Wine Ratings

wines

Blended with 5% Cabernet Franc, the 2021 Cabernet Sauvignon Beckstoffer To Kalon Vineyard boasts a deep purple hue as well as a thrilling perfume of blue fruits, graphite, sweet tobacco, and spring flowers. It’s another rich, concentrated, powerful 2021 delivering building, ripe, silky tannins, flawless overall balance, and incredible length on the finish. For the tech sheet geeks out there, this came from multiple blocks, was fermented in a mix of wood and concrete, and spent 22 months in 74% new French oak.Jeb Dunnuck | 98 JDThe 2021 Cabernet Sauvignon Lithology Beckstoffer To Kalon Vineyard is a very sexy wine. Rich, pliant and super-expressive, the 2021 races across the palate, showing exceptional balance and finesse. Inky dark fruit, crème de cassis, chocolate, new leather, licorice and lavender are beautifully delineated throughout. Bright acids and sweet floral top notes brighten the finish.Vinous Media | 97 VMSo much black currant with terra-cotta and lead pencil. Very intense. Full to medium body, with firm and refined tannins. Like a block. But there is a form and seriousness here that gives this solid tannins and muscles. A blend of 90% cabernet sauvignon and 10% cabernet franc.James Suckling | 97 JSThere are 350 cases of the 2021 Lithology Cabernet Sauvignon Beckstoffer To Kalon Vineyard, which includes 5% Cabernet Franc. There’s a lively dusting of dried spices and dusty earth over the top of mixed red and black cherries on the nose, while the medium to full-bodied palate is concentrated and elegantly framed by softly dusty tannins that fade away slowly on the lingering finish.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 96+ RPA barrel sample of the Beckstoffer To Kalon Cabernet Sauvignon reveals an immense wine, well-endowed with powerfully structured tannins and an opulence of inky black fruit with plenty of wild herbs, cedar, coffee-bean and dried floral nuances that are still melding together. I will re-taste in early 2024. Winemaker Matt Sands relayed to me that consultant Michel Rolland thinks that 2021 is “the vintage of the century” for Napa Valley Cabernet.Decanter Magazine | 96 DEC

Tile, violets, wild berries and rose petals on the nose. Really pure and fascinating aromatics. The palate is subtle and delicate, but with concentrated and sophisticated fruit that’s succulent and precise. Linear acidity. A lovely wine. Drink or hold.James Suckling | 97 JSHailing from the MGA of the same name that’s more commonly called Altenasso and located in Castiglione Falletto, the 2021 Garblèt Sue’ is another stunner from Brovia, starting with its enticing nose of blue flower, perfumed berry, ground clove and fine tobacco blend. Showing great structure and restraint, the youthfully austere palate features red cherry, cranberry, star anise and menthol accompanied by firm, refined tannins. It’s well balanced, with vibrant acidity that keeps it energized. Showing great aging potential, give this time to fully unwind. Drink 2033–2051. Abv: 14.5%Kerin O’Keefe | 97 KOThe Brovia 2021 Barolo Garblèt Sue’ is beautifully sharp and refined, showing intensity, elegance and length. This is how you do Nebbiolo. The wine has extremely fine tannins but with glossy substance. They stay the course to give firmness from behind. The name Garblèt Sue’ is a local dialect expression for Garbelletto Superiore. This is a 0.8-hectare site with evolved Sant’Agata Fossili Marl soils. Given the wine’s structure, it ages in slightly smaller 30-hectoliter French and Slavonian oak casks. This is a release of 1,700 bottles.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 96 RPThe 2021 Barolo Garblèt Sue’ is a super-classic wine from this Castiglione Falletto site. Strong mineral, floral and savory inflections run through this deep, potent Barolo. A wine of depth and textural intensity, the 2021 has so much to offer. Sadly, frost took with it 50% of the production. Shock from the cold led to an especially late harvest that served to fully ripen the tannins. The wine’s structure and personality emerge with time. Iron, sage, mint, white pepper and blood orange linger on the taut, salivating finish. This is a terrific effort in a very challenging year.Vinous Media | 94+ VM

The Brovia 2021 Barolo Rocche di Castiglione takes us back to, again, one of my favorite sites in the appellation. I go crazy for wines from this MGA. This expression is extremely nuanced and delicate, especially at first. The wine builds intensity later. Finely stitched aromas of fruit, minerals and blue flower make for a classical Nebbiolo. It shows good power and structure at the back. You should age it longer than most. Fermentation starts off in cement, and the wine is racked into French and Slavonian oak casks (40 hectoliters) for aging. The Rocche di Castiglione vineyard is distinguished by its high presence of sand. This 1.6-hectare plot sits at 300 to 350 meters in elevation with southeastern exposures. The vineyard is extremely steep and, with the loose soils, is challenging to farm. Diano sandstone and Sant’Agata Fossili Marl put these soils on the "younger" side of the Barolo geological spectrum. This wine will be released in September 2025, with 5,000 bottles.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 98 RPFragrant and all about finesse, the radiant Brovia 2021 Rocche di Castiglione mesmerizes with its aromas of rose, perfumed berry, menthol and dark culinary spice. Full-bodied and showing elegant restraint, the savory, vibrant palate has a pristine quality, delivering crunchy red red, orange zest, star anise and black tea set against taut, refined tannins. It’s impeccably balanced, with bright acidity. What a beauty. Drink 2031–2046. Abv: 14.5%.Kerin O’Keefe | 98 KOThe 2021 Barolo Rocche di Castiglione is a classic Brovia wine from this site. Aromatic, sculpted and vibrant in the glass, the 2021 has so much to offer. Crushed flowers, vibrant red/purplish fruit, rose petal, mint and cinnamon are all beautifully lifted. There’s gorgeous inner sweetness that emerges over time. Silky, beautifully ripe tannins pull it all together on the closer. As always, Rocche is the most charming and sensual of the Barolos in this range. If I had to pick just one wine to encapsulate what Brovia is all about, the Rocche di Castiglione would be it. Superb.Vinous Media | 96 VMA saturated red hue, the 2021 Barolo Rocche Di Castiglione is complex and compelling on the nose and draws inward with notes of mocha, mint, cherry liqueur, fresh leather, and baked earth. The palate exhibits a focused energy and purity, complemented by refined tannins, refreshing acidity, and a ripe, medium-bodied frame. It’s a lovely wine that will only improve over the next 15 or more years. It feels the most complete of the wines presented by Brovia and takes the slight edge above the rest.Jeb Dunnuck | 96 JDThe estate’s first single-MGA bottling, Rocche di Castiglione has been produced since 1970. The steep, sandy southeast-facing site is gently warmed by the morning sun and is reputed to yield some of the denomination’s most refined examples. Indeed, Brovia’s 2021 is silky, elegant, even Pinot Noir-esque. It is surprisingly dainty for the vintage but not without substance. Beautiful perfumes of rose, lavender and lemon blossom echo on the raspberry-led palate. There’s a hint of wet soil and a delicious stony crunch, finely framed with velvety tannins. This may fill out a bit with time.Decanter Magazine | 95 DECDark aromas of violets, balsamic, eucalyptus, pomegranate juice and wild fruit. Smooth attack with a medium to full body, good concentration, refreshing acidity and thick, dusty yet ripe tannins. A classic Barolo that’s a bit old-fashioned in extraction, with a long, polished, fruity finish. Try from 2027, but it will be at its best from 2030.James Suckling | 95 JS

The gorgeous 2021 Villero from Brovia reels you in with its enticing fragrance of wild rose, cedar, pine forest and red berry. Elegantly structured and utterly delicious, the poised, precise palate features succulent red cherry, strawberry, star anise and white pepper before a salty finish. Firm, polished tannins provide seamless support while bright acidity keeps it wonderfully balanced and lends racy tension. This is a wine I would love to have in my cellar and follow its evolution over the years. Drink 2031–2046. Abv: 14.5% Kerin O’Keefe | 99 KOThe Brovia 2021 Barolo Villero has that powdery or chalky element that I love so much from this site. It’s like crushed chalkboard, and it frames other more fragrant aromas of sambuca, aniseed, blueberry and lilac. This wine is beautifully complex, and it keeps going in the glass, unveiling new layers all the time. The same thing can be said of the long mouthfeel. Villero is 1.2 hectares at 230 to 350 meters above sea level with marl soils (a mix of silt and clay). The wine matures in 40-hectoliter French and Slavonian oak casks, and 5,000 bottles were created.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 97 RPThe 2021 Barolo Villero is a tight, reticent wine, as Barolos from this site often are. Spice box, dried flowers, mint and plum begin to emerge with a bit of time in the glass. This firm, classically austere Barolo feels rather shut down following its bottling. The Villero is always the hardest wine at Brovia to taste young. Even so, it oozes classicism. All readers need is a measure of patience.Vinous Media | 95 VMA bright red color, the 2021 Barolo Villero is lifted on the nose with notes of minty herbs, fresh redcurrants, cinnamon, and cedar. The palate offers nervous tension, with finely coiled tannins, vibrant, ripe acidity, and a long, medium-framed feel with refreshing lift. It’s going to take time to unfurl, but I anticipate it improving over the coming 15-20 years.James Suckling | 95+ JSThis wine has bright fruitness, with aromas of red cherries, strawberries, violets and cherry stones. Medium- to full-bodied on the palate, showing a tight-knit structure of firm yet ripe, precise, dusty tannins and refreshing acidity. Warming finish. Try from 2027.James Suckling | 94 JS

Domaine des Closier’s 2021 les Coudraies is an absolutely superb and classically-styled young bottle of Saumur-Champigny. The wine’s aromatic constellation is deep, pure and very refined in profile, wafting from the glass in a complex blend of dark berries, cassis, cigar wrapper, a complex base of chalky soil tones, pigeon, woodsmoke and gentle notes of tree bark in the upper register. On the palate the wine is full-bodied, focused and very elegant in profile, with a rock solid core of fruit, superb soil transparency and grip, fine-grained tannins and a long, cool and very classy, impeccably balanced finish. This is great juice in the making. (Drink between 2033 - 2075)John Gilman | 94 JGAromas of raspberry, blueberry, violet, flowers and a touch of green pepper preface the 2021 Saumur Champigny Les Coudraies, a medium-bodied, satiny and ample wine with bright acids, powdery tannins and a long, mineral finish with hints of licorice. It was crafted from vines in clay-limestone soils.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 92 RP

A rocking little gem of a wine from winemaker Haley Wight, the 2021 Cabernet Sauvignon Lewelling Ranch has an up-front, fruit-driven perfume of black raspberries, plums, cassis, dried flowers, and spicy oak. These all carry to a full-bodied, opulent wine offering velvety tannins as well as the inherent elegance and purity of this great vintage.Jeb Dunnuck | 94 JDDeep garnet-purple in color, the 2021 Lewelling Ranch Cabernet Sauvignon bursts with bold, up-front scents of crushed blackberries, blackcurrant jelly, and juicy plums plus hints of spice box, licorice, and sandalwood. The full-bodied palate is rich and plush, with just enough freshness and a long spicy finish.The Wine Independent | 91 TWI

The 2021 Pinot Noir Estate Bottled unfolds with a blockbuster bouquet of macerated red cherry, lavender, new leather and clove. Aged in 40% new French oak for ten to eleven months, it’s broad and ample on the palate. Layers of fresh berry fruit, supple tannins and gentle citrus succulence introduce a wine of extreme class and pedigree. The tannins are just so refined, and the delineation of flavors is superb. Vivid, lively, meticulous and calibrated, this is a testament to the heights attainable with Pinot Noir in the Santa Cruz Mountains.Vinous Media | 96 VMThe 2021 Pinot Noir has bright, fresh, lifted red fruit and citrus with a wealth of balanced acidity. Aged sur lees for 11 months, it is bottled unfiltered, barrel to barrel rack in March so it can rack from barrel to tank for bottling without picking up lees. The grapes are grown on five separate vineyards and blended together, exuding mountain terroir of earthy pine, tea, and raspberry, layered in waves of juicy texture. Enjoy best 2028-2036.Jeb Dunnuck | 96 JDThe 2021 Pinot Noir Estate is a pretty and ethereal rendition of the Mount Eden style, offering inviting, red-fruited and forest floor aromas framed with judicious use of new oak. The palate is lively, buoyant and medium-bodied, leading to an energetic finish supported by cleansing acidity and youthful, fine tannins. Still quite tight and inward throughout, this should start unfolding in 3-4 years and continue to reward for over a decade.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 94 RPConcentrated with savoury elegance and a depth of rose petal florality. There’s a tingly acidity that enlivens this wine, accompanied by notes of white pepper, cardamom, and an array of exotic spices. Taut, racy and with savoury edges of mint and wild herbs.Decanter Magazine | 94 DECBay laurel, sage and an almost coniferous note on the nose. The structured palate shows tea tannins, mixed cherries and birch. Impressive balance and length. Great bones. Needs time, but will justify patience.James Suckling | 93 JS

Clove, vanilla, restrained cherry, milk chocolate and balsamic aromas. The attack is soft and velvety, with dense tannins, a savory character, a full body and crisp, refreshing acidity. Great mid-palate extraction and details. Embracing finish, long and consistent. Drinkable now, but best from 2031.James Suckling | 95 JSMade with equal parts Cabernet Sauvignon and Cabernet Franc, the Tolaini 2021 Valdisanti is a lush expression with a big, upfront delivery of bold black fruit. On the palate, that intensity tapers off somewhat to reveal a silky and elegant mid to full-bodied approach. It shows great length and a softer texture than you might expect given the first impact of the bouquet. You get lingering notes of pencil shaving and toasted oak, but the wine is ready to drink now. Production is 54,000 bottles.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 94 RPFocused like a laser, this racy red features black currant, black cherry, cedar, licorice and graphite aromas and flavors. A balanced version, with a light dusting of tannins shoring up the finish. Excellent length. Cabernet Sauvignon and Cabernet Franc. Best from 2026 through 2038. 4,500 cases made, 3,000 cases imported.Wine Spectator | 94 WSThe 2021 Valdisanti is a bright, punchy wine. Cabernet Sauvignon and Cabernet Franc speak with a decidedly Tuscan accent in this vibrant, mid-weight offering. The 2021 is a distinctive wine with much to offer. Crushed rocks, graphite, lavender and plum all build into the resonant finish.Vinous Media | 93 VMAromas of vanilla, clove, toasted coconut, blackberries and mulberries shine on the nose, and the palate stays sunny with more sweet and tart blackberries, vanilla and coconut, plus a touch of licorice candy. Heat and acid lift the finish.Wine Enthusiast | 91 WE

The 2021 Palmer is a heady, showy wine. Clay-rich soils yield a Margaux of breadth, power and textural richness. Black cherry, lavender, mocha and dried herbs infuse the 2021 with tons of character. A wine of density and intensity, this is seriously impressive. It is also going to need time to fully blossom. There’s real juiciness from the Merlot, and an exotic quality that suggests it was picked on the later side. The 2021 spent one year in barrel and one year in cask, as is the norm these days here.Vinous Media | 96 VMPerfumed chocolate cherries with bramble tones on the nose. This has a rich and round mouthfeel, clear structure on show but also with life and lift - a sweet, bright cherry element given definition by strict but fine tannins. You have a really beautiful, delicate opening, quite wide and airy then the depth arrives on the mid palate, with chalky tannins and red fruits coming into play before the spiced liquorice enters on the finish. The texture is striking, velvet-like with layers and a sublime verticality of freshness and minty aeration. It may be less glamourous and overtly plush and seductive than bigger previous vintages but I love the classicism on show - a focus, precision and sophistication. Superb winemaking from Thomas Duroux who successfully navigated the difficult vintage conditions in 2021.Decanter | 96 DECThere’s brightness and clarity to this young wine, with blackcurrants, violets, lavender and blackberries. Medium body with a sold core of fruit and a long, fresh finish. Fine tannins. Bright acidity. 56% merlot, 3% petit verdot and 41% cabernet sauvignon. From biodynamically grown grapes.James Suckling | 96-97 JSThe wine is dense with warm tannins supporting black fruit tones and acidity. Juicy and spicy, the wine’s Cabernet Sauvignon shows so well with black currant flavors. It is fresh and it obviously it will age well. Wine Enthusiast | 96 WEThe 2021 Palmer has turned out beautifully in bottle, wafting from the glass with expressive aromas of blackberries, cherries and mulberries mingled with notions of iris, dark chocolate and spices. Medium to full-bodied, deep and concentrated, with an enveloping core of succulent fruit framed by rich, sweet tannins, it concludes with a long, expansive finish. It’s a blend of 56% Merlot, 41% Cabernet Sauvignon and 3% Petit Verdot.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 95+ RPThe Grand Vin 2021 Château Palmer checks in as 56% Merlot, 41% Cabernet Sauvignon, and the rest Petit Verdot. The élevage here is unique in that the wine spends the first year in barrel (60% new) before having one-third moved into foudre for the following 6 months. The 2021 is an unquestionable success, revealing a dense purple hue as well as a powerful bouquet of ripe black and blue fruits supported by notes of tobacco, graphite, and chocolate. This medium to full-bodied Margaux has ripe, velvety tannins, a great mid-palate, and outstanding length. It’s going to have plenty of up-front appeal yet still evolve for two decades.Jeb Dunnuck | 93-95 JDOffers an almost juicy edge, making this difficult vintage stand out from the pack while giving its core of black cherry and black currant some energy. Subtle alder, tobacco and warm earth accents underscore the finish. Shows a late mineral twang, with just a wisp of the vintage’s austerity. Serious kudos here. Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon and Petit Verdot. Drink now through 2035. 7,500 cases made.Wine Spectator | 92 WSDeep garnet-purple colored, the 2021 Palmer needs a little swirling and coaxing to unlock evocative plum preserves, black cherry compote, and star anise notes, followed by earthy nuances of tilled soil, black truffles, and cracked black pepper with a touch of wild sage. Medium-bodied, the palate delivers beautifully soft, rounded tannins and lots of juicy fruit in the mid-palate, supported by harmonious acidity, finishing with beautiful purity and perfume. The blend is 56% Merlot, 41% Cabernet Sauvignon, and 3% Petit Verdot. 65% of the crop will be aged new barriques for the first year, then transferred to foudres for the second year.The Wine Independent | 92-94+ TWI

The dense color and the perfumed aromas set the scene for a rich wine full of fruit. The balance is already there, complex with structure and dense juicy fruits. The wine is impressive.Wine Enthusiast | 98 WEGorgeous fragrance on the nose, so perfumed and floral - really vibrant - you can smell the Cabernet and the Petit Verdot on the nose. Juiciness straight away from a burst of high acidity focussed on blackcurrant and black cherry with both a fragrance, spice and minerality following. This really hits you square on - it’s not opulent but it’s so fully flavoured, forward and upfront. Tannins are fine-grained but plentiful, they hold the structure and give the frame while the creaminess and freshness gives an expansive aspect to the palate. There’s refinement and an aerial quality here despite the clear Pauillac power. The Cabernet fruit is in full shine mode, giving a eucalyptus, perfumed berry and black pepper touch. Structured and supple with grape and terroir characteristics. If you love Pontet, and classic Pauillac claret, this is an impressive reference point. Skilled winemaking from technical director Mathieu Bessonet. 4% Cabernet Franc completes the blend.Decanter | 95 DECPlenty of blackberry and blueberry with wet earth and crushed stone. Some spice,tobacco and lead pencil, too. It’s full-bodied with layered tannins and brightness. Fine and chewy at the end.James Suckling | 95-96 JSThe 2021 Château Pontet-Canet is rock solid in the vintage and certainly shows the vibrant, vivid style of the estate today with its bright, exotic blue fruits, violets, and graphite-like aromatics. Medium to full-bodied on the palate, I love its mid-palate density, it has notable freshness and purity, some chalky tannins, and outstanding length. The 2021 checks in as 58% Cabernet Sauvignon, 32% Merlot, 6% petit Verdot, and the rest Cabernet Franc, and the aging consists of 50% in new barrels, 35% in concrete amphora, and the rest in second-fill barrels.Jeb Dunnuck | 93-95 JDThe 2021 Pontet-Canet is a blend of 58% Cabernet Sauvignon, 32% Merlot, 4% Cabernet Franc and 6% Petit Verdot. Deep purple-black in color, it pops from the glass with vibrant blueberries, Morello cherries, and cassis scents, plus suggestions of violets, cinnamon stick, wet rocks, and forest floor with an exotic touch of cardamom. Medium-bodied, the palate has very finely grained tannins and well-poised freshness supporting the perfumed black fruits, leading to loads of minerally sparks on the finish of this very bright and shimmery wine. Harvest started on 24 September with Merlot, followed by the Cabernets and Petit Verdot on 4 October, and finished on 12 October. The wine is to be aged in 50% new oak barrels, 35% amphorae, and 15% 1-year barrels.The Wine Independent | 93-95 TWIThe 2021 Pontet-Canet is a soft, open-knit, attractive wine, but its light structure is impossible to look past. Graphite, dried herbs, menthol and licorice fill out the layers. The 2021 is a fairly accessible Pontet Canet that will drink well with minimal cellaring. Harvest took place from September 24 through October 12. Yields were 34 hectoliters per hectare.Vinous Media | 92 VMA nice, dark, winey offering, with steeped black cherry and black currant fruit melding nicely with warm earth, alder and cast iron accents through the focused finish. Shows grip and range, with barely any indication of the vintage’s skinny side. Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Petit Verdot and Cabernet Franc. Best from 2026 through 2038.Wine Spectator | 92 WSOffering up wild, exotic aromas of blackberries, cloves and Indian spices mingled with notions of rose petal, bruised orchard fruit and cherry pit that evolve rapidly in the glass, the 2021 Pontet-Canet is medium to full-bodied, ample and fleshy, with a layered mid-palate and refined tannins that assert themselves on the firm, saline finish. Always one of the Médoc’s most singular, idiosyncratic wines, it will be interesting to see how it performs in bottle.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 91-93 RP

The 2021 Canon-La-Gaffelière is gorgeous, but it is also very closed today. I view that as a positive for its long-term prospects, but readers need to be patient here. The 2021 is a super-classic Canon-La-Gaffelière redolent of strong floral and mineral accents. Its energy and sheer breeding are truly remarkable. I can’t wait to taste it with bottle age. Bright saline notes extend the long, beautifully persistent finish. The 2021 was aged 40% in new oak, 20% in tank and the remainder in used oak and 400-liter barrels. This really pulses with energy.Vinous Media | 96 VMThis has a gorgeous herbal-fruity nose, scented, fresh and lively with raspberry leaf. Impactful on the palate straight away - the fine-grained tannins hit the mouth and expand slowly alongside the liquorice spice and dark berry fruit with violet aromas. It’s direct and linear at the moment, taut, and driven in one line. You feel it’s coiled up ready to spring with strawberry fruit and the Cabernet aspects coming through. It’s delicately textured, the mouthfeel is light and bouncy while the flavours slowly expand vertically. Touches of sweetness, bitterness and minerality appear adding interest from start to finish. I love the clarity you get. Impactful and full of complexity. Will be lovely to taste this in bottle. 5% more Cabernet Franc and 5% Cabernet Sauvignon than usual as some Merlot was lost to frost and mildew. A production of 98% grand vin.Decanter | 95 DECLovely, perfumed character with cherries, spices and flowers. Medium-bodied, firm and polished with solid tannins and a fresh finish. Pure. Light coffee and walnut. Well crafted.James Suckling | 94-95 JSThe 2021 Canon la Gaffelière is beautiful, bursting from the glass with aromas of rose petals, lilac, sweet berry fruit, burning embers and warm spices. Medium to full-bodied, seamless and elegant, with a fleshy core of fruit, lively acids and beautifully refined tannins, it’s the highlight of the von Neipperg portfolio this year. Cabernet Franc, as usual, takes the lead.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 93-95 RPOne of the gems out there, the 2021 Château Canon-La-Gaffelière is well worth seeking out. Giving up ample blue fruits, medium to full-bodied richness, ripe tannins, and complex, pure aromatics of violets, iron, and tobacco, it shines for its balance and elegance while bring terrific depth of fruit. Count me impressed.Jeb Dunnuck | 93-95 JDShows gently mulled plum and blackberry fruit flavors that have good flesh and energy, while savory and sous-bois accents peek in throughout. Maintains enough juiciness through the finish too, letting the fruit play out in an unencumbered manner. Cabernet Franc, Merlot and Cabernet Sauvignon. Drink now through 2035. 4,000 cases made.Wine Spectator | 92 WSThe 2021 Canon la Gaffeliere is a blend of 45% Cabernet Franc, 35% Merlot, and 20% Cabernet Sauvignon, aging in 40% new oak. Medium to deep garnet-purple in color, it sashays out of the glass with a lovely perfume of violets, Sichuan pepper and dried herbs, leading to a core of redcurrant jelly, cassis, and stewed red plums. The light to medium-bodied palate is delicately played, with a light chew of tannins and soft-spoken fruit, finishing savory.The Wine Independent | 91-93 TWI

The 2021 Troplong Mondot is fabulous. It offers up a rush of dark red-toned fruit, crushed rocks, leather, menthol, cedar and blood orange. As always, Troplong Mondot is marked by a strong presence of Cabernet Sauvignon that seems to add brooding intensity, muscle and power. I tasted it three times. A bottle given a brief decant of about 20 minutes showed best. The 2021 spent 13 months in oak (two months less than normal), in a mix of 60% new, 21% 20-hectoliter cask and 19% once-used. The 2021 is a Troplong Mondot of extreme purity and class.Vinous Media | 96 VMBright purple rim to the wine. So many aromas on the nose, really captivating and full - dark chocolate, pink flowers giving a soft perfume, cinnamon, raspberries, black cherries and liquorice too - all intensifying over twenty minutes in the glass. Super bright and charged on the palate, this is off like a firecracker from the initial impact, giving tangy strawberry, red cherry and raspberry fruit flavours. It’s got power no doubt, but a delicate, light style, not so concentrated and intense more lifted and aerial with tension. So much energy here, the flavours come in waves on the palate, red fruits, cooling blue fruits, exotic spices, flowers and fresh minty, stone notes with a real mineral salinity on the finish. It’s perhaps not so weighty or full in the mouth like previous more opulent vintages, but there is clarity and definition of elements on show. I love the mineral finish, so Troplong. Extremely refined. First vintage in the new cellar facilities which helped with precision.Decanter | 96 DECThe 2021 Troplong Mondot unwinds in the glass with aromas of dark berries, cherries and plums mingled with violets, exotic spices and smoke. Medium to full-bodied, deep and complete, the wine is layered and complex, with all the depth and authority that one expects from this clay-driven terroir, its concentrated core of fruit underpinned by sweet tannins and lively animating acids, concluding with a long, resonant finish. A blend of 85% Merlot, 13% Cabernet Sauvignon and 2% Cabernet Franc with a remarkably low pH of 3.35, it’s the first vintage produced in the estate’s state-of-the-art new winery.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 95 RPElegant and refined nose with a classy touch of spices and mineral to the red currants and berries. Very sleek and linear on the palate with super polished, immaculate tannins and a very long finish. Not a powerful vintage for sure, but this is all about finesse and subtlety. Already drinkable, but can hold for a decade.James Suckling | 95 JSFresh, if a touch on the skinny side, with bitter cherry and pomegranate notes carried by a chalky structure, while savory accents dart around throughout. Pretty, silky finish. Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon and Cabernet Franc. Best from 2025 through 2033. 10,000 cases made, 1,000 cases imported.Wine Spectator | 90 WSA blend of 85% Merlot, 13% Cabernet Sauvignon, and 2% Cabernet Franc, the 2021 Troplong Mondot is deep garnet-purple colored. Energetic notes of baked plums, wild strawberries, and black raspberries jump from the glass, followed by hints of tar, licorice, black olives, and truffles. Medium-bodied, the palate is plush and energetic, with a lively line and long minerally finish.The Wine Independent | 90-92 TWI

The 2021 Pichon-Longueville Comtesse de Lalande is a towering wine. Just as it did en primeur, the 2021 dazzles from start to finish. The Cabernets are very high in the blend, and that comes through in a Saint-Julien endowed with ton of explosive vertical lift. Lavender, dried herbs, mint, spice, rose petal and a kick of orange peel are some of the notes that run through this striking Pichon Comtesse. The aromatics alone are compelling, but everything about the 2021 speaks to class personified. Bright saline notes extend the finish. In a word: sublime.Vinous Media | 98 VMCocoa powder, iris notes, pink roses and black fruits - so fragrant - you just want to smell the wines in 2021 for hours. This is a seriously impressive Comtesse and stands out as one of my favourite wines of the vintage with real promise. Power and depth from the get go, tannins are massy, softly fleshy but also provide support and structure, giving layers to the fruit and savoury elements that combine clove, cedar, cola, vanilla and cinnamon with teeth-coating liquorice and graphite too - the soft salinity entering towards the finish. It’s concentrated and serious with a tightly knitted core, a consequence of the tiny yields and strict selection as well as the highest percentage of Cabernet Sauvignon in the blend since 2013. I love the terroir signature on show in the glass as well as an overall sense of retaining elegance and finesse. A top buy for me! 3.76pH, 75IPT. 18-19 months ageing. Tasted twice.Decanter | 96 DECThe wine’s structure is a major factor here. It brings out sumptuous tannins to go with the juicy black fruits and spice tones. Black currants sing from this wine with its dominating Cabernet Sauvignon. Wine Enthusiast | 96 WEThe 2021 Pichon Longueville Comtesse de Lalande wafts from the glass with aromas of blackberries and minty cassis mingled with notes of violet, lavender, pencil shavings and rose petals. Medium to full-bodied, velvety and polished, it’s beautifully seamless and complete, with a fleshy core of fruit, ripe acids and sweet, powdery tannins that assert themselves on the gently structured finish. This will offer a broad drinking window. It’s one of the vintage’s real successes, but it also represents only one-quarter of a "normal" production.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 95 RPPlush, warm and inviting, offering waves of cassis, crushed plum and blackberry puree that cruise through, while a fine-grained structure provides support. Shows alluring accents of black tea and alder on the finish, with the fruit keeping the upper hand easily. Very polished for the vintage. Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot and Cabernet Franc. Best from 2026 through 2040.Wine Spectator | 94 WSOne of the gems in the vintage is the 2021 Château Pichon-Longueville Comtesse de Lalande, a Cabernet Sauvignon-heavy blend that includes 10% Cabernet Franc and just 2% Merlot, aging in 60% new barrel. Yields here were devastated due to mildew and poor flowering, and the final wine comes from a horrific 15 hectoliters per hectare. The final alcohol hit 13%, and it has a healthy pH of 3.69 and an IPT of 75. In addition, a fair bit of press wine was used this year. Regardless of the numbers and technical data, the wine is brilliant and offers a pure, seamless, medium to full-bodied style carrying notes of dark currants, liquid violets, graphite, and chalky minerality. Possessing ultra-fine tannins, beautiful mid-palate depth, and a great finish, it’s going to benefit from 7-8 years of bottle age and be a long-lived Pauillac. It’s another incredible success from this team.Jeb Dunnuck | 94-96+ JDThis is really spicy with peppercorns, cloves and Chinese spices, especially on the finish. Blackcurrants, too. Medium-bodied, firm and polished with a long, intense finish. 88% cabernet sauvignon, 10% cabernet franc and 2% merlot.James Suckling | 94-95 JSA blend of 88% Cabernet Sauvignon, 10% Cabernet Franc, and 2% Merlot, the 2021 Pichon Longueville Comtesse de Lalande is deep garnet-purple in color. It springs from the glass with a beautiful perfume of violets, fallen leaves, and menthol, followed by a core of cassis, iron ore, and tree bark. Medium-bodied, the palate has a sturdy frame of chewy tannins and a lively line supporting the delicately styled, mineral-tinged fruit, finishing with impressive length.The Wine Independent | 91-93+ TWI

The 2021 L’Évangile is one of the triumphs of the year, especially considering L’Évangile is now farmed biodynamically. Sharply reduced yields—20 hectoliters-per-hectare versus upper 30s for the rest of the appellation—produced a deeply sensual wine. The 2021 spent 18 months in barrel, 40% new (significantly lower than in the past), with 15% of the wine aged in terra cotta. Those are only details though. What is most encouraging about L’Évangile is how far the property has come in the last few years. Superb. The 2021 L’Évangile is a model of contemporary excellence. It marries classicism with modern approaches to farming and winemaking.Vinous Media | 96 VMA pure, creamy and well-structured yet very fine Evangile. Long and caressing. Very fine tannins. Lots of fresh dark fruit and savory, mineral character. Understated and classy. 69% merlot, 30% cabernet franc and 1% cabernet sauvignon.James Suckling | 96-97 JSUnfurling in the glass with aromas of dark cherries and berries mingled with notions of licorice, black truffle, rose petal and iris, the 2021 L’Evangile is medium to full-bodied, fleshy and enveloping, with a broad and textural attack that segues into a charming, succulent mid-palate framed by sweet, powdery tannins. This saw only two rackings, and some 15% matured in amphora, with the rest in barriques that are less toasty than in the past; the result of these and other initiatives is a much more timeless expression of this property. Bottled in May 2023.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 94 RPSmells concentrated and quite bold, more of a heady nose, dark fruits and gorgeous perfumed Cabernet aspects. Succulent and juicy, a really appealing and charming palate, juiciness but density too, you get plump fruit here rather than a piercing focus giving more of a mouthful than some others but still with a detail to the fine tannins, the ripe fruit, cherry and blackcurrant and plum with a long finish. Sustained on the palate, this doesn’t let up, slowly building from start to finish giving a cool, delicate, refined palate but still with grippy maintaining attention. You can tell they got full ripeness here, but there’s also this lovely cooling, slate aspect - the soft chalkiness that comes in on the finish. I like this - the initial intensity, directness of black fruit and then the chalk texture. Feels nicely complete and one of the larger, more dense wines this vintage. A yield of 20hl/ha with all the Cabernet Sauvignon going into the grand vin. Juliette Couderc technical director. First year certified organic.Decanter | 94 DECThe Grand Vin 2021 Château L’Evangile includes more Cabernet Franc and is 69% Merlot, 30% Cabernet Franc, and 1% Cabernet Sauvignon, brought up in 50% new French oak, with 15% amphora. Beautiful blue fruits, violets, chocolate, and some gravelly earth define the bouquet and while it’s a medium-bodied, more mid-weight L’Evangile, it has a wonderful purity of fruit, ripe, present, silky tannins, outstanding balance, and a great finish. It’s another vibrant, elegant, seamless Pomerol that will drink nicely with just short-term cellaring yet have 20 years of prime drinking.Jeb Dunnuck | 93-95 JDDeep garnet-purple colored, the 2021 L’Evangile comes bounding out of the glass with exuberant notes of Morello cherries, wild blueberries, and black raspberries, plus suggestions of cloves, cinnamon stick, red roses, and fragrant earth. Medium-bodied, the palate has wonderful intensity with ripe, fine-grained tannins and tons of freshness (pH 3.6) finishing long and minerally. The blend is 69% Merlot, 30% Cabernet Franc, and 1% Cabernet Sauvignon, aging 15% in amphora, 50% in new oak, and 35% in 1-year barrels. The first Merlot was picked on 21 September, then the harvest continued for Merlot and Cabernet Franc until 4 October. The Cabernet Sauvignon was picked on 8 October.The Wine Independent | 91-94+ TWI

The winemaker calls this wine chic, and it is, with enticing aromas of blackcurrants, chocolate, walnuts, nutmeg, bark and forest floor. Some graphite and dark mushrooms. Medium-bodied with very integrated tannins that melt into the wine, with super length and finesse at the end. It’s the subtle texture and pure and complex fruit character that impress. 65% cabernet sauvignon, 22% merlot, 10% petit verdot and 3% cabernet franc. Drinkable now, but this will age beautifully.James Suckling | 97 JSThe 2021 Haut-Bailly is incredibly poised, even if it is clearly a wine of reserve in this vintage. Its vertical build speaks of pure sophistication. Time in the glass brings out hints of dried herbs, menthol, licorice, pine, blackberry and underbrush. Most of the blend is Cabernet, so the flavor profile and overall structural feel is quite savory. I can’t wait to see how the 2021 ages. It may very well surprise down the road.Vinous Media | 96 VMThis is a very aromatic, precise wine. Ripe fruits and density are balanced by the wine’s freshness and acidity. It has structure that brings out creamy tannins to balance the succulent black fruit flavors. Wine Enthusiast | 96 WESeductive blackcurrant and juniper with purple floral touches on the nose. Smooth texture with high acidity giving sharp strawberry fruit balanced by both savoury and mineral touches - slate, crushed stone, smoke, violets and dark chocolate - very much in the style of the vintage with no harshness or overt opulence but instead gives a pure sense of classicism, restraint and refinement. Elegant and well structured with a long determined finish - this will continue to deliver pleasure for a long time. 10% press wine. No chaptalisation. 30% grand vin. 3.9pH. 3% Cabernet Franc completes the blend. Yield 19hl/ha. First year in the new cellar.Decanter | 95 DECThe 2021 Haut-Bailly, a blend of 65% Cabernet Sauvignon, 22% Merlot, 10% Petit Verdot and 3% Cabernet Franc, reveals a complex, brooding bouquet with aromas of blackcurrant, spices, plums, spring flowers and smoke. Medium to full-bodied, it’s a lively, rather muscular wine with a fleshy, dense core of fruit, tangy acids and powdery tannins. Despite its firm character, I like its overall balance. It should age gracefully over the next 10 years.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 94 RPThe 2021 Château Haut-Bailly checks in as 65% Cabernet Sauvignon, 22% Merlot, 10% Petit Verdot, and the rest Cabernet Franc. It’s another elegant, pure, incredibly balanced wine from this château, offering complex aromatics (cassis, smoked tobacco, spicy wood, and earth), medium body, ripe, supple tannins, and a great finish. Hitting 13% alcohol with a pH of 3.9, this seamless beauty will drink nicely right out of the gate yet evolve for 25-30 years.Jeb Dunnuck | 93-95+ JDThe 2021 Haut-Bailly is a blend of 65% Cabernet Sauvignon, 22% Merlot, 10% Petit Verdot, and 3% Cabernet Franc, harvested from 27 September to 11 October, and aging in 50% new oak. Deep garnet-purple colored, it is a little closed and broody to begin, opening out to offer notes of plum preserves, warm cassis, and black raspberries, plus suggestions of fertile loam, tapenade, tar, and smoked meats. Medium-bodied, the palate has wonderful tension and energy with plenty of black fruit layers and a fine-grained texture, culminating in a long, lifted finish. This was the first vintage in the new winery, and 50% of the crop went into the grand vin.The Wine Independent | 92-94+ TWI

A dark nose, serious and a bit closed, though there is such complexity on the palate. You get the tannic feel in the mouth straight away, mouthfilling, ample, generous and chewy - these tannins have weight and density but are lifted by the bright, high-definition cherry, strawberry and raspberry acidity underneath keeping things vibrant and fresh with a sour cherry and stoney minerality on the finish. Exceptional balance and sculpting, this has energy but also poise. Sophisticated glamour in full force, svelte and suave - this is a wine that aims to please. Definitely one of the most thrilling and captivating wines of the vintage! 2% Cabernet Franc completes the blend. 36% grand vin.Decanter | 97 DECA Margaux with beautiful depth and grace and wonderfully well-placed, refined tannins, showing presence and a soft texture. They caress your palate. Full-bodied, yet tight and extremely long. Seamless. 87% cabernet franc, 8% merlot, 3% cabernet franc and 2% petit verdot.James Suckling | 97-98 JSThe wine has richness but its main attraction is the balance between acidity and the light touch that gives the wine great freshness. The touch of Cabernet Franc in the blend brings its own perfumed structure. This is a wine that, of course, will age but that will also give pleasure relatively quickly. Wine Enthusiast | 97 WEThe 2021 Château Margaux is creamy and supple, a classy Margaux with the volume turned down just a bit. Succulent dark cherry, red plum, spice and rose petal infuse the 2021 with layers of succulent depth. This is a quiet wine, but one that possesses notable richness for the year. Time in the glass brings out the aromatics, but this remains very much built on its fruit.Vinous Media | 96 VMThe 2021 Château Margaux saw a traditional élevage in new barrels, with bottling in July, and as readers will remember, it’s a blend of 87% Cabernet Sauvignon, 8% Merlot, 3% Cabernet Franc and 2% Petit Verdot that benefited from late picking, appreciable percentages of saignée, and a strict selection. Unwinding in the glass with aromas of cassis, blueberries and raspberries mingled with hints of licorice, white flowers and charcoal, it’s medium to full-bodied, deep and layered, with a broad attack, lively purity and sweet structuring tannins, concluding with a long, penetrating finish. It’s a classic that will richly reward bottle age.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 95+ RPI think the wine of the vintage is the 2021 Château Margaux, which comes from a miniscule selection of just 36% of the total production. The final blend is 87% Cabernet Sauvignon, 8% Merlot, and the rest Cabernet Franc, all of which is resting in 100% new French oak. Reminding me slightly of a riper 1996, it has incredible purity in its ripe cassis and blueberry fruits as well as notes of liquid violets, spicy oak, graphite, and hints of sandalwood. As seamless as they come, medium to full-bodied, perfectly balanced, and with ample Château Margaux purity and finesse, this brilliant juice is as good as it gets in the vintage.Jeb Dunnuck | 95-97 JDThe 2021 Chateau Margaux is a blend of 87% Cabernet Sauvignon, 8% Merlot, 3% Cabernet Franc, and 2% Petit Verdot. Deep garnet-purple in color, it is a little closed and broody to start, with notions of tar, licorice, fertile loam, and truffles leading to a core of fresh blackcurrants, juicy blackberries, and black raspberries, plus a touch of iron ore. Medium-bodied, the palate has wonderful intensity with a firm, fine-grained texture and plenty of freshness to support the tightly knit black and red berry flavors, finishing with loads of energy and shimmer. The first wine represents 36% of the crop this year and it came in with a phenolic index (IPT) of 75.The Wine Independent | 95-97 TWI

A Saint-Estèphe of stature and vertical intensity, the 2021 Calon Ségur dazzles from the very first taste. Spice, menthol, licorice, black cherry, mint and espresso are some of the many notes that build with a bit of coaxing. The 2021 clocks in at a modest 12.9% in alcohol, yet it possesses tremendous density and textural resonance. What a wine! Tasted two times.Vinous Media | 97 VMA fine Calon Ségur this year with 92% Cabernet, the highest in the blend since the 2009 vintage. This is rich and dark with a spiced nose full of black chocolate and black pepper edged by soft floral notes. Graceful and refined on the palate bursting with freshness and such integrated tannins. Smooth but on the mineral edge so you get that hint of austerity/salinity together with the acidity giving this some sharpness and high definition. It’s got concentration and depth but at the moment it’s so linear and detailed in its precision that it’s coming across very straight and taut. Tannins have some grip and this has a nice weight on the mid-palate leading into a long finish. I adore the sweet salty tang at the end. I’m looking forward to tasting this in bottle. 1% Petit Verdot completes the blend. 3.65pH. No chaptalisation. A yield of 36hl/ha. 20 months ageing, 100% new oak barrels.Decanter | 95 DECThe Grand Vin 2021 Château Calon Ségur is one heck of a winner in the vintage and is 81% Cabernet Sauvignon, 11% Cabernet Franc, and the rest Merlot and Petit Verdot. Hitting 12.9% alcohol, its deep purple hue is followed by a gorgeous bouquet of cassis, violets, ripe darker raspberries, and spring flowers. It’s elegant and has a great mid-palate, ultra-fine tannins, and a great finish. It’s unquestionably one of the gems from the Médoc and will round into form with 3-5 years of bottle age and, I suspect, be long-lived.Jeb Dunnuck | 94-97 JDRevisited in bottle, the 2021 Calon-Ségur opens in the glass with aromas of dark berries mingled with aromas of violets, pencil shavings, lilac, Indian spices, cigar wrapper and grilled meats. Medium to full-bodied, dense and suave, with powdery tannins, lively acids and a penetratingly sapid and discreetly carnal finish, it appears to have lost a touch of aromatic precision during élevage, but it remains a compelling Calon-Ségur.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 93 RPA step ahead of the pack in this vintage, this offers a hint of polish to fleshier-than-most cassis and plum puree flavors. Solidly built, with a well-buried chalky spine, plus tangy acidity. Lilac, bay and black tea notes add range on the finish. Shows the vintage’s taut character, but this has more depth and better proportion than most of its colleagues. Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc, Merlot and Petit Verdot. Best from 2025 through 2037. 7,800 cases made.Wine Spectator | 93 WSA juicy and caressingly astringent red with currant, berry and cedar aromas with citrus undertones. Medium body. Firm and silky with a delicious finish. A little tight at the end. Two or three years will open it up.James Suckling | 93 JSThe 2021 Calon Segur is deep garnet-purple in color. It sashays out with vibrant notes of wild blueberries, raspberry coulis, and cassis followed by hints of bay leaves, camphor, and cedar. Light-bodied, the palate is delicately styled with loads of zip lifting the finely packed fruit, finishing long and fragrant. The blend is 81% Cabernet Sauvignon, 11% Cabernet Franc, 7% Merlot, and 1% Petit Verdot.The Wine Independent | 90-92 TWI

An exceptional Clinet in 2021. Richly scented, dark and roguish, a touch of sour cherry and perfume to the nose. Round, supple, generous and vibrant on the palate - this has a lifeforce to it with nuance of red berry flavour and real persistency as well as juicy acidity. I love the upfront nature of this and the really quite vivid and expressive red fruits while the background gives the savoury, menthol, liquorice notes offering depth and wideness - lots of terroir and grape markers in the glass - particularly the high percentage (25%) of Cabernet Sauvignon in the blend. Tannins are firm and supportive with the overall freshness lifting the frame, delivering a full mouthfeel with a density of tannins and black fruit that doesn’t dip. Well worked and presented. A touch of wood on the finish but subtle and supportive. You also get the florality all the way through which is just so appealing. Supremely well worked, charming but also confident - I absolutely love it and it clearly stood out every time tasting it - four times in total. 45,000 bottles made, same production as 2020.Decanter | 95 DECThe 2021 Clinet is bold, explosive and dense. A blend of 75% Merlot and 25% Cabernet Sauvignon, the 2021 is a rich and ample wine of tremendous energy and tension. This represents a modern style of Pomerol that will drink well upon release and also age.Vinous Media | 94 VMComing from a mix of clay and gravelly soils spread across a 10-hectare vineyard and 40-year-old vines, the 2021 Château Clinet is another brilliant success by Ronan Laborde, who continues to make one of the greatest Pomerols out there. A blend of 75% Merlot and 25% Cabernet Sauvignon (which is a high percentage of Cabernet Sauvignon for Pomerol), it sports a deep purple hue to go with brilliant notes of blueberries, blackberries, violets, and minty herbs. More medium to full-bodied on the palate, it shows the fresher, elegant style of the vintage yet still brings plenty of mid-palate depth, ripe, velvety tannins, no hard edges, and a great finish. It’s a stunning success in the vintage that will drink nicely on release yet evolve for 20 years or more.Jeb Dunnuck | 93-96 JDFirm, lightly chewy yet creamy tannins. Savory bark and herb notes. Cloves and licorice, too. Medium body with a polished, lengthy and firm finish. Compact.James Suckling | 93-94 JSThe 2021 Clinet opens in the glass with aromas of dark berries, plums and licorice mingled with hints of mint and orange zest, followed by a medium to full-bodied palate with a sweet core of fruit that’s framed by a chassis of sweet, powdery tannins that assert themselves on the oak-inflected finish. Out of the gates, this remains quite structured by its élevage.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 92+ RPA frankly toasted style, with bittersweet cocoa notes draped over a core of black cherry and plum fruit. Reveals tobacco, licorice, roasted cedar and a tug of warm earth through the finish. Merlot and Cabernet Sauvignon. Drink now through 2034. 3,850 cases made, 600 cases imported.Wine Spectator | 91 WSThe 2021 Clinet is deep garnet-purple colored. It is a little reticent to start, soon unfurling to offer glimpses at black raspberries, redcurrant jelly, and warm plums scents, plus hints of star anise, Ceylon tea, and wild sage. The palate is medium-bodied, with oak tannins lending to the firm structure and plenty of densely laden black and red fruits, finishing with great length.The Wine Independent | 90-92 TWI

The 2021 Ducru-Beaucaillou captures all the potential it showed from barrel. A delicate, understated wine, the 2021 impresses above all else with its finesse. All the elements are impeccably balanced throughout. Time in the glass brings out the wine’s inner sweetness and gorgeous perfume. The balance with oak, at times a challenge here, is also flawless. With lower alcohol and therefore also less extraction from oak than recent vintages, the 2021 is shaping up to be a modern-day classic. The blend is 98% Cabernet Sauvignon and 2% Merlot, the highest amount of Cabernet Sauvignon ever here. What a wine.Vinous Media | 98 VMBeautiful and beguiling nose, perfumed blackcurrants and dark fruits; damsons, plums, raspberries and rose petals. Lovely crunchy fruit, real bite and presence in the mouth. Excellent precision, tannins are succulent and ripe they fill the mouth with a juicy, intense granular texture. There is such depth to this - perfume, tobacco, earth, violets and concentrated fruits that have a verticality to them with an unprecedented 98% of Cabernet Sauvignon providing the support and the backbone. There is a crystalline purity to the fruit giving tension to the overall frame, it’s focussed and driven all with excellent definition. This is not a wallflower of a wine - it’s charming and confident, strutting its stuff right now and giving you absolut St-Julien terroir and vintage markers in the glass with slate, graphite and liquorice salinity on show. Skilled winemaking on show.Decanter | 96 DECFirm, structured and pure with a cool and solid core of dark currants, blackberries, tar, pencil lead and bitter chocolate. Hints of tobacco, too. Firm but silky tannins. Very pure, with a long, mineral finish. Intense and very focused. 98% cabernet sauvignon and 2% merlot.James Suckling | 96-97 JSThis is a wine with enormous potential with rich tannins and dark black fruits. At the same time, it has lightness that gives it a lift of fine black currant fruits. It will age, of course.Wine Enthusiast | 96 WEI was also able to retaste a barrel sample of the 2021 Château Ducru-Beaucaillou, and it showed in line with my tastings last year. It’s a shockingly concentrated, medium to full-bodied, balanced Ducru Beaucaillou that I think will surpass most of the so-called petits millésimes of the past two decades, and that just goes to show the level of attention to detail and talent at this address.Jeb Dunnuck | 95-97 JDA wine that will delight Médoc purists, the 2021 Ducru-Beaucaillou is a blend of fully 98% Cabernet Sauvignon and 2% Merlot and checks in at a mere 12.5% alcohol. Unwinding in the glass with aromas of dark berries, cigar wrapper, violets, loamy soil and spices, it’s full-bodied, layered and velvety, with superb depth at the core, lively acids and powdery tannins. Complete and penetrating, it’s a true classic, reminiscent of a modern-day version of Ducru’s brilliant 1996—though today’s precision winemaking means that the 2021 is unlikely to go through so long a hibernation as that vintage.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 94-96 RPThe 2021 Ducru-Beaucaillou, 98% Cabernet Sauvignon and 2% Merlot, was tasted as a tank sample just before bottling. Deep garnet-purple in color, it opens with notes of crushed blackcurrants, fresh raspberries, and Morello cherries with touches of dried herbs, mossy tree bark, pencil lead, and damp soil. The light-bodied palate delivers mouth-filling, crunchy, black and red berry flavors with chewy tannins and a lively backbone, finishing with an herbal lift.The Wine Independent | 92-94+ TWI

This is a magnificent wine. It is the epitome of great white Bordeaux. Its texture and spice give an alluring touch to the lime, apricot and kiwi flavors that come through the toast. This is a classic. Wine Enthusiast | 98 WEThe 2021 Haut-Brion confirms its fine showing en primeur, cementing its status as one of the wines of the vintage. Its complex bouquet of dark berries and cassis mingled with notions of cigar wrapper and burning embers unfurls in the glass. Full-bodied, deep and velvety, it’s concentrated and layered with a multidimensional core of fruit, sweet tannins and lively acids, concluding with a long, penetrating finish. Reflecting the timeless elegance of Haut-Brions from cooler years, the 2021 will delight Bordeaux purists.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 97 RPOne of the absolute stand out wines on 2021 with an electric appeal almost unrivalled in the vintage. Blackcurrant leaf, dark chocolate, cocoa powder, rose petals, sweet cherries and bramble fruits on the nose. Incredibly lively and energetic on the palate with a burst of sharp, sweet and sour fruits that just fills the mouth coated by chalk, slate and pencil lead mineral tannins that give a intensity while the fruit persistency lingers above and through to the long finish. Such delicacy yet multi-layered and full of concentration, clear ripeness and power, though delivered with suaveness and style. Tannins are firm and robust, mouthfilling, no doubt about that, but they give the structure and frame to the plush and plump fruit which also has such a crystalline purity to it. I love the intensity and also these spicy bitter dark chocolate and liquorice elements on the finish which give nuance.Decanter | 97 DECA very structured young Haut-Brion with blackberry, blackcurrant, black-olive and mushroom character. Medium to full-bodied with a driving balance of firm and ripe tannins and gorgeous fruit. 50.3% merlot, 38% cabernet sauvignon and 11.7% cabernet franc.James Suckling | 97-98 JSAs with the Clarence, the 2021 Château Haut-Brion is a darker, richer, more powerful wine. Currants, smoked black cherries, graphite, chocolate, and tobacco notes all define the nose, and it’s medium to full-bodied, with a straight, focused, beautifully precise mouthfeel, gorgeous yet substantial tannins, and a great finish. It’s going to hit maturity in 7-8 years and have 30 years of longevity or more. The 2021 is mostly Merlot, checking in as 50.3% Merlot, 38% Cabernet Sauvignon, and 11.7% Cabernet Franc, hitting 13.8% alcohol and resting in 73% new French oak.Jeb Dunnuck | 95-97 JDThe 2021 Haut-Brion is an excellent wine. Despite its mid-weight structure, the 2021 possesses notable dynamic energy and layers of complexity that build with time in the glass. Scorched earth, leather, tobacco, incense, licorice and dried herbs are some of the many notes that open with aeration. The 2021 is a quiet, understated Haut-Brion, but all its signatures are present. Today, the it is not quite as showy as it was en primeur, but it is a fine effort nonetheless.Vinous Media | 94 VMThe 2021 Haut-Brion is a blend of 50% Merlot, 38% Cabernet Sauvignon, and 12% Cabernet Franc. Deep garnet-purple colored, it needs a lot of swirling and convincing to coax out notions of redcurrant jelly, raspberry coulis, blackcurrant pastilles, and graphite, plus suggestions of cloves, crushed rocks, and underbrush. Medium-bodied, the palate is a little like sucking on stones at this stage, chock full of minerals with emerging black and red fruits, framed by ripe, grainy tannins and just enough freshness, finishing long and earthy. A very different style and expression of Haut-Brion than in recent years, and yet this is equally evocative and simply gorgeous.The Wine Independent | 93-95 TWI

The wine has a rich texture and is splendidly fruity. It is structured while juicy and full of complex tannins. This is a wine that sings of fruits that are ripe while never heavy.Wine Enthusiast | 96 WEThe 2021 La Mission Haut-Brion unfurls in the glass with a complex, detailed bouquet of plums, cassis, flowers, spices, licorice and loamy soil. Medium to full-bodied, rich and concentrated, its fleshy, layered core of fruit is framed by beautifully velvety tannins. In bottle, much as en primeur, this blend of 48% Merlot, 46% Cabernet Sauvignon and 6% Cabernet Franc is a charming, sensual rendition of La Mission.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 95 RPRose, violets and peonies on the nose, with dark chocolate and cassis, smells like liqueur chocolates, perfumed and aromatic. A crystalline quality to the fruit, so driven and pure on the palate. Energetic and lively filled with strawberry, raspberry, red cherry and plum - direct with a vein of exotic spice - cinnamon and clove, as well as touches of orange, bitter grapefruit, dark chocolate and crushed stone. Such a lot going on here, but so well delivered with intensity and direction with racy acidity that keeps everything lifted the whole way through. Lovely minerality on the tongue, the graphite lingering with the juiciness that is still so mouthwatering even on the finish. Compelling and charming.Decanter | 95 DECThe 2021 Château La Mission Haut-Brion checks in as a blend of 47.9% Merlot, 45.8% Cabernet Sauvignon, and the rest Cabernet Franc that hit 13.4% alcohol and is still resting in 27% new French oak. Graphite, scorched earth, tobacco leaf, and gorgeous cassis and violet-tinge blue fruits all define the bouquet, and it’s medium to full-bodied, with a vibrant, elegant mouthfeel, terrific tannins, and one hell of a great finish. It’s a softer, rounder, more layered wine than the Haut-Brion, with a little more sexiness, yet both are utterly brilliant wines.Jeb Dunnuck | 94-96 JDThe 2021 La Mission Haut-Brion comes across as delicate and soft. It is a wine that is very strongly marked by the year—there is no doubt about that. Floral and spice notes open first, as the 2021 shows off its restrained personality. Dark fruit, leather, cedar and tobacco develop in the glass, but this very clearly offers only modest definition, mid-palate pliancy and persistence. Even so, there are no hard edges. Overall, it’s a very good wine in a year that was obviously extremely challenging.James Suckling | 94-95 JSThe 2021 La Mission Haut-Brion comes across as delicate and soft. It is a wine that is very strongly marked by the year—there is no doubt about that. Floral and spice notes open first, as the 2021 shows off its restrained personality. Dark fruit, leather, cedar and tobacco develop in the glass, but this very clearly offers only modest definition, mid-palate pliancy and persistence. Even so, there are no hard edges. Overall, it’s a very good wine in a year that was obviously extremely challenging.Vinous Media | 92 VMA blend of 48% Merlot, 46% Cabernet Sauvignon, and 6% Cabernet Franc, the 2021 La Mission Haut-Brion is deep garnet-purple colored. Is a little closed to begin, soon revealing notes of crushed blackcurrants, fresh black raspberries, and mulberries, plus suggestions of pencil shavings, roses, and Sichuan pepper. Medium-bodied, the palate is tightly knit with delicate black and red berry layers, supported by fine-grained tannins and bold freshness, finishing long and mineral-laced.The Wine Independent | 92-94 TWI

The 2021 Haut-Bages Libéral is a powerful, dense wine. Black cherry, mocha, plum, licorice and incense are all amplified in a brooding, dense Pauillac endowed with notable textural richness and tons of sheer power. Aeration releases the wine’s bracing acidity and aromatics, yet the 2021 remains quite rich. Yields were just 31.5 hectoliters-per-hectare, about 30% lower than normal. Haut-Bages Libéral is a rare 2021 that needs time to shed some of its considerable baby fat. It’s a seriously impressive wine from Claire Lurton. The 2021 was aged 40% in new oak, 40% in once-filled barrels and 20% in a combination of amphora and concrete vat.Vinous Media | 95 VMThis is already open and delicious with cherry, cassis, blueberry and chocolate-orange character. Some peach notes, too. Medium to full body with velvety, ripe and plush tannins. Caressing, yet it remains firm and solid. Lovely, creamy finish. 90% cabernet sauvignon and 10% merlot. From biodynamically grown grapes with Demeter certification.James Suckling | 94-95 JSVery aromatic on the nose, this has savoury, fruit and floral tones; liquorice, cola and earth with cranberries, strawberries and black cherries. Dense and quite darkly fruited on the palate but with a brightness from the acidity giving a mouthwatering attack before the flavours deepen and widen in the mouth. So many layers, really showing the Pauillac power: everything presented in high definition with a bold structure even though the individual elements are so precise and defined. It’s racy and confident but also complex with a spiced cedar, clove, cinnamon, liquorice and wet stone/ chalky element to the tannins that fill the mouth and don’t let go. A lovely wine with lots of potential from Claire Villars-Lurton! 65% grand vin. A blend of 90% Cabernet Sauvignon - the highest percentage ever - and 10% Merlot, which usually comprises between 15 to 25% of the blend. 11.5% press wine. Ageing 16 months, 40% new oak, 40% one-year-old oak, 20% amphoras.Decanter | 93 DECThe 2021 Haut-Bages-Libéral has turned out nicely, unfurling in the glass with aromas of cassis, minty berries, pencil shavings and cigar wrapper, followed by a medium to full-bodied, deep and layered palate that’s impressively concentrated, built around a muscular frame of ripe, powdery tannins that assert themselves on the youthfully structured finish. It will reward a bit of patience.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 92+ RP

The 2021 La Conseillante is bright, fresh and fruity, with lovely red fruit character and fine balance. Crushed berries, rose petal, lavender, chalk, mint and spice are beautifully delineated. In 2021, La Conseillante is a Pomerol of tension, nerve and delicacy more than volume. Time in the glass brings out bright floral notes that extend the finish. The blend is 85% Merlot and 15% Cabernet Franc that spent 18 months in French oak—70% new, 27% once-filled barrels and 3% amphora. The 2021 is such a classy wine. I can’t wait to see how it ages. The 2021 possesses a Burgundian sense of structure, for lack of a better term. Harvest started on September 28 for the Merlots, very late by recent standards, through October 1. The Cabernets were picked on October 6 and 12. The alcohol (13%) and pH (3.6) readings are those from another era.Vinous Media | 96 VMBlackberry, lavender, dried violet, and sandalwood follow through to a medium body, with very fine and velvety tannins that give a polished and caressing texture. Fresh and vivid. Drink after 2028.James Suckling | 96 JSThe 2021 La Conseillante unwinds in the glass with aromas of black raspberries and mulberries mingled with vine smoke, rose petals and spices, framed by a discreet touch of new oak. This is medium to full-bodied, suave and enveloping, with a velvety attack that segues into a layered, multidimensional palate that’s framed by ultra-refined tannins and animated by ripe acids. Long and perfumed, this has turned out beautifully. It was bottled in June, seeing three rackings and a very light egg-white fining during élevage.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 95 RPIris and raspberry notes on the nose, delicately floral but fresh and lively - just shy of mouthwatering acidity - but enough to create such a lift on the first taste which has a juicy effect. The acidity is nicely balanced but this has such a gentle charm, a suaveness and sensuality to it, tannins are sleek and agile with some bitter dark chocolate and slate edges while the fruit is full of black cherry, plum and blueberry touches. But it’s the texture and the aromatic display that are so captivating - having density and weight but no heaviness. You get the ripeness in the flavour but the overall feeling remains cool and refreshing with tension and terroir on show in the wet stone nuance underpinning the fruit. Just pure grace and precision. An exceptional effort for the estate’s 150th vintage. ’The worst thing on the label is the vintage’ says general director Marielle Cazeaux "because people think it’s bad, but this is really the DNA of La Conseillante". 3.6pH. Merlot picked from 28th September to 1st October, Cabernet Franc on the 6th and 12th October.Decanter | 95 DECThe 2021 Château La Conseillante showed beautifully, and while it’s not going to match the all-time greats here, it’s a quintessential, elegant, seamless Pomerol in the making. Revealing a deep purple hue as well as a spectacular nose of pure cassis, ripe tobacco, damp earth, and ample floral nuances, it hits the palate with medium to full-bodied richness, ultra-fine tannins, beautiful overall balance, and a great finish. It’s a remarkable effort in this challenging vintage. The blend is 85% Merlot and 15% Cabernet Franc, still aging in 70% new barrels, that hit 13.3% alcohol and a pH of 3.6.Jeb Dunnuck | 93-95 JDThe 2021 La Conseillante is a blend of 85% Merlot, harvested from 28 September to 1 October, and 15% Cabernet Franc, harvested from 6 to 12 October, with a yield of 39 hl/ha. It is aging 70% in new oak and 3% in amphora. Deep garnet-purple color, it strides confidently out of the glass with notes of fresh blackberries, ripe raspberries, cracked black pepper, and lavender, plus vibrant accents of roses, cinnamon stick, and pencil shavings, Medium-bodied, the palate is soft and quivering with tension, delivering a vibrant core of bright red fruit and subtle spicy sparks, leading to a long minerally finish. pH 3.6.The Wine Independent | 92-94 TWI

The 2021 Smith Haut Lafitte is an engaging, dynamic wine. Gravel, menthol, licorice, mocha and spice are all beautifully delineated. A wine of energy and focus, the 2021 is absolutely enthralling—medium in body, refined and super-impressive.Vinous Media | 96 VMLots of clove, black-licorice and cigar-box character. Already perfumed. Medium body with fine, chalky and precise tannins. Lead-pencil shavings. Well framed and structured with a fresh, lengthy and spicy finish. Extremely long and intense. 63% cabernet sauvignon, 33% merlot, 3% cabernet franc and 1% petit verdot. From organically grown grapes.James Suckling | 96-97 JSThe 2021 Smith Haut Lafitte, a blend of 63% Cabernet Sauvignon, 33% Merlot, 3% Cabernet Franc and 1% Petit Verdot reveals a deep, complex bouquet of dark berries, spices, licorice, pencil lead and flowers intertwined with hints of menthol. Medium to full-bodied, satiny and seamless, it’s suave and concentrated, with velvety, elegant tannins and a refined, penetrating finish.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 95 RPGorgeous aromas on the nose, so expressive with blackcurrant, plum, damson, strawberry and red cherry all abounding out of the glass. This has style and substance on the palate, the sour cherry, blackcurrant and blueberry covered in the terroir markers of slate, graphite, pencil lead and liquorice which are the drivers on the palate, the fruit taking a backseat right now though there is cohesion with verticality and an undercurrent of freshness. The energy is there, almost latent, it’s under the surface, brimming, not yet ready to go but it will be there in time. This has refinement and you feel they haven’t pushed too hard. It’s definitely got the markers of the vintage, the coolness of the year, showing the grapes and terroir even more clearly in the glass, especially the spiced Cabernet aspects. I love the style and the no frills effect. It’s got a super long length too with enough class on show you know it will age well.Decanter | 94 DECProvides a step up in substance, with steeped red and black currant fruit laced with tobacco, bay leaf and worn leather accents. Features flashes of warm earth and iron that underscore the finish, also showing depth and grip. Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Cabernet Franc and Petit Verdot. Best from 2025 through 2035. 10,000 cases made, 2,400 cases imported.Wine Spectator | 93 WSThe flagship 2021 Château Smith Haut Lafitte checks in as 63% Cabernet Sauvignon, 33% Merlot, 3% Cabernet Franc, and a splash of Petit Verdot. It’s a rich, powerful wine, delivering lots of ripe black fruits (currants, some cassis), notes of scorched earth and graphite, medium to full body, ripe tannins, and a great mid-palate. It shows the straight, focused style of the vintage yet brings plenty of mid-palate depth, ripe, building tannins, and outstanding length.Jeb Dunnuck | 93-95+ JDThe 2021 Smith Haut Lafitte is a blend of 63% Cabernet Sauvignon, 33% Merlot, 3% Cabernet Franc, and 1% Petit Verdot, aging in 60% new oak. Deep garnet-purple in color, it needs a little swirling before it bursts with vibrant black cherries, fresh blackberries, and blackcurrant cordial scents, followed by hints of violets, star anise, and cedar chest. Medium-bodied, the palate delivers a great density of fresh black fruits and earthy layers, framed by firm, ripe, grainy tannins and compelling freshness, leading to a long finish with a spicy kick on this very impressive wine. At 22 hl/ha, yields are less than half of 2019 and about half of 2020, with 1/3 of the crop going into the Grand Vin this year.The Wine Independent | 92-94 TWI

The 2021 Branaire-Ducru has realized all the potential it showed en primeur. Wafting from the glass with aromas of dark berries, plums, menthol, violets and baking chocolate, it’s medium to full-bodied, supple and suave, with a velvety attack that segues into a deep, fleshy palate. This is especially impressive in the context of the vintage.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 94 RPOpen and explosive in its aromatics, the 2021 Branaire-Ducru is deep, layered and super-expressive, promising to evolve well for many years to come. The Cabernets are especially evident in the wine’s remarkable savory character. Black cherry, lavender, graphite, and dried herbs lend considerable nuance. In 2021, Branaire-Ducru is not quite as charming as it often is at the outset, so readers should plan on being patient.Vinous Media | 94 VMGreen peppercorns, menthol and sightly herbal aspects on the nose. Smooth and silky, a shot of bright high acidity with a balancing creamy touch to the texture. Tannins are barely there, but do give the frame which nicely carries the flavours. Really charming and fruity, great energy if not masses of weight and depth. Clean and precise fruit expression. A great effort in 2021.Decanter | 94 DECA very pretty wine, showing blackberry and blackcurrant aromas with crushed stone. Medium to full body with layers of fine-grained tannins. Bright and refined. Lots of dark fruit at the end. Solid weight.James Suckling | 94-95 JSMade from 66% Cabernet Sauvignon, 22% Merlot, 6.5% Cabernet Franc, and 5.5% Petit Verdot, the 2021 Branaire-Ducru is deep garnet-purple in color. It comes bounding out of the glass with bold scents of warm cassis, blackberry preserves, and ripe black plums, followed by hints of camphor, violets, black truffles, and tapenade, with a waft of wood smoke. Light to medium-bodied, the palate delivers impressive intensity with firm, fine-grained tannins and seamless freshness, finishing long with a mineral lift.The Wine Independent | 91-93 TWIBright red and blue fruits, violets, and floral notes define the bouquet of the 2021 Château Branaire-Ducru, a medium-bodied, nicely balanced, elegant Saint-Julien. It has nicely integrated background oak, plenty of mid-palate depth, and the balance and length to shine for two decades. It’s incredibly well done and should end up being an outstanding wine.Jeb Dunnuck | 89-92 JD