Yesterday the Union Grand Cru Bordeaux gave me the opportunity to taste a lot of 2021 Bordeaux in Zürich. Thanks for this. I traveled with Panos as in former years so maybe he will share his impressions with the Wineberserkers. Some comments first.
Tasted wines, red …
Medoc: La Tour de By, Lamarque, La Lagune, Cantemerle, Belgrave, Chasse Spleen, Poujeaux, Fourcas Dupre, Clarke.
St. Estephe: Phelan Segur, Les Ormes de Pez.
Margaux: Brane Cantenac, Angludet, Giscours, Kirwan, Marquis de Terme, Lascombes.
Pauillac: Batailley, Clerc Milon, Haut Batailley, Gran Puy Ducasse, Lynch Bages, ´d Armailhac.
St. Julien: Talbot, St. Pierre, Gloria, Lagrange, Leoville Poyferre, Leoville Barton, Gruaud Larose, Branaire.
Pessac: Domaine de Chevalier, Carbonnieux, Pape Clement, Malartic Lagraviere, Fieuzal.
St. Emilion: La Dominique, Pavie Macquin, Larcis Ducasse, Clos Fourtet, Canon la Gaffeliere.
Pomerol: Petit Village, Beauregard, Le Gay, Clinet, Rouget, Gazin.
Sure, there were more wines than I was able to taste. But time was limited and I would not be the fastest taster in town. Or should I say I cannot be the fastest? Maybe both.
What wondered me is the fact that several big labels were not present in Zurich such as Pichon Lalande, Pichon Baron, GPL, Les Carmes Haut Brion and Canon. For wether reason I do not know. It would have been beneficial to see what these Chateaux were able to achieve in a year like 2021.
As probably most of the interested wine lovers already know: 2021 is very different in style than the surrounding vintages 2019, 2020 and 2022. Some may say it is a so called “classic” year resembling wines from the past (the good old days for some :-). But in fact most of the honest people said it was a very challenging vintage for various reasons. A circumstance from many critics widely explained. It is pretty likely that the vintage would have been a disaster without modern and advanced techniques at work today.
Not all Chateaux could cover the challenges 2021 offered them. This came to light when wines had a distinct herbal aspect in the nose, a somewhat fragile body, a whole at the mid palate and/or some aggressive, bitter tannins in the finish. But it is fair to say that in my early years as a wine lover I did taste wines from vintages like 1984, 1987, 1991, 1992, 1993 i.e. that were a lot worse than was presented in 2021. This demonstrates the progress Bordeaux as a whole has made over the years.
I had the feeling the red wines had a slightly higher temperature when served as normal. This was beneficial to the wines because at a lower temperature the alcohol will not be so obvious and at a higher temperature the acid will be smoother. If this was by accident or intended is something I do not know. But the effect was there.
When I tasted Bordeaux from top years my tasting glass was stained with extract from the concentrated wines very soon. Not so this time. And that was a very good sign because I saw it as the proof that the Chateaux did not try to make more of the juice than possible. The extractions were carefully done in most of the cases and the best wines showed elegance without being diluted.
Most of the wines showed a red fruit profile. In the best cases I had the impression of candied cherries, often combined with a hint of yeast and bread crust. I liked the fact that the oak was well integrated though the body of the wines are anything but fat. A “fat” wine will hardly be found in the 2021 vintage. That is good news for those who seek for restraint and moderation. But this will not be a vintage for people who ask for a dose of hedonism in their glass.
Not surprising the best wines I tasted were mainly the ones with a higher price in the market. That fits the old formula “buy lesser wines in great years and the big names in weaker vintages”. The top Chateau have the money and the terroir to make something good even when the conditions are challenging. But as always – there are a few exceptions.
If I should describe the style of the vintage in a few words I would say: Expect in the better wines a relative light body with good transparency, red fruit profiles, not much power and a medium long aftertaste. Something for near term and medium term consumption. So exactly the opposite of a year like 2018.
In the following I will only speak about some standouts:
Leoville Barton.
It is always interesting to compare the Barton with the Poyferre. This year it was not only a difference in style but in quality IMO. The Barton is clearly superior. This wine excelled my expectations. It was certainly among the best wines of the tasting if not the best one.
Domaine de Chevalier.
In a blind tasting I never would have come to the idea that this wine emerged from a relativ bad vintage. It actually has charm and I loved it. I did not look for the price so far but maybe I buy a few bottles for my cellar.
Brane Cantenac.
This was clearly the best of the Margaux wines. No surprise because the Chateau can compete with the top wines of the area in most vintages. It stood out because it even has some complexity that is quite unusual for wines from 21 and something only could be said about the best versions of this year.
Gloria.
Again the wines of St. Julien did stand out because almost every wine I tasted was very well made. The winner from a QPR perspective is again Gloria. While not as good as the Barton it is a very good wine anyway and cheaper. The same could be said about the Branaire.
Larcis Ducasse.
The St. Emilion were a pretty mixed bag. Some of them had a hole on the mid palate and some aggressiv tannins at the end. Not so the Larcis Ducasse which was a very balanced wine with everything in just a little lighter format than usual. Very good indeed.
Clinet.
I seem to have a love affair with Clinet because I often rate this wine high when I have it. No exception this time. Unfortunately all the Pomerol are expensive compared to other Bordeaux. But this is a wine worth buying if money is no issue. BTW. It was often mentioned that Petite Village and Rouget got better lately. That is true. Both are fine.
La Lagune.
The Medoc Chateaux had hard times to manage the vintage obviously. La Lagune was the best of the ones I had the opportunity to taste. That is no surprise because this Chateau is able to compete with wines way more expensive.
Last but not least:
Due to the time limit I could only taste some white wines and all I can and will say: 2021 is a top vintage for them. You must only taste bottles such as Smith Haut Lafitte or Domaine de Chevalier to know that something special is in your glass. I guess many Chateaux produced whites well worth tasting and buying. Taste them whenever you have the chance.
Thanks for reading.