even better. Clearly, this is one of the wines of the vintage! The wine blends 87% Cabernet Sauvignon, 8% Merlot, 3% Cabernet Franc and 2% Petit Verdot, 13.1% ABV, pH 3.64. The Grand Vin was produced using only 36% of the harvest. Picking took place September 24 - October 13. Drink from 2029-2060.
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Jane Anson, April 2022, Score: 95
Vivid fruit, raspberries and bilberries, cassis bud, saffron and graphite, full of energy and classicism, showcasing what can be achieved in the vintage. Harvest through to October 14. 36% of the overall production. 3.64ph, Tannic index of 73, the same level as in 2019 and a litttle less than 2018 and 2020. Philippe Bascaules director, Eric Boissenot consultant.
