2021 Bordeaux is not an easy vintage to handicap. I spent 3 weeks tasting over 700 wines to find the gems of the vintage. If you are a fan of classic Bordeaux, like lower alcohol wines, and enjoy more crisp red fruits with savory touches, you are going to like a lot of these wines.
2021 Margaux offers some very nice wines from a challenging vintage. The year is not homogenous, so you need to know where to look, but the best wines are fresh, elegant, classically styled, aromatic, and age-worthy beauties.
2021 Saint Emilion is a bit of a mixed vintage with some estates clearly making better wine than others. Those with more Cabernet Franc in the blend, and vineyards able to handle the excess water produced some very strong wines, many of which will be a treat to enjoy on release.
2020 White Bordeaux is a bit of a mixed bag. The wines offer fabulous aromatics and creamy textures, but they are also on a fast, evolutionary track. With 75 wines tasted, here’s what you need to know.
At their best, 2022 Bordeaux white wines are aromatic, with notes of flowers, white peach, yellow and orange citrus with creamy textures, loads of ripe, sweet fruits and early-drinking charm.
At their best, 2021 Margaux wines deliver flowery aromatics, freshness, bright, red fruits, purity, and elegance. The wines are lower in alcohol than we have seen over the past decade. The blends are also dominated by Cabernet Sauvignon. Buyers should note that most 2021 Margaux wines will be delicious either on release, or with just a bit of aging.
