(94 - 95)+ / 100, William Kelley
The 2021 Gruaud Larose is very impressive, exhibiting deep aromas of wild berries, cherries and cassis mingled with hints of licorice, violets and cigar wrapper. Medium to full-bodied, deep and concentrated, it's impressively rich and layered, with lively acids and ripe tannins, it concludes with a pure and penetrating finish. Classically balanced and intensely flavored, it's an elegant, beautifully made wine that is well worth seeking out. Three beautiful parcels of recently planted Cabernet Sauvignon, situated on deep gravel ideally adapted to this variety but hitherto planted with Merlot, make a contribution to the blend this year; but that's only one of the factors that explain why Gruaud has produced a 2021 that looks set to rival or surpass even recent and more propitious vintages such as 2018. The blend is fully 84% Cabernet Sauvignon, complemented by 12% Merlot and 4% Cabernet Franc, and it checks in at 12.5% alcohol. Congratulations are in order for technical director Virginie Sallette and the entire team at Gruaud Larose! Tasted twice.

Conditionnement : Caisse Bois de 12
Nb de caisses :
Prix : 75.40 €

(87 - 89) / 100, William Kelley
The 2021 Sarget de Gruaud Larose is an attractive wine in the making, exhibiting aromas of sweet berries, cherries and spices, followed by a medium-bodied, ample and fleshy palate that's pure and lively, concluding with a saline finish. It's a blend of 52% Cabernet Sauvignon, 40% Merlot, 2% Cabernet Franc and 6% Petit Verdot

Conditionnement : Carton de 12
Nb de caisses :
Prix : 23.20 €

(89 - 91) / 100, William Kelley
The last vintage produced under the Tesseron family, the 2021 Lafon-Rochet exhibits aromas of dark berries, plums, licorice and spices, followed by a medium-bodied, lively and succulent palate that's fleshy and layered, framed by powdery tannins. A charming, supple effort, it will drink well on release.

Conditionnement : Caisse Bois de 12
Nb de caisses :
Prix : 29.40 €

Conditionnement : Caisse Bois de 12
Nb de caisses :
Prix : 23.80 €

(93 - 95) / 100, William Kelley
The 2021 Giscours is immensely promising and shows just how far this important estate has come in the last few years. Unwinding in the glass with aromas of cassis, dark berries, cigar wrapper, violets, sweet forest floor and burning embers, it's medium to full-bodied, deep and layered, with terrific depth at the core, ripe tannins, lively acids and a long, penetrating finish. With wines like this, we're back to a level of quality that Giscours hasn't routinely attained since the 1970s! The blend is 65% Cabernet Sauvignon, 32% Merlot and 3% Petit Verdot; and even if by the standards of the last decade, that isn't a particularly elevated percentage of Cabernet, this is nonetheless a very Cabernet-driven wine in style. Tasted six times.

Conditionnement : Caisse Bois de 12
Nb de caisses :
Prix : 47.60 €

(89 - 91) / 100, William Kelley
The 2021 Lascombes is a successful effort in a rather more punchy, modern style, opening in the glass with aromas of berries and plums mingled with notions of sweet spices, loamy soil and creamy new oak. Medium to full-bodied, rich and youthfully firm, it's deep and extracted, with plenty of ripe, powdery tannin that asserts itself on the finish.

Conditionnement : Caisse Bois de 12
Nb de caisses :
Prix : 57.40 €

(87 - 89) / 100, William Kelley
Aromas of blackberries, licorice and sweet forest floor introduce the 2021 La Sirène de Giscours, a medium to full-bodied, velvety and textural wine with a fleshy, gourmand profile, beautifully refined tannins and lively acids. Alexander Van Beek observes that vinifying smaller lots, parcel by parcel, means that the blending components available for La Sirène are more interesting—and the results certainly show in this challenging year.

Conditionnement : Caisse Bois de 12
Nb de caisses :
Prix : 21.70 €

(93 - 96) / 100, William Kelley
The 2021 Troplong Mondot shows considerable promise, exhibiting aromas of plums and wild berries mingled with notions of sweet spices, rose petals, vine smoke and raw cocoa, followed by a medium to full-bodied, seamless palate endowed with impressive intensity and texture. Built around beautifully refined, powdery tannins and lively acids, it concludes with a long, mouthwateringly saline finish. Macerations here were long but gentle, including a long cold soak before fermentation, and the blend, after much deliberation, is 85% Merlot, 13% Cabernet Sauvignon and 2% Cabernet Franc. Tasted four times.

Conditionnement : Caisse Bois de 6
Nb de caisses :
Prix : 84.00 €

(92 - 94) / 100, William Kelley
The 2021 Cantenac Brown is another fine effort from a Margaux estate that's been on something of a roll of late. Unwinding in the glass with notions of cassis, wild berries, loamy soil and cigar box, it's medium to full-bodied, layered and seamless, with good concentration, lively acids and a nicely defined finish. José Sanfins and his team opted to wait to pick the estate's Cabernet Sauvignon between the fourth and 12th of October, and that appears to have paid off. The blend is 73% Cabernet Sauvignon and 27% Merlot, and just over half the estate's production went into the grand vin.

Conditionnement : Caisse Bois de 12
Nb de caisses :
Prix : 39.90 €

(92 - 94) / 100, William Kelley
Unwinding in the glass with scents of cherry, sweet berries, dark chocolate and loamy soil, the 2021 La Mondotte is medium to full-bodied, lively and concentrated, with a compact, tightly wound profile, tangy acids and beautifully refined tannins. Of all the von Neipperg wines, this is the most reticent at this early stage, but all the components for a notable success are present.

Conditionnement : Caisse Bois de 6
Nb de caisses :
Prix : 147.00 €

(90 - 91) / 100, William Kelley
Notions of citrus zest, fresh mint, peach, pastry cream and Sauvignon botanicals introduce the 2021 Carbonnieux Blanc, a medium-bodied, satiny wine that's ample and precise. It's an attractive example of the modern school of white Bordeaux, even if anyone who has tasted older vintages from the 1960s or 1970s—when the wines were less Sauvignon-driven and aromatic but more textural and sapid—will inevitably be disappointed.

Conditionnement : Caisse Bois de 12
Nb de caisses :
Prix : 28.00 €

(87 - 88) / 100, William Kelley
Aromas of sweet red berries, pencil shavings and loamy soil introduce the 2021 Olivier, a medium-bodied, lively and nicely balanced wine that's elegant and well-made, in a middleweight style.

Conditionnement : Caisse Bois de 12
Nb de caisses :
Prix : 21.70 €

, William Kelley
Aromas of blackberries, licorice and loamy soil introduce the 2021 Carbonnieux, a medium-bodied, lively wine built around powdery tannins and concluding with a somewhat metallic finish. While I tasted this several times, I'll reserve judgment for now.

Conditionnement : Caisse Bois de 12
Nb de caisses :
Prix : 25.20 €

(90 - 92) / 100, William Kelley
The 2021 Olivier Blanc exhibits aromas of green apples, Sauvignon botanicals, white flowers and struck match, followed by a medium-bodied, taut and saline palate. Chiseled and incisive, it shows promise.

Conditionnement : Caisse Bois de 12
Nb de caisses :
Prix : 26.60 €

(89 - 91)+ / 100, William Kelley
Offering up aromas of sweet cherries, dark berries, licorice and flowers, the 2021 d'Aiguilhe is medium to full-bodied, concentrated and polished, with a tangy spine of acidity, beautifully refined tannins and a long, penetrating finish. This is a terrific effort from the von Neipperg family's organically farmed Castillon estate.

Conditionnement :
Nb de caisses :
Prix : 14.00 €

(90 - 93) / 100, William Kelley
The 2021 du Tertre is a very pretty, elegant wine, bursting with aromas of wild berries, exotic spices, cigar box and loamy soil. Medium to full-bodied, ample and seamless, it's velvety and enveloping, with bright acids, beautifully refined tannins and a mouthwatering finish. The blend this year is 64% Cabernet Sauvignon, 20% Cabernet Franc, a mere 10% Merlot and 6% Petit Verdot.

Conditionnement : Caisse Bois de 12
Nb de caisses :
Prix : 32.40 €

(88 - 90) / 100, William Kelley
The 2021 Branas Grand Poujeaux is a strong effort from this small Moulis property, offering up aromas of plums, dark berries and pencil shavings, framed by nicely integrated new oak. Medium to full-bodied, velvety and fleshy, with solid depth at the core, powdery tannins and lively balancing acids, it's a sleeper of the vintage that's well worth seeking out.

Conditionnement : Caisse Bois de 12
Nb de caisses :
Prix : 22.32 €

(92 - 94), William Kelley
Aromas of sweet cherries, berries, petals and loamy soil introduce the 2021 La Dominique, a medium to full-bodied, velvety and seamless wine that's attractively deep and complete, with ripe tannins, lively acids and a long, sapid finish. It's a blend of 85% Merlot, 13% Cabernet Franc and 2% Cabernet Sauvignon from this estate in the ascendant.

Conditionnement : Caisse Bois de 12
Nb de caisses :
Prix : 42.33 €

(91 - 93) / 100, William Kelley
Offering 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.

Conditionnement : Caisse Bois de 12
Nb de caisses :
Prix : 86.80 €

Conditionnement :
Nb de caisses :
Prix : 20.65 €

Conditionnement :
Nb de caisses :
Prix : 22.40 €

Conditionnement :
Nb de caisses :
Prix : 14.00 €