Bordeaux 2021 Vintage

56% Merlot, 41% Cabernet Sauvignon, 3% Petit Verdot. A nose of phenomenally pure, dark, pristine fruit, with cedar and dried herb spices. The palate is fresh and brightly dark-berried on the entry, with cassis and bitter cherry on the mid-palate, framed by fine, fruit-coated tannins. The grand vin represents 55% of production. Cropped at a very low 22hl/ha. 30% less than last year was made.

C&B Score: 17.5

Drinking dates: 2028-45

60% Cabernet Sauvignon, 32% Merlot, 8% PV. Violet, raspberry, blackcurrant and dried raisin aromas, with cedary spice. The palate is inky and dark-fruited, with juicy acidity and fine, firm tannins. Sparse, dark and pure, impressive. Cropped at 22hl/ha. 45% of production.

C&B Score: 17+

Drinking dates: 2026-38

Not tasted

60% Cabernet Franc, 40% Merlot – the highest ever proportion of Cabernet. Bright shimmering ruby colour. Soaring raspberry and rose petal aromas, with a fine herbaceousness. The medium bodied palate’s dark berry fruit is enlivened by sappy, saline notes, framed by very fine tannins and comes to a fine point, with impressive persistence.

The average vine age at the estate is now 39 years. Aged for 22 months in a mixture of foudres (where 50% of the Cab Franc is aged) and barrels (which are 100% new). 13.5% abv.

C&B Score: 17.5

Drinking dates: 2028-42

84% Cabernet Sauvignon, 11% Merlot and 3% Cabernet Franc. The final complete vintage of the late Anthony Barton. Pristine raspberry and blackberry fruit aromas, with cedar and fine earthy minerality. The medium-to-full bodied palate is remarkably pure and unadorned, letting the ripe dark fruit speak. Deft tannins, on the right side of sensitive – which is to say, with personality! A strong Léoville-Barton which has risen above the challenges of the season. 60% new oak. 13% abv. 39 hl/ha.

C&B Score: 17.5-18

Drinking dates: 2028-45

61% Cabernet Sauvignon, 36% Merlot, 3% Cabernet Franc. Raspberry, cedar and sweet spice aromas, lively and inviting. The palate is gratifyingly substantial, the quality of the dark berry fruit here really making itself felt, with a raspberry fruited brightness. The tannins are sensitively extracted but make themselves felt – very nicely judged. Tasted in a line-up of its peers, Langoa 2021 shone. 13% abv. 60% new oak. 39 hl/ha.

C&B Score: 17.5

Drinking dates: 2026-40

52% Cabernet Sauvignon, 48% Merlot. Earthy mineral blackberry aromas. The palate has supple raspberry fruit and a sappy spice, with bright, lively acidity.

C&B Score: 16.5

Drinking dates: 2025-28

57% Merlot, 40% Cabernet Sauvignon, 3% Cabernet Franc. Dark berries, with earthy mineral texture and a fine cedary spice, framed by fine, compressed tannins which point to good ageing potential.

C&B Score: 17+

Drinking dates: 2026-38

90% Sauvignon Blanc, 10% Semillon. Green citrus, pear and peach aromas. The palate is crunchy and lemony, with a saline grip and a sustained freshness.

C&B Score: 17

Drinking dates: 2023-25

70% Cabernet Sauvignon, 20% Merlot and 10% Cabernet Franc. Blueberry, raspberry and blackberry, this seems to cover the whole aroma spectrum. The palate is lively, lifted by fresh acidity, which works well with the crunchy red berry fruit. Deft tannins allow for a good length. An expressive wine which has walked the tightrope successfully.

C&B Score: 17.5

Drinking dates: 2026-36

The plantings here are 80% Merlot, 20% Cabernet Franc. Dark and chocolatey, with some flesh, with firm honest tannins. Good approachable Fronsac.

C&B Score: 16.5

Drinking dates 2026-36

80% Cabernet Sauvignon, 15% Cabernet Franc, 5% Merlot. Pure red berry aromas, luxurious and with rather beautiful wild roses. The palate is similarly pure and immediate, with a compressed mid-palate of blackcurrant and fine, powerful tannins which need patience. This soars above the vintage reputation. 85% new oak. 13.2% abv.

C&B Score: 18+

Drinking dates: 2028-45

Bright ruby colour. Aromas of raspberries and roses. The palate is vibrant and perfumed, with violets and fresh mint spices. Fresh, sustained finish.

C&B Score: 17

Drinking dates: 2026-35

60% Merlot, 33% Cabernet Sauvignon, 7% Cabernet Franc. Raspberry and blackberry fruit, with a lean focus and a briny, saline linearity. Textured, surprisingly powerful tannins. An intellectual Petit Cheval, which represents 13% of the estate’s production in 2021.

C&B Score: 17

Drinking dates: 2028-40

52% Cabernet Franc, 43% Merlot, 5% Cabernet Sauvignon. First tasted as individual components – Merlot, Cabernet Franc and Cabernet Sauvignon.

The Merlot has polished raspberry fruit and dense, powerful tannins. The Cabernet Franc, which includes a third of young vines (less than 10 years old) is the source of Cheval Blanc 2021’s seductive side – finely latticed and violet-infused. The Cabernet Sauvignon brings cassis and a honed, compressed tannic muscularity. The blend has the wild strawberry top-notes of Merlot with the dark, starkly tannic core of Cabernet and an impressive chalky texture. Phenomenal purity.

Cropped at a mere 28hl/ha. 69% of production went into the grand vin. 18% of production was sold in bulk, including all of the press wine.

C&B Score: 18.5

Drinking dates: 2030-50

Not tasted by C&B.

46% Cabernet Sauvignon, 42% Merlot, 12% Petit Verdot. Bright ruby colour. Aromas of raspberry and fresh mint. The palate is racy and fresh on the entry, building to a medium-bodied mid-palate of blackberry, cassis, dark chocolate and fine, supple tannins. Pure and energetic.

C&B Score: 17

Drinking dates: 2026 - 38

Formats available

£138.00 per case  of 6x75ml (Standard bottle) 
£145.00 per case of 3xMG (Magnum)
£135.00 per 1xDM (Double Magnum)
£240.00 per 1xIMP (Imperial)

64% Cabernet Sauvignon, 27% Merlot, 5% Cabernet Franc, 4% Petit Verdot. Dark berries, cedar and vanilla pod, with sinewy herbaceous detailing and fresh acidity. Honest, textured tannins.

C&B Score: 16.5 

Drinking date: 2026-36

81% Cabernet Sauvignon, 19% Merlot. Dark cassis aromas with fine cedary spice. The palate is racy and fresh, blackcurrant fruit framed by fine tannins and chalky minerality.

C&B Score: 17.5

Drinking dates: 2028-40

55% Cabernet Sauvignon, 36% Merlot, 5% Cabernet Franc, 4% Petit Verdot. Ripe raspberry aromas and sweet spices, quite extrovert on the nose. The palate is plush and red berried – sweet redcurrants and red cherries, framed by fruit-coated tannins. A seductive Carruades.

C&B Score: 18

Drinking dates: 2028-40

The dry white of the Mouton Rothschild stable. 64% Sauvignon Blanc, 36% Semillon. Grassy, green citrus aromas, very exuberant. The palate is citrussy on the entry, opening onto a succulent pear-and-peach mid-palate, before finishing crunchy and saline.

C&B Score: 17

Drinking dates: 2024-30

From the Lynch Bages stable, now in the fifth vintage since the Cazes family took over. Almost half the estate has been planted since that time. 70% Cabernet Sauvignon, 30% Merlot. Sweet raspberry fruit, this is now a much more extrovert (and more extravagantly oaked) wine than in the past. Rich, dark cherry fruit and liquorice on the palate. Firm, dense tannins. The grand vin represents 50% of production. 16 months in oak barrels, 70% new. 13% abv.

C&B Score: 17+

Drinking dates: 2028-42

49% Merlot, 40% Cabernet Sauvignon, 6% Cabernet Franc, 5% Petit Verdot. Plush raspberry aromas with wild roses. The palate is supple and juicy, with lively upbeat acidity and a crunchy to the red berry fruit. Fruit sweetness on the end, framed by fine, taut tannins. 16 months in oak barrels, 45% new. 13% abv.

C&B Score: 17.5

Drinking dates: 2027-40

67% Cabernet Sauvignon, 25% Merlot, 5% Petit Verdot, 3% Cabernet Franc. Deep, inky dark purple. Firm cedary spice on the nose, with plush raspberry, blackcurrant and violet aromas. The palate abounds in cassis and graphite, with tightly packed, dense tannins. Lynch Bages pulls no punches, which is really good to see in 2021. This outperforms the season. The fruit is just about a match for the massive tannins. The grand vin represents 65% of production. 

C&B Score: 18

Drinking dates: 2025-45

47% Merlot, 45% Cabernet Sauvignon, 6% Cabernet Franc. Spicy, minty aromas – an engaging herbeceous sappiness here. The palate opens crisp and precise, revealing an intensely red-berried mid-palate of raspberry and tomato leaf. Fresh, crunchy acidity and fine tannins.

C&B Score: 17.5

Drinking dates: 2026-36

The 2021 Tertre Roteboeuf offers up wonderfully pure aromas of bitter cherry, blackberries and damson, with sweet spices and cigar leaves. The palate is briny and linear on the entry, opening onto a velvety, seductive mid-palate of cranberries and wintery dark berries, vivaciously fresh and framed rather majestically by fine, firm tannins. Picked between 6th and 18th October.

C&B Score: 18-18.5

Drinking dates: 2028-45

52% Cabernet Sauvignon, 39% Merlot, 5% Petit Verdot, 4% Cabernet Franc. Cedary spices, dark briny berry fruit and sappy herbaceousness.

C&B Score: 16.5

Drinking dates: 2026-34

60% Cabernet Sauvignon, 26% Merlot, 9% Cabernet Franc, 5% Petit Verdot. Ripe dark berry aromas, with cedar and sweet spices. The palate has perfume-infused blackcurrant on the entry. The mid-palate is gratifyingly rich, the tightly packed tannins and ferrous minerality making for a confident Poyferre of real character. Cropped at 24hl/ha. 13% abv.

C&B Score: 17.5+

Drinking dates: 2028-43

71% Cabernet Sauvignon, 24% Merlot, 5% Petit Verdot. Lifted dark cherry aromas, with cedar and dried herb spices. The palate is violet-infused and playful on the entry, light on its feet, opening onto a mid-palate of plush blackberry fruit, framed by tautly muscular tannins. An impressive Talbot, rising above the vintage conditions.

C&B Score: 17.5-18

Drinking dates: 2028-42

100% Sauvignon Blanc. Aromas of pears, lime, quince, orange zest and fine honeysuckle. The palate is startlingly pure on the entry, opening onto a mid-palate of ripe stone-fruit, stony minerality and very fresh acidity. pH 3.04 – record high acidity.

C&B Score: 19

Drinking dates: 2026-40+

70% Merlot, 25% Cabernet Sauvignon, 3% Cabernet Franc, 2% Petit Verdot. This was previously called La Parde de Haut-Bailly. Intense red cherry aromas. The palate is dense and Merlot-dominant, with saturated raspberry fruit.

C&B Score: 17

Drinking dates: 2025-38

62% Cabernet Sauvignon, 36% Merlot ,1% Petit Verdot, 1% Cabernet Franc. A nose which draws you in, darkly berried and with a hint of violets, cedar and savoury spices. The palate is medium-bodied and dark fruited, with especially fine-boned tannins. 

C&B Score: 17.5-18

Drinking dates: 2026-40

66% Cabernet Sauvignon, 33% Merlot, 1% Petit Verdot. Bright red berry fruit aromas, leading into a palate of raspberry and wild strawberry, with an attractive juiciness and drinkability. Impressive – an attractive, supple early drinker.

C&B Score: 17

Drinking dates: 2025-35

85% Merlot, 8% Cabernet Sauvignon, 7% Cabernet Franc. Bright raspberry aromas. The medium-bodied palate is red cherried and with a sinewy focus. Fresh acidity.

C&B Score: 16

Drinking dates: 2024-27

59% Merlot, 23% Cabernet Franc, 18% Cabernet Sauvignon, on gravelly soils. A touch more Cabernet here than usual. Textured blackberry and bitter cherry, with dark chocolate. The palate’s chalky tannins work well with the saline, tapered finish. Cropped at a tiny 20hl/ha.

C&B Score: 17

Drinking dates: 2025-30

Not released en primeur. 62% Cabernet Sauvignon, 36% Merlot, 2% Petit Verdot. 20% whole bunch fermentation, lower than recent vintages (was 30% in 2020). Spicy raspberry fruit, very alluring aromatically. The palate is strict and crunchy, with bright acidity. Fine, polished tannins. 13.5% abv. 20% new oak. 72% in foudres. Made in a dedicated facility in Martignac.

C&B Score: 17

Drinking dates: 2024-30

50% Merlot, 40% Cabernet Sauvignon, 4% Cabernet Franc, 1% Petit Verdot. Brightly red berried aromas, pure and vibrant. The palate is red cherried, with fresh acidity and firm grippy tannins which will need patience.

C&B Score: 16.5 - 17

Drinking dates: 2028-40

From the Clos Fourtet stable. 50% Cabernet Sauvignon, 45% Merlot, 5% Petit Verdot. Supple dark berry fruit, with fresh acidity and an earthy mineral texture. Picked 30^th September to 14^th October. 13% abv. 33% new oak.

C&B Score: 16.5-17

Drinking dates: 2025-32

55.2% Sémillon, 44.8% Sauvignon (Blanc and Gris). Oyster shell mineral aromas, with fine white peach and green citrus. The palate is crunchy and stony-mineral, with a dry extract grip. This will be fabulous.

C&B Score: 18

Drinking dates: 2026-38

85% Sauvignon Blanc, 15% Semillon. This is a barrel selection. Flinty pear and peach fruit aromas, leading into a palate of grapefruit, quince and wet stone minerality. 8% new oak.

C&B Score: 16.5

Drinking dates: 2024-27

Dark plum and violet aromas. The palate is sweetly fruited and generous, with firm grippy tannins and fresh acidity. Impressive density and presence.

C&B Score: 17

Drinking dates: 2025-35

70% Merlot, 18% Cabernet Sauvignon and 12% Cabernet Franc. Dark aromas of blackcurrant and crushed rock, with cedary spice. The palate is impressively dense and weighty, with dark cherry and blackberry fruit and even a liquorice-like intensity. Lots of extract here.

C&B Score: 17+

Drinking dates: 2026-38

The second wine of Leoville Poyferre. 50% Cabernet Sauvignon, 34% Merlot, 9% Cabernet Franc, 7% Petit Verdot. Lithe dark berry aromas, leading into an accessible palate of supple blackcurrant fruit with a nice fleshiness, supported by fine tannins. 13% abv.

C&B Score: 17

Drinking dates: 2026-36

From the Léoville Poyferré stable. 54% Cabernet Sauvignon, 27% Merlot, 19% Petit Verdot. Medium-bodied, with juicy raspberry and blackberry fruit and cedary spice on the entry, framed by fine, mid-level tannins, the fresh acidity sustaining the flavours through to a long finish. 13% abv.

C&B Score: 16.5-17

Drinking dates: 2028-40

75% Sauvignon Blanc, 25% Semillon. A polite Domaine de Chevalier Blanc – precise and with nicely defined white peach and pear frut, then an exotic fruit flair on the finish. Grippy and clipped.

C&B Score: 17

Drinking dates: 2026-36

66% Cabernet Sauvignon,22% Merlot, 6.5% Cabernet Franc and 5.5% Petit Verdot. Attractive raspberry-fruited aromas, pure and perfumed. The medium-bodied palate is sustained by fresh, juicy acidity and framed by gentle tannins. Coffee bean and chocolate on the finish. A polite Branaire-Ducru, as dictated by the season, which will be approachable early.

C&B Score: 17

Drinking dates: 2026-36

57% Cabernet Sauvignon, 38% Merlot, 3% Petit Verdot and 2% Cabernet Franc. Raspberry and red cherry aromas, with firm cedary spice. The medium-bodied palate’s cool, dark berry flavours are framed by gratifyingly honest, grippy tannins and sustained by fresh acidity. Treads a line between respect for the vintage conditions and that irrepressible Beychevelle zest.

C&B Score: 17

Drinking dates: 2028-40

89% Cabernet Sauvignon, 10% Merlot, 1% Cabernet Franc. Mid-ruby colour. Aromas of wild strawberry and redcurrant – firmly in the red-fruited spectrum at this early stage, despite the high proportion of Cabernet. The palate is silky and seductive, with a disarmingly pretty mid-palate which manages to be both plush and elegant. Fine, chalky tannins and just-so acidity work together to make for a long, red-fruit-clad finish on which roses and tomato leaf linger.

C&B Score: 18

Drinking dates: 2029-49

56% Merlot, 44% Cabernet Sauvignon. Deep ruby colour. Discreet aromas of blackcurrant. The palate reveals bright raspberry fruit, with very firm, precise tannins. Lots of matter here, with just-so acidity. 12 months in one-year old barrels. 13% abv.

C&B Score: 17

Drinking dates: 2028-43

75% Cabernet Sauvignon, 21% Merlot, 4% Petit Verdot. Sweet dark cherry fruit and cedary spice aromas. The blackberry-fruited palate is confident and has a reassuring level of St Estephe grip. This will age really well. A wine of personality which has taken on the challenges of the 2021 season and succeeded.

C&B Score: 17.5

Drinking dates: 2026-40

48% Merlot, 46% Cabernet Sauvignon and 6% Cabernet Franc,A wine of fine aromatic stony-mineral tension, with a core of fresh acidity and a crunchiness of dark cherry and berry fruit, with a zesty orange peel exuberance. The tannins are substantial, yet finely polished and rendered very elegantly. 

C&B Score: 18

Drinking dates: 2030-50

55% Sémillon and 45% Sauvignon Blanc. Salty-mineral, with patisserie and white peach fruit. Phenolic crunch. Great energy, this is a hit in 2021.

C&B Score: 17.5

Drinking dates: 2025-30

80% Merlot, 8% Petit Verdot, 12% Cabernet Sauvignon. The wine that was Lalande Borie, the third wine of the estate. The first vintage was 2018. Creamy raspberry, with a supple fruit-coating to the firm tannins. 30% new oak.

C&B Score: 17+

Drinking dates: 2024-31

99% Merlot, 1% Cabernet Franc. Darkly fruited lifted aromas, leading into a sprightly palate of dark cherry and winter berries.

C&B Score: 16.5

Drinking dates: 2028-38

Soaring aromas of roses, incense and fresh coffee beans. The medium-full bodied palate is wonderfully melded, revealing flavours of Parma violets, blueberries and blackberries. The tannins are characteristically supple and imperceptibly fused with the fruit. Fresh acidity and a salty mineral lift on the finish. Roc has once again risen above its station – a stunning, elegant 2021.

C&B Score 18

Drinking dates 2026-38