St-Julien (2ème Cru Classé)

2021

97

Richly scented and vibrant nose of dark fruits, liquorice and cocoa. Supple and invigorating, fresh acidity lifting the expression, nuanced and detailed. Softly grained tannins have a chalky aspect giving structure and a filling texture, lots of graphite and wet stones with black berry notes and such energy throughout. Juicy and alive, this is classic in the best sense, and has immediate charm but with the potential to age. I also love the fresh, zesty orange aspects and cool lift throughout.

St-Émilion (1er Grand Cru Classé)

2021

97

Deep, complex and precise, what a wine in 2021. Grippy and intense, this captures attention and holds it: the sharp zing of acidity, wet stone minerality, crystalline fruit. Bright and fresh, excellent tannin integration, mid-palate depth and a salty, liquorice twist at the end. You almost want to chew this wine, yet it's spot-on and totally moreish; freshness is the focus but not a beat is missed with the texture and mouthfeel. No one can be disappointed with this wine!

Pessac-Léognan (1er Cru Classé)

2021

97

Scented flowers and red berries on the nose, lovely aromatics with green peppercorns, herbal blackcurrant leaf and floral scents. Rich and round for a 2021, high acidity gives the life-force but this has a great structure in the mouth. Quite imposing tannins cover the entire tongue and cheeks, and I love it. Grippy, focused, this is one of the more demonstrative 2021 wines in terms of texture and power, but still keeps precision and direction. Chalky grip, a mineral undertone and feeling of substance on the finish. Allow a few more years before starting on this.

Pauillac (1er Cru Classé)

2021

97

I loved this wine during en primeur and I love it still, hovering over giving it 98 points. It’s round and lively but also full and complete, not plush or opulent but supple with intensity and a really enjoyable, juicy acidity and chalky, mineral grip to the tannins. It’s not trying too hard yet still displays power: such concentration and balance. The 96% Cabernet works so well and gives Lafite a star performer this year. This is one you're still going to want to crack open and finish, in 10, 20 or 30 years.

St-Julien (2ème Cru Classé)

2021

97

Utterly captivating on the nose, fragrant and floral with soft orange flecks, sweet cedar and cinnamon. Textured like heavy silk, weighty with a hold to the tannins that says ‘I’m a serious wine’, offering energy and focus. Precision and density, finessed layering that lets the wine deepen and expand over time. Not immediately as attention-seeking as some, but this is classy no doubt and ultimately calls for another sip, and then another. A gorgeous wine that is all the better for what it’s not saying at this point.

Margaux (3ème Cru Classé)

2021

97

A showstopper of a wine that offers a fragranced nose of purple flowers, blackcurrant, cola and liquorice. Smooth and silky, this has a gorgeous weight and texture, full and filling, a density of chalky, almost chewy tannins but bright, juicy acidity. Excellent construction, delicately layered but builds to an impressive whole that has such allure on the palate. A joyous wine brilliantly delivered.

Bordeaux Blanc

2021

96

Pale lemon in the glass. Aromatic green/herbal edged nose, elderflower but not sweet, toasted pear and apple tatin, bitter lemon and peel. Tangy, sharp, bright and focussed, lovely hit of citric acid, gorgeous pineapple, tangy and so seductive before the honeyed, toast, caramelised lemons and quite bitter green fruit come in towards the sides and ends. A combination of richness and liveliness - the texture remains sleek and in one line, just the flavours change and evolve. The two are fighting a little now - one then the other. Feels serious and structured but with the most enticing bright, shiny juiciness, that makes your mouth water and want to take another sip straight away. Fun, fruity, sweet, salty, bitter, I love this, will be intriguing as to how it ages. Different style here, elegant but plucky, confident and totally drinkable.

Bordeaux Blanc

2021

96

Creamy herbs, green and red apples, oranges and truffles. Very hard to tell the grape variety from the nose. Filling and fleshy, bright and smooth, mouthwatering and fresh, succulent and just so enjoyable. Gorgeous density yet lightness, you get a ton of lemon and lime, green apple and soft bitter orange elements with saline undertones and a sense of energy and direction. It's a mouthful but leaves no trace of heaviness. Again, where the reds truly shine is the nuance at the end, and this has that. A few minutes later you're still tasting all the nuances and makes you think this is an excellent white Bordeaux. Refreshing, tangy, moreish and clean. Fabulous.

Pessac-Léognan

2021

96

Lemon and lime, such purity and scintillating freshness, bright and sharp, so well positioned and poised with licks of mineral salinity on the finish. Great texture, weight and sense of life. I love this wine! The juiciness is moreish and this makes you want another sip straight away.

Pomerol

2021

96

Gorgeous fragrance, very floral and almost evocative in terms of perfume, flowers, spices and dark blue fruits with hints of liquorice. Bright and shiny, but so calm and controlled. A tiny bit grippy from the grainy tannins and oak, a touch tight, but there’s such purity and gently expansive fruit - you can feel the concentration - no green elements, nothing harsh here. Pure and fine, really not a light wine but not heavy either. Crunchy, juicy, not fleshy but there’s texture here enough to give a wide mouthfeel and not feel too lean. Fun and fruity with refinement too so you're getting the Conseillante DNA. I love it, not trying too hard. You're not getting plush power but this is wonderful to open and enjoy.

Pomerol

2021

96

A gorgeous 2021 from Le Pin. Summer autumn berries on the nose - crunchy strawberry and ripe blackcurrant. So expressive with a beautiful fragrance and nuance of aroma. Incredibly precise and sharp, gorgeously clean and nuanced. It's delicate no doubt, there’s barely any weight here but just such beautiful delineation of flavours that just linger on the tongue. It’s fresh and al dente. Really not trying too hard with lychee, orange peel, slightly exotic elements and a bitter spice on the finish. Silky and smooth, with drive and definition the whole way through. The signature is just slightly more cool in terms of aromatics but it’s still Le Pin.

St-Émilion (1er Grand Cru Classé A)

2021

96

Perfumed nose, full of pot pourri, scented flowers, dried raspberries and cherries. Really quite evocative, maybe in a vertical you'd pick this out from the nose but it smells wonderful and rich with cool blueberries. Round and charming, this is gorgeously soft, tannins are so inviting, caressing the mouth, not deep at all, this is delicate and primed to float across the tongue, registering the flavours but no heaviness. Almost ethereal in its performance. Really very delicious, full of flavour and character. Gorgeous styling and only got better after half an hour in the glass. Succulent, mineral, graphite, limestone touches on the finish remind you where you are.

St-Émilion (1er Grand Cru Classé A)

2021

96

Smells wonderful, the nose full of milk chocolate and fragranced cherries, so pure and precise. Wonderfully clean and delineated - also has a sense of weight and expanse to the aromas - blueberries and blue flowers. Taut and controlled, this strikes an immediate buzz in the mouth, straight and focussed, not much deviation from the core, but this has a nice texture that gives a bounce to the expression. Still young and a bit coiled, but this carries wonderful freshness and a real sense of drinkability. It’s on the light side, some new oak coming out in the spiced edges and liquorice undertone but I like the no frills nature. Not showing off at all, but giving refined elegance. When it’s ready, it will be a real pleasure to drink.

St-Émilion (1er Grand Cru Classé A)

2021

96

Rich and dense aromatics, lovely black cherry and dried flowers, the Cabernet Franc bringing all the aromas. Supple and smooth, so alive in the mouth yet this has density and depth, something to chew on. It’s not plush, but there’s texture from start to finish, with delicacy and finesse to the expression. A highly drinkable Angélus that has really benefited from dialling back on the power. Great freshness and precision, while feeling as if it will age well. Impressively keeps the structure and density but with energy.

St-Émilion (1er Grand Cru Classé)

2021

96

Pink floral and raspberry aromas, fragrant red cherries and just-ripe strawberries. Incredibly well textured, alive and forward in the glass, this has energy and lift. A really pure and precise bite to the fruit with excellent acidity and style. A delicious, moreish wine, revealing layers of flavour and texture with lovely gentle acidity and a soft, cooling menthol minerality that lingers.

St-Émilion (1er Grand Cru Classé)

2021

96

Gorgeous fragrance, pretty and pure. Juicy and clean, this has such a lovely energy and focus to it – lifted, bright but not searing, juicy but not too acidic, weighty but still streamlined and direct. I love the fine tannins, still with some tension, and a soft, sality liquorice outline. Feels elegant and finessed, polished and stylish with lift and movement.

St-Estèphe (2ème Cru Classé)

2021

96

This stands out for its structure, subtle power, balance and finesse. Perfumed and softly sweet on the nose, ripe and concentrated, glorious and inviting. Creamy and chalky at the same time, lovely texture and density with bright and concentrated strawberry and red cherry fruit. Crisp, sweet, salty and sour, a lovely combination of flavours and textures with great drive and an undercurrent of minerality and salty wet stone finish – real St-Estèphe signature.

Pomerol

2021

96

Floral and mixed berry nose. This is rich, ripe and round from the first sip, almost so you'd forget you’re drinking a 2021 – not plush but something to chew on here, textured and fleshy. Deep in terms of penetrating flavour yet with tension, too, keeping the precision and focus. Barely a detail out of place, and it’s perhaps still not showing it’s true potential, but I love the mineral markers, the finesse and the underlying power. Delicious, totally keeps the magic signature of the estate despite the vintage conditions.

Pauillac (1er Cru Classé)

2021

96

Richly scented, potpourri and herbs, ripe bramble fruit, dark chocolate, aniseed, cinnamon; so much going on on the nose. Fruity and full, but sleek and sharp, a buzz of almost tart acidity with the slightly grippy tannins giving a sense of bite and tense frame. Confident and compact, and a little more juicy and gently charming than Latour can be. Toasty, oak-edged tannins are still prominent but this has clarity and definition and a true sense of place. Give it some more time to come together.

Pessac-Léognan

2021

96

A gorgeous aromatic display draws you in: crystalline, floral with iris, peony and violet, herbal, earthy and fruity. Sumptuous, this is a classy wine, beautifully smooth but with powdery tannins that give grip and intensity to the structure. It’s grippy at the moment, not as ethereal or silky as some right now, but it’s characterful with power, all while being nuanced and detailed. Charming but still yet to fully come out of its shell. Crunchy, great energy and focus with salty minerality on the finish. This will be a beauty.

Margaux (1er Cru Classé)

2021

96

Lovely soft floral aromatics, pretty and perfumed with red cherries, raspberries and blackcurrants, some liquorice and toasty hints. Round and smooth, silky yet concentrated, there's a fleshy aspect to the fruit and texture while a lean core of salty minerality and high acidity keeps things straight and direct. It's a little reserved now, but this is suave, playful and sharp, full of energy and texture but not yet at the charming, graceful stage and a little atypical for the vintage. The estate picked late, bled the wine more to keep the structure and the result is mouthfilling and succulent, with Margaux charm.

St-Estèphe (2ème Cru Classé)

2021

96

Dark and milk chocolate, raspberries and red cherries on the nose, with a soft vanilla fragrance and some pink floral aspects. Great tension and direction, personality and verve, high acidity but balanced with the tangy red berry fruit – buzzy with energy and focus. Has precision and drive as well as power and concentration, but all with a lovely elegance and sense of style. Classy and classic, a brilliant wine in 2021.

Pauillac (1er Cru Classé)

2021

96

Concentrated and characterful, layered and super-finely presented. Round and full, juicy and textured, more powdery than tense and grippy with almost blackcurrant skin texture, while juicy red and black cherry juice goes through the centre, added to by dried mint, wet stones, clove and liquorice. Serious, with power but poise, all the elements on show – perhaps not quite settled, but individually showing the complexity of this great wine in the making.

Pessac-Léognan (Cru Classé de Graves)

2021

96

You might question this was a 2021 vintage, with its structure, style and charm combined with drinkability and ageability. A vibrant nose: pink roses, blackcurrants, strawberries, vanilla and milk chocolate, touches of pepper and toast. Supple, with bounce and energy, a firm frame but with a juicy, bright core of red berry fruits. Not light but not plush, dense but balanced, fun and friendly with precision and focus, as well as lots of flavour and texture.

St-Émilion (1er Grand Cru Classé)

2021

96

Delicate and beguiling fragrance with a bright and shiny, sleek expression on the palate. Direct and focused with tangy red berry fruit, acidity on the high side giving an immediate buzz, supportive tannins that give density and structure but retain grace and elegance. A full and serious wine while still being streamlined and on the leaner flavour spectrum. Lots of texture and interest.

Pomerol

2021

96

Perfumed and vivid nose. Supple and alive, plump yet streamlined, too - the initial bounce of round, ripe fruit straightens and focuses like a laser with cool blue fruits and menthol touches supported by the grippy, salty tannins that keep the mouth full of texture. A serious wine yet nuanced, pure and fresh. Perhaps not the weight you’d usually expect, but this has total charm and really delivers an enjoyable, cellarable wine.

Pomerol

2021

96

Dark floral and black berry fragrances and some toasty aspects on the nose, rich but pure. Scintillatingly fresh and bright, the acidity is the main focus before softly gripping tannins come in and take over. Great structure but still with nuance and soft touches of minerality, mint freshness. A little tight and compact right now, but does display hints of chewy Pomerol charm and density while still being finessed. Elegant, characterful, with a long life ahead.

Pomerol

2021

96

A wine you don’t want to put down. Not light, but round and full for 2021, with body and concentration, carrying its frame well with a direct piercing of flavour through the middle. Tension and tang, bite and grip, gravel and clay nuances in texture and flavour. Juicy and succulent with tobacco, wet stones, slightly creamy and chalky with red and black fruits. Not the longest in terms of the initial expression, but lovely terroir character with lots of energy. Sublime.

St-Émilion (1er Grand Cru Classé A)

2021

96

Extremely dark aromatics on the nose, dark bramble fruits, cedar and liquorice with a really vibrant but dark indigo rim to the wine. Focussed and sharp, high toned in the best way, this really makes you smile when you first taste it, the juicy but almost sweet acidity making the mouth water while salty, but so well defined tannins coat the mouth giving the structure and support. Lovely finesse and movement from start to finish and an excellent weight too - deep and round but straight and pristine. Feels a bit relaxed, quite elegant and not pushed or too tense at this point. A lovely wine to drink, acidity, fruit purity, fine tannins and a sense of balance and good construction. Still a little constricted on the finish, this will need time, but when it hits its drinking window this will be lovely to drink. Fresh and invigorating but keeping the structure and power.

Bordeaux Blanc

2021

95

Matcha, white chocolate and gooseberries - clean fresh and expressive on the nose. Crisp and tense, this has an immediate burst of energy and flavour on the palate, mouthwatering, pineapple, grapefruit, green apple and grapes, but so juicy, nothing bitter here at all. Fun and fresh, clean all the way through, and so uplifting. Feels perfectly manicured and there’s power, this is not light, it’s filling but at the same time elegant. Hard to explain just how good this is. Pure enjoyment with a sharp, almost sour edge that is very enjoyable.

Bordeaux Supérieur

2021

95

Saline, mineral notes on the nose, crayon, liquorice and graphite with light blackcurrant and blueberry. Strong and intense, a lovely weight to this in the mouth, texture and flesh, but smooth, well constructed and harmonious. This has something to chew on at first then sleeks out and focusses towards the finish, ending sharp with liquorice and wet stones. Delicate and nuanced, not in your face at all, more confident perhaps than Grand Village but less detail immediately on show. A great effort in 2021 but it's sleeping now, will need more time.

Margaux (2ème Cru Classé)

2021

95

Wild pink flowers on the nose, with blackcurrant and cherry fruit, fragrant, almost sweet and sour, super inviting. Cool but concentrated fruit on the palate, supple, agile, ripe full and direct. It has a gorgeous weight on the palate, not plush - it's in keeping with the vintage for sure, but such a finessed, elegance to the frame. Lovely licks of minerality that don't overhwelm the wine and the flavours carry to a long finish. A great sense of fun, joy and delicate beauty. Pretty and super charming, a delicate take from Brane but so much to like with its subtle charm.

Pessac-Léognan

2021

95

Quite herbal and green on the nose, aromatic but intensely. Full and intense also on the palate, bright lemon and grapefruit, some bitter and spied touches too. Again like the red wine, Haut-Brion steps it up a notch in 2021 giving more body and richness than La Mission. Tangy, lively, upfront, tense but also direct, this has character and a flavour that lingers long after its left the mouth. A memorable wine in 2021. Structured and compact.

Pessac-Léognan (Cru Classé de Graves)

2021

95

Clean and clear, a nice weight to the palate here, slightly oily and full with honeyed lemon tones, some bitter grapefruit and crisp green apple. Lots of complexity and nuance, well built, a serious wine with an acidic backbone, long length and lifted finish accented by a stone, flinty minerality. Lovely potential and great drinkability on offer.

Pessac-Léognan (Cru Classé de Graves)

2021

95

Green peppercorns and tomato leaf mingle with blackcurrant on the nose. Quite herbal and savoury, earthy almost with hints of fragranced perfume also. Supple with lots of energy, focus and precision - this has a real brightness to the red berry summer fruits. Crystalline and pure, a weightless touch almost but there are still tannins that give a soft support around the palate. Elegant and charming, not demonstrative really, but confident nonetheless. Quite high acidity keeps the freshness and zing and this also has a graphite undertone giving the minerality. Well worked and a characterful wine. Delicate but very enjoyable.

Pomerol

2021

95

A bit quiet aromatically. Bright and shiny straight away, juicy with acidity and minerality to the fore - a real coating of liquorice and flint straight away, fruit feels ripe and perfumed with a lean texture and racy acidity - salty, straight and focused. Tannins are slightly grippy and grainy giving the frame and structure. Needs more time to come together but this feels well worked, with a certain fullness. Salty strawberries, herbal raspberries, wet stone, flint and graphite. You really get the terroir effect here and the final flavour leaves you wanting more. Delicate yet determined. I like it a lot.

Pomerol

2021

95

Smooth and supple, a nice energy and focus to this, clean and clear with a lovely purity and finesse. Lots of red berry fruit, just ripe, almost on the tangy sour side but stays in the right place, giving a good, wide mouthful without feeling too heavy or dense or pushed. Clear and racy with nicely gripping tannins and lots of fresh mint, menthol and wet stone on the finish. Tension, focus and drive, I'd like to see how this evolves. Excellent potential.

Pomerol

2021

95

Blackcurrant and black cherry nuances on the nose, smells aromatic but delicate. Strong and intense straight away, you can feel the power here, but it’s cloaked in silk. Smooth and shiny, this is giving confidence and brightness with tang and bite, Gorgeous succulence and crunch but pure too. There’s no sun so you get layers of pixelation and nuance of flavour, hints of spice, coolness, tang and acidity. Taught and tense, strict almost, but you can feel the beginnings of it start to soften. A delicious, pure and straight wine that will be a beauty.

St-Émilion (1er Grand Cru Classé B)

2021

95

An improvement on its Primeurs score. Delicately fragranced on the nose with soft red berry and pink floral notes. Smells pretty and inviting with delicate accents of green peppercorns, vanilla and clove. Supple in a juicy, textured way with a finessed energy that definitely doesn't shout out of the glass but is quietly confident. Finessed and well put together, almost sinewy in the construction - fine tannins, acidity, pure red fruit and a long liquorice and wet stone finish. Really complete, just dialed down, very in keeping with the vintage. Nothing is out of place. A lovely wine with the delicate sweet juiciness that I love. May be too light for some, but this is great.

St-Estèphe (3ème Cru Classé)

2021

95

Gentle cherry blossom fragrance with raspberry, cranberry and red cherry. Floral and super aromatic. Tangy and clean, a lovely crystalline aspect to the palate - nicely lean and straight, touching on austere but this also has an enjoyable creaminess that gives the weight and texture and sustains the wine to a long finish. I love the mineral ending, pure and precise. Really elegantly presented, not trying too hard. Very drinkable.

Sauternes

2021

95

Rich golden honey colour. Smells clean and fresh, white flowers, yellow fruit - quince, pear and apricot. Supple with lots of energy in the mouth. Feels quite sugary, the sweetness really lingering on the mid palate, penetrating the tongue giving a sense of sherbet tang as well as weight. The sugar is doing most of the talking right now but there's a nice undercurrent of acidity that lifts the expression. Not so nuanced right now, but this is packing lots of flavour and texture. Definitely the 'largest' sweet wine. The bottle still says barrel sample as of 02/01/2024.

Sauternes (1er Cru Classé)

2021

95

Lovely purity straight away, a gorgeous texture in the mouth, clean, not overly sweet. Touches of pear, bitter orange peel, sweet peaches, honey, caramel and ever so soft floral reflections. I like this a lot, totally moreish and easy to drink with lots of flavour and plenty of nuance. Ends clean. Pretty good!

Margaux (2ème Cru Classé)

2021

95

Very inviting nose, pink flowers with blackcurrant and cherry, fragrant, almost sweet and sour. Cool but concentrated on the palate, supple and agile, full and direct. Gorgeous weight, not plush, in keeping with the vintage but with a finessed elegance to the frame. Lovely licks of minerality don't overhwelm the wine and the flavours carry to a long finish. A great sense of joy and delicate beauty.

St-Estèphe (3ème Cru Classé)

2021

95

Gentle cherry blossom fragrance with raspberry, cranberry and red cherry. Tangy and clean, a lovely crystalline aspect to the palate, lean and straight, but this also has an enjoyable creaminess that gives weight and texture and sustains the wine to a long finish. Lovely mineral ending, pure and precise. Elegantly presented, and very drinkable.

Pomerol

2021

95

Floral and lifted nose, clean, clear and fragrant. Soft but grippy, chalky and intense, with a push and movement to the textured strawberry and red cherry fruit. Almost fleshy but cool, giving some roundness but no heaviness. This has character and something to get your teeth into. Nice persistence, well presented.

Pauillac (5ème Cru Classé)

2021

95

A pretty and fragranced nose, then a sense of true classicism with bright, shining acidity underpinning crushed-velvet tannins and undertones of cola, liquorice and cool blue fruit. Slightly lean but also with lots of Cabernet characters supporting the frame – good weight and focus, with drive. Quite linear and straight, but this works and makes you come back for more.

St-Julien (2ème Cru Classé)

2021

95

Scented nose full of cedar, coffee, chocolate, liquorice, blackcurrant and floral fragrance. Light and lean, but full of flavour, the fruit dances across the palate while the relatively tight but fine tannins give structure. Great acidity and lovely elements of sour cherries, fresh-picked blackcurrants and crushed strawberries with an underlying mineral, slightly salty tang. Delicious.

St-Émilion (1er Grand Cru Classé)

2021

95

One of the more complete 2021 wines in terms of energy and harmony. Fragrant and ripe fruit on the nose, perfumed black cherries and a dusting of milk chocolate, toasty wood and dark spices. This has a lovely presence on the palate, pure but with concentration and coolness at the same time. Stylish with energy and focus, lots of movement and forward motion. A great showing already.

St-Julien (2ème Cru Classé)

2021

95

Underlying power and a real sense of structure that many are missing in 2021. An initial tang of bright acidity opens the expression and then the tannins come in, giving this a serious edge with lots of menthol and herbal Cabernet character. It's smooth and long, with excellent potential for ageing.

St-Émilion (1er Grand Cru Classé)

2021

95

Gorgeous cool blue fruits, liquorice and salinity on the nose, clean but really expressive. Full and forward, quite intense with plump fruit, however there's great depth and energy. Concentrated and ripe, but also with cool touches of blueberry, cola and wet-stone nuances. Nice energy and focus, streamlined, but this has a great weight with the bite and grip of 2021. Great effort.

Pomerol

2021

95

Delicate but inviting aromatics of raspberry, red cherries and pink roses. Plump and nicely fleshy, this has a really enjoyable texture, is forward and in your face right now but has just the right weight and balance, with a gorgeous salty tang to the tannins and cool blue fruit. Tannins are perfect and this has the potential to age, too. Delicious.

Pauillac (2ème Cru Classé)

2021

95

Inviting, fragrant nose with pink flowers and red berry fruit. Pure and elegant with a crystalline aspect to the fruit, juicy and lively balance. A super, classic take that I really love: firm and appealing mineral grip, a sense of power and drive but also delicacy and finesse. Reflecting the vintage, it's light and delicate but persistent from start to finish, with tension. Linear but well contained, a solid effort.

St-Émilion (Grand Cru)

2021

95

Heady and expressive, lovely dark black fruit aromas and soft floral hints, vanilla, chocolate and toasted oak. Full, round and succulent, softly chewy, has great texture but is smooth and sleek, too. The nuanced, gorgeous menthol-fresh undertones and lovely mineral element on the finish reveal the fruit element sourced from 1ha on the St-Emilion plateau. A wine that shines in a year where you can feel the winemaking and terroir; tasty, enjoyable and drinkable.

Bordeaux Blanc

2021

94

Green apple skin, gooseberry and soft floral nuances. Lovely juicy core, high but balanced acidity gives the life while the toasted, quite bitter (grapefruit, orange, wood) elements come in towards the mid palate giving extra layers of nuance and depth and interest. It's not complete yet but good potential. Feels clean and precise and well worked. Maybe loses a touch of push and persistence on the finish, but there's nice purity and vibrancy from start to finish.

Bordeaux Supérieur

2021

94

Subtle floral and tomato leaf aromas, something herbal and earthy with exotic spices and red berry and cherry fruit - a nice complexity on the nose. Juicy and bright, a hit of acidity and salinity makes the mouth water straight away, tangy and alive, but pure and focussed. Not so deep, more streamlined but crunchy and crisp. Really get a sense of the tension to this wine which is nice. Almost quite dramatic in its brightness and focus. Fresh, fun and fruity. Ends chalky and mineral. Very easy to like this. Not light but streamlined, balanced and elegant. Great definition, energy and focus. Immediately impressive and upfront. Great to drink now/soon.

Margaux

2021

94

Quite a rich, dark heady nose, full of blackcurrants, bramble leaf, raspberry and some dried herbs with floral touches too. Smooth and supple, you can feel the concentration in the mouth but the texture is so silky and fresh too. Bursting with energy and brightness - the fruit has a ripe touch to it - plummy and blackcurrant but the acidity is great giving a real lean and direct frame to the wine and driving it from start to finish. Polished and very enjoyable still with lots of flavour. A real cool element to the dark fruit - it’s not rich and chewy and exuberant and plush, it’s streamlined but full of juicy brightness and then a slick wet slate touch to the finish. Perfumed all the way through with cola, blueberry and liquorice touches as well. Serious and layered. A successful second wine to match the gorgeous grand vin.

Margaux (2ème Cru Classé)

2021

94

Beautifully perfumed on the nose, smells sweet and delicate. Smooth and ample in the mouth, succulent and juicy, quite lean, a sense of austerity in the cool, mineral edged fruit - blackcurrant and blueberry with cola edges and wet stone touches too. It's refined for sure, missing a touch more weight but there's great winemaking on show. First year in organic conversion which can't have been easy. They've done a great job and it's beautifully delicate and poised, an elegant and polished rather than weighty expression.

Margaux (3ème Cru Classé)

2021

94

Gorgeous fragrance and florality on the nose with ripe and perfumed black fruit and some peony touches. Smooth and supple, nicely weighted with lovely finesse and concentration to the fruit - blackcurrant, cherry and raspberry - with really juicy acidity. A lovely almost creamy aspect to the texture with just grippy and spiced tannins towards the finish. Nice aspect of oak throughout showing the ageing potential. I like this a lot, well formed, well delivered. Easy to enjoy with tons of personality.

Margaux (3ème Cru Classé)

2021

94

Mint and flowers on the nose with delicate fragrant black bramble fruit. Smooth and elegant, lifted with a lovely balanced acidity to this, not sharp - it's all very calm and delicate but with texture ot the tannins, slightly grippy and softly chalky giving the frame and the definition. I feel they've treaded delicately here, not tried to overdo it, and it's not as ample or fleshy as some in Margaux but what it doesn't have in confrontation it has in finesse. Really easy to drink and easy to enjoy with gorgeous fragrance throughout, lovely raspberry and strawberry elements, and some black tea on the finish.

Pauillac

2021

94

Toasted notes on the nose; cinnamon, clove with dark rich black fruits, then roses come through, some sweet blackcurrants and red cherries. Sleek and direct, a nice balance and weight in the mouth - halfway lean and focussed halfway textured and creamy, so the flavours give bite, acidity gives tang and tannins give the weight but this remains straight and streamlined. Quite a complete, understated wine, feels more serious than many other second wines, thick and rich, but not heavy. Concentrated, still with high acidity, but feels complex and polished. No rawness here, no shiny brightens either, this is serious.

Pauillac (4ème Cru Classé)

2021

94

After a few minutes soft notes of dark chocolate, red cherry, blackcurrant, green peppercorns and strawberry leaf emerge from the glass. Full and smooth on the palate - silky and sustaining with a lovely fresh juiciness but matching texture that gives a wide expression and layers of chalk, wet stone, graphite and blackcurrant. Feels nicely structured, not opulent at all - in keeping with the vintage but a certain fullness and sense of character. Well delivered. I love the juiciness here, really mouthwatering - clean and clear - precise, but carefully presented with a delightful texture and long menthol finish. Very enjoyable and already very drinkable. Subtle and nuanced, totally moresih and the flavour really lingers. So smooth and silky.

Pauillac (5ème Cru Classé)

2021

94

Ripe, dark and fragrant fruit on the nose - dark plums, cherries, damsons and blackberries with a dusting of black chocolate - coolness but also touches of floral sweetness. Smells softly floral and softly herbal with the fruit at the fore. Smooth and round, nice fullness to the texture - very slightly chewy and plush tannins, this has a bit of flesh to it which I like - textured and filling in the mouth. Ripe strawberries, chewy blackcurrants, it’s cool but textured, grippy, salty and stony. Really a great expression with nuance and layers of different elements. Holds the interest. A touch narrow a bitter still on the finish, though excellent high acidity gives life and vibrancy and nicely counters the plush fruit. Quite a complete wine, not with sunny exuberance but finessed and still flavourful.

Pauillac (5ème Cru Classé)

2021

94

Smells heady, black bramble fruit on the nose, fragrant black cherries, a dusting of clove and cinnamon spice, orange peel - slightly bitter but juicy with a hint of toast too. Quite tight and lean, direct and focussed, this is streamlined - you can feel the cool blue fruit and slightly tense tannin structure, seamless but all held in one line in the centre of the wine. A little strict, but pure, precise and clean. There is lovely clarity to the expression, a silky texture with mouthwatering acidity. Tastes fresh and lively and so clean with that moreish salty and menthol tang that lingers on the tongue. Sleek with a really long finish. Really intense flavours that coat the mouth - cinnamon, clove, redcurrants, cherries, blueberries and blackcurrants. Cola and liquorice lingers on. Sleek and well delivered.

Pessac-Léognan

2021

94

Floral and green fruit aromas on the nose. Juicy and upfront, lively and fun, this has zing and focus. I love the almost sherbet lemon touch to the initial expression followed by soft green fruit and some softly spiced herbal accents. It’s clear and clean, bright and focussed. Tapers a little towards the finish, just lightening, but lovely and enjoyable - very aerial in style.

Pessac-Léognan

2021

94

High toned, almost sherbet and wild honey, toasted fruit, a real combination of flavours on the palate with brightness but also quite serious toasty elements. I do love the flavours but this needs more time to come together, feels punchy and forward, expressive with lots of oak nuances still at play. Good acidity though, this should be good in a few years.

Pessac-Léognan (Cru Classé de Graves)

2021

94

Clean and crystalline, pure and precise with lemon, green apple and touches of tangerine juice to the expression. The juiciness is taken over a little by the minerality, just turning the focus away from the fun freshness towards the finish, but this has a sense of precision and gentle charm.

Pessac-Léognan (Cru Classé de Graves)

2021

94

A fresh and fragranced nose with green fruit, apple, pear and lemon touches. Crisp and clean, lots of bitter grapefruit and orange combined with creamy lemon and apple giving a push pull of flavours. Not yet fully harmonised but there is potential. Lots of flavour nuance and good viscosity and weighty texture with a long length and good lift on the finish. Well made with promise.

Pessac-Léognan (Cru Classé de Graves)

2021

94

Cherry blossom and ripe cherry on the nose. Smooth and supple, a nice energy and focus to this straight away with lifted acidity and a chalky core that is super mineral and laced with liquorice and wet stones. Feels like a serious wine with well-handled oak and tannins on the prominent side but really supportive and giving the frame. Needs to age, but more importantly it feels like it will be able to age and develop really well. Lots of life and style to this. A great effort. I like this alot.

Pomerol

2021

94

Perfumed nose, something mineral about the scent, stoney with lots of cherry aromas. Smooth and alive, a nice upfront brightness to this - shiny but sleek. Crunchy fruit, clean but this has texture too and a real mineral undertone. You can feel the tension, it's straight and well defined, to the point, long and piercing. A very good wine that’s interesting and characterful. Nuanced with tomato leaf and spiced accents around the sides. A clean and easy to enjoy wine made by Guillaume Thienpont.

Pomerol

2021

94

Ripe and fragrant black fruit on the nose, cherries and blackcurrants. Grippy, vibrant and rich, an element of quite perfumed fruit here. It tastes on the border of being overly ripe in terms of fruit concentration, but has a very lean, direct texture that is streamlined with an undercurrent of liquorice, cola and salty minerality. It comes together nicely on the chalky, slightly spiced finish. Charming and confident.

Pomerol

2021

94

Fresh and appealing summer berry fruit and soft floral aromatics on the nose ,cherry and raspberry. Smooth and supple, this carries its weight and energy nicely. Easy to approach with crunch and bite. Well defined, hints of spice and minerality. Gorgeous purity and ease to this, just so effortless and enjoyable. Not the longest or heaviest but really wows on the palate for its finesse. Great acidity and purity, it’s clean but still flavourful. Very impressive for a second wine. I love the ease and effortless nature, you couldn't not drink all of this. Delicious.

St-Émilion

2021

94

Lovely aromatic profile, softly aromatic and flowery with nice touches of black fruits. Something really quite perfumed about the nose. Smooth and succulent, instantly so juicy and alive on the palate, very clean and balanced, cleans the tongue and scrapes with a graphite and mineral, wet stone texture. Very appealing and utterly drinkable still with hallmark tones of tobacco, liquorice and spice on the finish. I love the energy, really feels lively in the glass, crunchy and so fruity. Well executed, full of flavour and polished.

St-Émilion (1er Grand Cru Classé B)

2021

94

Fragrant and ripe fruit on the nose, perfumed black cherries and a dusting of milk chocolate. Lots of toasted aromatics too, wood, clove, cinnamon and spice. Weighty and well textured, this has a lovely presence on the palate, pure but with concentration yet cool at the same time. Stylish with energy and focus. Really sustains the palate, lots of movement and forward motion. One of the more complete wines in terms of energy and just harmony. Still the oak there so this will age but a great showing.

St-Émilion (1er Grand Cru Classé B)

2021

94

Rose petals, pink flowers, raspberries and a touch of cardamom and cinnamon to the red berry fruit. Grippy and textured, quite a lean expression, direct and focussed, with bite to the tannins and a touch of dry salty, flinty minerality that coats the cheeks. It's well worked but hasn't quite settled yet and doesn't quite have the fruit density to carry more of the motion and energy. Sleek though and definitely confident. Will be lovely once it calms.

St-Émilion (1er Grand Cru Classé B)

2021

94

Gorgeous cool blue fruits, liquorice and salty nose, smells clean but really expressive. Ripe and round, full and forward, quite extracted with plump/thick fruit, however there's great depth and energy here, concentrated fruit clearly ripe but also with cool touches of blueberry and cola and wet stones that bring nuance. Nice energy and focus, streamlined but it has a great weight and sense of character. Very good - energy and liveliness still with bite and grip from 2021, but a great effort.

St-Émilion (Grand Cru)

2021

94

Soft florally, lightly delicate flowers, blue fruits and spices. Gorgeous succulence and texture - fluffy almost, textured, pillowy, the flavours caresses the mouth and linger. Salty, spicy, liquorice, tobacco and clove, but fruity too with the cleanest finish. Delicious. A serious second wine, one of enjoyment, juicy blackcurrant, black cherry and chalk. Sexy and not many 2021s are that sexy, they're more svelte. Great character.

St-Julien (2ème Cru Classé)

2021

94

A rich, ripe toasted nose, clearly concentrated. Good fruit density, underlying power and sense of structure. This has personality, it does feel a tiny bit pushed on the palate with acidity opening the expression but the fruitiness fades quite quickly and is replaced by the tannic structure and menthol, herbal Cabernet aspects. It's smooth with a long length. Nice bones for ageing, so give this a few years.

St-Julien (4ème Cru Classé)

2021

94

Green peppercorns, menthol elements, sightly herbal aspects too. Smooth and silky, a shot of bright high acidity with a creamy touch to the texture. Tannins are super fine, barely there, but do give the frame which nicely carries the flavours. Really charming and fruity, lively with great energy if not depth. Fruit so well worked and then whole thing is presented delicately with finesse. I like this.

Barsac (2ème Cru Classé)

2021

94

Smells clean and fresh, pure and lively. Almost refreshing on the palate, there's sweetness of course, but there's energy too, tangy lemon and pineapple, soft touches of ripe peach and then orange and grapefruit peel. Not the sugariest, this ends on a lighter cleaner note, but there's lovely detail here.

Sauternes

2021

94

Clean and clear, a lovely hit of sweet lemons and pineapples with edges of tangy lime, salted honey caramel and orange peel. Lightly presented, not the most thick of rich or the leanest, this walks a lovely line of flavour and focus. Very enjoyable and easy to drink.

Sauternes (1er Cru Classé)

2021

94

Thick and ample in the mouth, weighty and full of sweet orange peel, slightly wild honey, spiced lemon and pineapple, a real mixture of flavours and textures in the mouth. Doesn't have the sugary density of some, this is more focussed and straight with a lightness of touch come the finish, but I like it's style and character.

Haut-Médoc (5ème Cru Classé)

2021

94

Aromatic and expressive nose, perfumed and black-fruited with dark chocolate and clove. Supple and agile, a lively character but with a stony undercurrent that provides the grip and texture in the mouth. Great tannin management and focus, cool character but concentration, too, a lovely gravelly aspect that puts the terroir in the glass and gives a mineral salinity.

St-Julien (4ème Cru Classé)

2021

94

Green 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.

Margaux (3ème Cru Classé)

2021

94

Gorgeous fragrance and florality on the nose with ripe and perfumed black fruit and some peony touches. Smooth and supple, with finesse and concentration to the berry and cherry fruit. A lovely, almost creamy aspect to the texture with just-gripping and spiced tannins towards the finish, a nice aspect of oak throughout showing the ageing potential. I like this a lot. Easy to enjoy with tons of personality.

St-Émilion (Grand Cru Classé)

2021

94

Fragranced and scented nose. Elegant, a little light and may be missing some extra plumpness for some, but it has backbone and structure with balanced and intense flavours, and the texture is sleek and well defined. Straitlaced, but with fragranced cherry and strawberry, a touch creamy yet with plenty of energy and verve, all in good proportion. Fresh and flavourful.

St-Émilion (Grand Cru Classé)

2021

94

Ripe, fragrant nose, chocolate, cherries and roses. Enjoyably textured, this has energy and focus as well as fruit concentration. Touches of vanilla and cream come in to give smoothness, ending on a softly salty note with liquorice and dark cocoa powder. Juicy, fruity and enjoyable, still with licks of oak so will need time but has ageing potential.

St-Julien (2ème Cru Classé)

2021

94

Concentrated and herbal, creamy and smooth, this is immediately classy with concentration, while keeping a cool blue fruit and mint freshness throughout. Structured, with well-defined texture and some power, it doesn't have the overt acidity and vibrancy some 2021s do, so this is a more serious take, but I like it a lot – a classic St-Julien wine with signature and salty, wet-stone finish. Tannins are verging on austere, but this has the bones to age well and to be very enjoyable.

St-Émilion (1er Grand Cru Classé)

2021

94

Perfumed and potent on the nose with wood and toast tones. Lively on the palate, though, a shot tangy acidity and high-toned raspberry fruit before green peppercorns and clove spice, the wood still clearly on show and dominating right now, but this feels really well thought-out with good potential to age.

Pessac-Léognan (Cru Classé de Graves)

2021

94

Cherry blossom and ripe cherry nose. Smooth and supple, with nice energy and lifted acidity, a chalky core that's super-mineral and laced with liquorice and wet stones. A serious style with tannins on the prominent side but really supporting the frame. Lots of life and style to this, will be able to age and develop really well.

Bordeaux Blanc

2021

93

Very Sauvignon nose, green peas, straw, lemon zest and elderflower - smells very expressive with cool citrus elements. Crisp and alive, so delicious, crunchy with mouthwatering acidity but then a weight - almost oiliness / fat from the wood and lees adds to to the texture that immediately counters the acidity and gives the mouth filling expression. Bitter grapefruit and lemon zest on the finish. Great energy and complexity. A touch green in some places, you know this isn’t from a warm vintage, a touch of metallic element on the finish, but extremely enjoyable.

Bordeaux Blanc

2021

93

Grassy, lemon yellow gold in the glass. A herbal and white stone fruited nose, ginger, flowers, apricot, melon, orange, lime and some green fruits. Bright and energising, lovely fresh acidity hits straight away - a sherbet-esque flavour but with a honeyed, toasted note too from the Semillon really giving different flavours and textures right now. Feels serious in the honeyed, waxy lemon, toast, buttery caramel but the acidity underneath is so great. A lovely potential for this. Ends chalky, flinty and clean, a gorgeous mineral grip. Succulent, fun, fresh, juicy and layered. I like this a lot. Interesting to see this project progress.

Fronsac

2021

93

Beautifully lifted and aromatic nose, smells wonderful with such clarity. Juicy and succulent, lovely energy straight away, fruit is bright but not sour with a soft hint of both sweetness and cooling freshness. Layers of minerality and wet stones offset the fruit and the well integrated tannins give the structure. Not lean but not massy, a lovely balance for a finessed, delicate wine in 2021. Ends a touch light but give this time.

Graves

2021

93

Nicely lively and well balanced, this has both texture, structure and brightness giving energy and seriousness. I love the citrus and apricot elements with some bitter orange flecks and stoniness too. Fun and so easy, a lovely succulence on the mid palate and really round frame all the way through. Complex and nuanced. Well made and a lovely white in 2021.

Margaux

2021

93

Fragranced and spiced nose full of nuance and detail - roses, cinnamon, cherries and strawberries. Smooth and succulent, a drive of bright and clear red fruits begin this wine with such purity to the expression. It's lightly framed, more lean and juicy than plush, which is to be expected, but this carries the weight well with energy and focus. Needs a bit of time to put on a little weight around the edges but this has finesse and plenty of juicy appeal. Still has the Margaux elegance, but a bit light on the finish.

Margaux

2021

93

Rich and intense on the nose, fragranced red and pink flowers with red cherries and plums. Really vibrant pink rim to the glass too. Touches of dark chocolate, cedar and green pepper, herbal, and eucalyptus. Round and vibrant, a playfulness - super high acidity, almost sharp and tart and tangy, with grippy tannins that give the texture and structure. Half crushed velvet and half lean and austere so you get both weight and direction. Feels quite youthful and buzzy right now but this has a nice juiciness, great fresh acidities, bite on the tongue, a clean - wet stone slate feeling and texture. A touch of green peppercorn and toast gives the spicy angles and the minerality on the finish. Well constructed, not the most easy to drink at the moment, this is more serious, but there's good potential and a lot of flavour. It has a certain intensity, a touch of green leeness sets it apart from being totally charming right now, but this certainly carries interest and nuance.

Margaux (3ème Cru Classé)

2021

93

Coffee beans, menthol, blackcurrants, roses and clove on the nose - super complex and inviting. Tangy, sharp and bright, the acidity is great but does give this quite a lean, almost austere frame making it seem as if it's missing a bit of weight. Nicely worked in the sense of clarity and precision but doesn't have the concentration and density that some other Margaux wines have. Certainly finessed and elegant though so give this a few more years to settle and soften. Good potential.

Margaux (3ème Cru Classé)

2021

93

Curry leaf on the nose, strong aromatics with ripe black fruit too. Tangy and sharp, a nice buzz of energy and lovely acidity starts the wine before calming with slightly herbal, medicinal Cabernet touches and minty freshness on the finish. Feels well worked. Calm, elegant, not trying too hard. All in balance, nothing harsh, a direct frame and sense of straightness but with precise fruit, clarity and finesse. A really nice wine with a salty, cola finish. Great effort and totally easy to drink.

Margaux (4ème Cru Classé)

2021

93

Smells perfumed with curry leaf notes to the aromatic expression, vanilla, cherry, cola and toast. Bold and well formed, slightly more amplified than some of the others in terms of the fruit concentration, ripe blackcurrant and cool blue fruit that carries past the mid palate with fine grained tannins that are a touch fleshy and crushed velvet in texture. Ends a touch mineral and sombre but this has been well made with attention to the fruit maturity and ageing. I like this and has good potential for easy drinking

Margaux (4ème Cru Classé)

2021

93

Scented and alive on the nose. Upfront, forward and bright, it's lean but not severe or too austere. The fruit is not plush but it's concentrated and got some texture thanks to just-ripe tannins that give a softly wide mouthfeel. I like the sense of finesse, the juicy acidity and really elegant nature from start to finish - focussed and balanced. Ends chalky and mineral. Lots to like here, feels like it will age well too.

Margaux (5ème Cru Classé)

2021

93

Green peppercorns, blackcurrant leaf, curry powder. Supple and nicely ripe fruit on the palate - blackcurrant, black cherry - lovely high acidity with freshness and brightness. The minerality and wet stone aspects come in quite quickly, adding a nuance and just taking over the fun, making this quite serious, although there's lovely acidity all the way through. Nicely constructed and delivered. Easy to enjoy. Has lift and energy which sustains the palate. A success.

Margaux (5ème Cru Classé)

2021

93

Sweet and spicy on the nose, curry leaf, sage, pepper and sweet red fruits. Bright acidity straight away, an instant buzz of tangy fruit before subsiding a little giving way to the chalky, mineral tannins. Nice freshness all the way through with an undercut of fresh fruit. They've been very careful here and this hasn't been pushed. Could have maybe taken on a bit more weight, but this is straight and streamlined, elegantly presented with balance all the way through. Not a showstopper but quietly charming.

Pauillac

2021

93

Ripe, dark perfumed blackcurrant and black cherries on the nose. Fragrant but also herbal, liquorice, clove, tobacco and toast. Supple and juicy on the palate, a lovely sense of life and energy to this straight away. Gorgeous texture, full and expansive in the mouth with gently plush and crushed velveted tannins. Feels like a serious wine with a great fresh backbone of lively acidity, ripe fruit and structured tannins. I love the high acidity and sense of explosion you get here. Raspberry, red cherry and blackcurrant - so red and black fruits with tinges and hints of liquorice, cola and mint around the edges. Really nuanced but very approachable. Fun with clarity and precision. Such a clear palate. A lively baby brother.

Pauillac (5ème Cru Classé)

2021

93

Lovely pretty and fragranced nose. A sense of classicism with bright, shining acidity underpinning crushed velvet textured tannins and a cola, liquorice cool undertone. Slightly lean but also with lots of Cabernet markers that do well to support the frame. Good weight and focus, with drive on the palate. It's light, it's not plush at all, and in that sense really quite linear and lean, but this totally works.

Pessac-Léognan

2021

93

Fresh and fragrant, white flowers, smells clean. Quite punchy on the palate, strong lemon and lime, sweet tropical and exotic fruit and juicy, a round body and nice freshness too. It has some zip and zing, really lively and captivating definitely with a ripe element, with some small hints of vanilla and white chocolate on the finish along with a kick of acidity that leaves a fresh feeling. Seems the vintage really suits the estate and this style is lovely.

Pessac-Léognan

2021

93

A honeyed, slightly wild, toasty nose with apricot, pineapple orange and fragrant stone fruit on the nose. Round and calm, a lovely gentle confidence to this wine, gorgeous acidity gives the lift and sense of life, while the really fruity, juicy lemon, apple, orange and pineapple give the fruity core. Nothing too much, if anything still a bit quiet, but pure and precise. Really easy to like and enjoy, with body, freshness, complexity and nuance.

Pessac-Léognan

2021

93

A herbal, blackcurrant scented nose. Lively and tangy, this has bite and grip, a little more closed and tight compared to Les Hauts which is more expressive and charming but this has great precision to the dark fruit and fine tannins. Almost creamy texture but with tension and grip from the flint and wet stone edges. A serious take, but works so well, really in keeping with the vintage, nothing over the top. Juicy and mouthwatering with crunchy black fruit, balanced acidity, fine tannins and a chalky, salty, gravel-like finish. I like this a lot, it's calm and controlled but with an underlying confidence. Great potential. Dense and more tannic for sure. Needs time to open and relax.

Pessac-Léognan (Cru Classé de Graves)

2021

93

An oily texture but gorgeous juicy core with bright acidity and ripe green apple, creamy peach and softly bitter orange and toasted lemens son the finish. Great acidity though which really sustains the wine. Well constructed with lots of nuance and interest and ageing potential.

Pessac-Léognan (Cru Classé de Graves)

2021

93

Lemon and lime, nice freshness and sense of lift. Precision with purity to the texture and fruit with lots of salty tones on the finish and edges of the mouth. Mouthwatering acidity does well to give life and this has a nice easy balance and good drinkability. A little bitter and toasted on the finish which will settle.

Pessac-Léognan (Cru Classé de Graves)

2021

93

Sleek and pristine and nice crystalline element to this, it's light and lean, certainly driven from start to finish in one line but this has a sense of finesse and not trying too hard. I love the salty finish, a touch of black tea and some liquorice elements. Good weight and balance, lots of great drinkability here with a lovely lift on the finish that many do not have. Fun, friendly and really sustains. A great effort.

Pomerol

2021

93

Smells aromatic and fruity, lively and full of nuance, chocolate, menthol notes, fragranced dried flowers and liquorice touches and red fruits. Rich and well textured on the palate, juicy and alive. Nice purity and clarity to this, it has bite and a touch of high toned tangy red fruit to it, but it's lovely and light on its feet. Great body and character to this, enough fruit for sure, and well handled tannins. A really enjoyable glass with plenty going on. Still a touch tight but it's tension that gives energy rather than something being hidden. Very good. Flavour goes on and on, really lingers with cherry, liquorice and some minty touches. An upscore on Primeurs.

Pomerol

2021

93

Red berries and herbal strawberry leaf on the nose. Smooth and supple, a nice energy to this straight away, juicy core with slightly metallic tannins that coat the mouth and give the frame. Delicate in style but still with lots of flavour. Refined and well worked, it's missing the plushness that can be so brilliant at this estate but there is good fruit vibrancy and clarity and this has character. I like it. Feels serious albeit with no heaviness. Tannins are good and feels like the ageing and oak treatment was right.

Pomerol

2021

93

Smooth, supple, lively and fresh but still with dark fruit and a touch of Pomerol charm in the slightly chewy and plush texture. Tannins are giving support and coating the mouth in powdery almost fleshy cherry fruit while a minty, liquorice aspect is underneath and on the finish. A lovely example, all in balance, lots of push and persistence and balance of flavour. Lovely.

Pomerol

2021

93

Concentrated blackcurrant and black cherries on the nose. Nicely textured, this has some grip to the tannins and a little bit of a plush, salty, crushed stone texture ot the palate. Still needs some time, but this has energy and some juicy, fun aspects. Salty, tangy and stony. I like this. Not trying too hard. Has a long length and good potential. In organic conversion.

Pomerol

2021

93

Lovely scented aromatics on the nose. Juicy and succulent, not fleshy, this is more lean and straight but there's nice attention to detail and it's presented with finesse. Body and structure, smooth tannins, a bite of liquorice and clove, the wood still on show, but there's precision to this and a certain dark charm on the finish. There's not the texture or depth you might expect, its streamlined but is very enjoyable. A sleeping beauty that will be very disarming and drinkable in a few years.

Saint-Julien (3ème Cru Classé)

2021

93

Menthol, dark chocolate and bramble fruit on the nose. Some cola touches and cool blue fruits too. Supple and agile, nice movement and energy here, I like the weight and the depth, it has good concentration with an enjoyable touch of sweetness to the mid palate but cool blue fruit too, with kick and underlying power but nothing overdone here. Great length and juicy, fruity with lots of savoury markers of the vintage. Liquorice, dark chocolate, dried herbs and the Cabernet character of blackcurrant leaf. Very consistent good work from Lagrange.

Saint-Julien (3ème Cru Classé)

2021

93

An expressive nose full of dark fruit, spiced and herbal elements. Clean and clear, juicy and lively, more of a light, lean delicate take, everything is there just a subtle version of the blackcurrant and strawberries, acidity and tannin profile. I do like it though, it's well made and still has an enjoyable juicy core and long finish. Likely to be extremely pleasant and easy to drink in a few years still with typicity. Same score as Primeurs but this was lovely to taste again.

St-Émilion (Grand Cru Classé)

2021

93

Blackcurrants, rose petals and cocoa powder on the nose. Fresh and slightly tart in a lively way, the fruit and acidity is at the fore giving life and energy. It's light and lean, but doesn't feel as if it's missing the mid-palate depth, it's complete in its way with redcurrants, creamy black cherries, freshly-picked strawberries and a salty, wet stone finish.

St-Émilion (Grand Cru Classé)

2021

93

Rose petals and red berry fruit on the nose. Smells pure and pretty. Purity continues on the palate, this is finessed and sleek with a soft plushness to the expression - tannins are present and fill the mouth with a crushed velvet texture supporting the fruit. Lovely juicy acidity, really well balanced and friendly. Not trying too hard. It's light but no harsh leanness or austerity. Fruit is pure and this is really enjoyable.

St-Émilion (Grand Cru Classé)

2021

93

Smooth and silky, this has a lovely texture from the start - singing fruit of dark blackcurrants, red cherries and raspberries with balanced acidity - not too sharp and licks of wet stone and salt on the finish. This has a good structure without being too much. Easy to enjoy, still with ripe fruit and a hint of underlying power which some of the 2021s lack. Juicy, light, fun, food friendly with appealing liquorice, cola and graphite on the finish. A touch of heat on the finish suggests the 14% but adds to the overall width rather than detracting anything from it. A success.

St-Émilion (Grand Cru Classé)

2021

93

Fragrant and a touch smoky on the nose with perfumed floral notes and ripe blackcurrants. Smooth and supple, a nice juicy intensity with high but not too seering acidity makes way for slightly austere touches against a salty mineral core. It's lightly framed and delicate, very easy to drink and enjoy. Friendly, charming, juicy, fun, fresh and well worked. A touch savoury and minty on the finish.

St-Émilion (Grand Cru Classé)

2021

93

Smells strong and concentrated with lots of oak and dark fruit nuances. Cool blue fruit with vanilla and tobacco, still needs time to harmonise and for the wood to integrate and as such isn't giving total balance and connectivity right now. The texture is sleek, and there is weight and acidity, but the flavours need to meld a little. Confident and structured, shows lots of promise.

St-Émilion (Grand Cru Classé)

2021

93

High toned and full of energy and spark straight away, it's light and flexible, with a juicy core full of red strawberry and cherry fruit, liquorice and minty edges. Lovely purity and poise, it's not the fullest, but carries its light frame really well with plenty of ripe fruit flavours and really quite high acidity that lifts the whole expression. A nice effort in 2021 and a joy to drink. Clean and clear.

St-Émilion (Grand Cru Classé)

2021

93

Smells forward and nicely scented. Fresh and bright, a lovely almost sour cherry and freshly picked strawberry aspect to this which is nicely balanced by hints of vanilla, liquorice, chocolate, cardamom and cinnamon with the crushed stone, chalky tannins giving the width and depth. It's not hugely persistent but really delivers on a clean, elegant and still fresh and fruity glass of wine with a delicious salty mineral finish.

St-Émilion (Grand Cru)

2021

93

Beautifully expressive aromatics, really jump from the glass, alive and nuanced, floral, fruity - rosehip, cranberry, cardamom, cinnamon. Supple and lithe, this has movement to it which is so nice. Not super tense and straight, not dense and chewy, somewhere in-between with bright, mouth-watering acidity that lifts the expression. Hints of chalky minerality on the finish brings it back to focus with a moreish aspect. Tannins are great, barely noticeable but still giving the frame and support to the structure. Well delivered. Gorgeous purity, balance and harmonious, really lovely drinking here.

St-Émilion (Grand Cru)

2021

93

Lovely fragrance on the nose, really quite aromatic blackcurrants. Smooth and supple, juicy and lifted, a really great energetic expression. Just shy of lean, a slight bounce although with slightly rustic tannins that grip the mouth and leave a salty, liquorice and graphite texture and taste. I like the expression, lots of fruit, freshness, acidity and structure with so much life. Focussed and finessed with a really prominent mineral core and mint, eucalyptus finish. You can tell this was from a cool vintage but it still has power.

St-Émilion (Grand Cru)

2021

93

A new in-bottle showing for Château Figrac's small sister estate in St-Emilion. Lovely rich scent, dark creamy blackcurrant and bramble fruits on the nose. Clear and clean on the palate, finesse matches the texture, slightly plush and fleshy. Not heavy, but this has a nice mouth filling texture and long finish. Enjoyable mineral undertones too, graphite and wet stone. Freshness is there and no question regarding the ripeness of fruit with hints of liquorice, wet stone - creamy, and mineral. I really love the juiciness and weight, strong but slight, and sleek. Great persistence and character.

St-Émilion (Grand Cru)

2021

93

Cherries and blackcurrants, quite strong aromatically. Liquorice, slate, blueberries, vanilla and floral scents. Nicely juicy and plump, lots of energy here with focus and precision. I like the fun side of things, this has a confidence about it, full of flavour and texture - a chalky and stony grip, but with well integrated wood. The Cabernet Franc is giving lots of great floral scents and some spicy back bone to the wine. Lots of freshness but there’s underlying power here too. Quite a serious wine, it’s not light at all, very accomplished. A true introduction to the grand vin here. Suggest waiting a few years but actually it’s got a lot to offer right now. Ends stony and mineral.

St-Émilion (Grand Cru)

2021

93

Lovely aromas on the nose - beautifully delicate and fragrant - a touch of cola, blue fruits and salt with green pepper and toasted oak. Smells youthful, taut and lean on the palate but with a gorgeous tannin structure and a delicate yet filling weight. Certainly not plush or heavy, this is refined and focussed - crisp and mouthwatering, excellent energy and sense of life with a delicious moreish liquorice, wet stone finish. Extremely easy to like and super drinkable. They didn't try too hard here, this is a serious, well-constructed wine with depth but no heaviness.

St-Émilion (Grand Cru)

2021

93

Ripe and round, a nice fullness to the expression for the 2021 vintage. Juicy, succulent and direct, still with a sense of lean focus, but with accents of ripe fruit and a touch of chew to the tannins edged by salty liquorice, dark chocolate and soft tobacco. Nicely sculpted, juicy and fresh - clean and pure - with lots to like. Lifted and fully expressive ending on a mineral and freshly-picked mint leaf note. I like this a lot. Not trying too hard but still giving a full expression.

St-Estèphe

2021

93

Fragranced roses, raspberry and vanilla nose. Smooth and supple, a nice juicy core. Clean and clear, good use of oak and extraction. A pleasant and really enjoyable glass of wine with bright red fruits, fine silky tannins and a long mineral finish. Becomes a bit more serious on the second taste, the tannin mass amplifying in the mouth, growing in structure. This is a good example and wil age too. Has some density and character.

St-Estèphe (5ème Cru Classé)

2021

93

Gently fleshy and ripe on the palate, this has chew and bounce to the expression with ripe strawberry and blackcurrant with a really enjoyable wet stone and liquorice element. This is a great effort this year, lovely long length and persistence. Juicy, but really juicy - blackcurrant and strawberry with lift. Lovely freshness all the way through. Appealing and easy to recommend.

St-Julien (4ème Cru Classé)

2021

93

Cranberry, red berry fruit and green peppercorns - something a little spicy on the nose. Charming and effortless. Clean and crunchy on the palate, crisp and high toned with some green apple, just ripe raspberry and strawberry fruit with juicy, bright but balanced acidity and a gently creamy, chalky texture all the way through. Nice personality, pretty but nuanced and well built. Not a showstopper, certainly on the lighter more delicate side, but they've done a good job here. Tangy, but cheerful and characterful. A nice effort.

St-Julien (2ème Cru Classé)

2021

97

Richly scented and vibrant nose of dark fruits, liquorice and cocoa. Supple and invigorating, fresh acidity lifting the expression, nuanced and detailed. Softly grained tannins have a chalky aspect giving structure and a filling texture, lots of graphite and wet stones with black berry notes and such energy throughout. Juicy and alive, this is classic in the best sense, and has immediate charm but with the potential to age. I also love the fresh, zesty orange aspects and cool lift throughout.

Pessac-Léognan (1er Cru Classé)

2021

97

Scented flowers and red berries on the nose, lovely aromatics with green peppercorns, herbal blackcurrant leaf and floral scents. Rich and round for a 2021, high acidity gives the life-force but this has a great structure in the mouth. Quite imposing tannins cover the entire tongue and cheeks, and I love it. Grippy, focused, this is one of the more demonstrative 2021 wines in terms of texture and power, but still keeps precision and direction. Chalky grip, a mineral undertone and feeling of substance on the finish. Allow a few more years before starting on this.

Pauillac (1er Cru Classé)

2021

97

I loved this wine during en primeur and I love it still, hovering over giving it 98 points. It’s round and lively but also full and complete, not plush or opulent but supple with intensity and a really enjoyable, juicy acidity and chalky, mineral grip to the tannins. It’s not trying too hard yet still displays power: such concentration and balance. The 96% Cabernet works so well and gives Lafite a star performer this year. This is one you're still going to want to crack open and finish, in 10, 20 or 30 years.

St-Julien (2ème Cru Classé)

2021

97

Utterly captivating on the nose, fragrant and floral with soft orange flecks, sweet cedar and cinnamon. Textured like heavy silk, weighty with a hold to the tannins that says ‘I’m a serious wine’, offering energy and focus. Precision and density, finessed layering that lets the wine deepen and expand over time. Not immediately as attention-seeking as some, but this is classy no doubt and ultimately calls for another sip, and then another. A gorgeous wine that is all the better for what it’s not saying at this point.

Margaux (3ème Cru Classé)

2021

97

A showstopper of a wine that offers a fragranced nose of purple flowers, blackcurrant, cola and liquorice. Smooth and silky, this has a gorgeous weight and texture, full and filling, a density of chalky, almost chewy tannins but bright, juicy acidity. Excellent construction, delicately layered but builds to an impressive whole that has such allure on the palate. A joyous wine brilliantly delivered.

St-Estèphe (2ème Cru Classé)

2021

96

This stands out for its structure, subtle power, balance and finesse. Perfumed and softly sweet on the nose, ripe and concentrated, glorious and inviting. Creamy and chalky at the same time, lovely texture and density with bright and concentrated strawberry and red cherry fruit. Crisp, sweet, salty and sour, a lovely combination of flavours and textures with great drive and an undercurrent of minerality and salty wet stone finish – real St-Estèphe signature.

Pauillac (1er Cru Classé)

2021

96

Richly scented, potpourri and herbs, ripe bramble fruit, dark chocolate, aniseed, cinnamon; so much going on on the nose. Fruity and full, but sleek and sharp, a buzz of almost tart acidity with the slightly grippy tannins giving a sense of bite and tense frame. Confident and compact, and a little more juicy and gently charming than Latour can be. Toasty, oak-edged tannins are still prominent but this has clarity and definition and a true sense of place. Give it some more time to come together.

Pessac-Léognan

2021

96

A gorgeous aromatic display draws you in: crystalline, floral with iris, peony and violet, herbal, earthy and fruity. Sumptuous, this is a classy wine, beautifully smooth but with powdery tannins that give grip and intensity to the structure. It’s grippy at the moment, not as ethereal or silky as some right now, but it’s characterful with power, all while being nuanced and detailed. Charming but still yet to fully come out of its shell. Crunchy, great energy and focus with salty minerality on the finish. This will be a beauty.

Margaux (1er Cru Classé)

2021

96

Lovely soft floral aromatics, pretty and perfumed with red cherries, raspberries and blackcurrants, some liquorice and toasty hints. Round and smooth, silky yet concentrated, there's a fleshy aspect to the fruit and texture while a lean core of salty minerality and high acidity keeps things straight and direct. It's a little reserved now, but this is suave, playful and sharp, full of energy and texture but not yet at the charming, graceful stage and a little atypical for the vintage. The estate picked late, bled the wine more to keep the structure and the result is mouthfilling and succulent, with Margaux charm.

St-Estèphe (2ème Cru Classé)

2021

96

Dark and milk chocolate, raspberries and red cherries on the nose, with a soft vanilla fragrance and some pink floral aspects. Great tension and direction, personality and verve, high acidity but balanced with the tangy red berry fruit – buzzy with energy and focus. Has precision and drive as well as power and concentration, but all with a lovely elegance and sense of style. Classy and classic, a brilliant wine in 2021.

Pauillac (1er Cru Classé)

2021

96

Concentrated and characterful, layered and super-finely presented. Round and full, juicy and textured, more powdery than tense and grippy with almost blackcurrant skin texture, while juicy red and black cherry juice goes through the centre, added to by dried mint, wet stones, clove and liquorice. Serious, with power but poise, all the elements on show – perhaps not quite settled, but individually showing the complexity of this great wine in the making.

Pessac-Léognan (Cru Classé de Graves)

2021

96

You might question this was a 2021 vintage, with its structure, style and charm combined with drinkability and ageability. A vibrant nose: pink roses, blackcurrants, strawberries, vanilla and milk chocolate, touches of pepper and toast. Supple, with bounce and energy, a firm frame but with a juicy, bright core of red berry fruits. Not light but not plush, dense but balanced, fun and friendly with precision and focus, as well as lots of flavour and texture.

Margaux (2ème Cru Classé)

2021

95

Wild pink flowers on the nose, with blackcurrant and cherry fruit, fragrant, almost sweet and sour, super inviting. Cool but concentrated fruit on the palate, supple, agile, ripe full and direct. It has a gorgeous weight on the palate, not plush - it's in keeping with the vintage for sure, but such a finessed, elegance to the frame. Lovely licks of minerality that don't overhwelm the wine and the flavours carry to a long finish. A great sense of fun, joy and delicate beauty. Pretty and super charming, a delicate take from Brane but so much to like with its subtle charm.

Margaux (2ème Cru Classé)

2021

95

Very inviting nose, pink flowers with blackcurrant and cherry, fragrant, almost sweet and sour. Cool but concentrated on the palate, supple and agile, full and direct. Gorgeous weight, not plush, in keeping with the vintage but with a finessed elegance to the frame. Lovely licks of minerality don't overhwelm the wine and the flavours carry to a long finish. A great sense of joy and delicate beauty.

St-Estèphe (3ème Cru Classé)

2021

95

Gentle cherry blossom fragrance with raspberry, cranberry and red cherry. Floral and super aromatic. Tangy and clean, a lovely crystalline aspect to the palate - nicely lean and straight, touching on austere but this also has an enjoyable creaminess that gives the weight and texture and sustains the wine to a long finish. I love the mineral ending, pure and precise. Really elegantly presented, not trying too hard. Very drinkable.

St-Estèphe (3ème Cru Classé)

2021

95

Gentle cherry blossom fragrance with raspberry, cranberry and red cherry. Tangy and clean, a lovely crystalline aspect to the palate, lean and straight, but this also has an enjoyable creaminess that gives weight and texture and sustains the wine to a long finish. Lovely mineral ending, pure and precise. Elegantly presented, and very drinkable.

Pauillac (5ème Cru Classé)

2021

95

A pretty and fragranced nose, then a sense of true classicism with bright, shining acidity underpinning crushed-velvet tannins and undertones of cola, liquorice and cool blue fruit. Slightly lean but also with lots of Cabernet characters supporting the frame – good weight and focus, with drive. Quite linear and straight, but this works and makes you come back for more.

St-Julien (2ème Cru Classé)

2021

95

Scented nose full of cedar, coffee, chocolate, liquorice, blackcurrant and floral fragrance. Light and lean, but full of flavour, the fruit dances across the palate while the relatively tight but fine tannins give structure. Great acidity and lovely elements of sour cherries, fresh-picked blackcurrants and crushed strawberries with an underlying mineral, slightly salty tang. Delicious.

Pessac-Léognan (Cru Classé de Graves)

2021

95

Green peppercorns and tomato leaf mingle with blackcurrant on the nose. Quite herbal and savoury, earthy almost with hints of fragranced perfume also. Supple with lots of energy, focus and precision - this has a real brightness to the red berry summer fruits. Crystalline and pure, a weightless touch almost but there are still tannins that give a soft support around the palate. Elegant and charming, not demonstrative really, but confident nonetheless. Quite high acidity keeps the freshness and zing and this also has a graphite undertone giving the minerality. Well worked and a characterful wine. Delicate but very enjoyable.

St-Julien (2ème Cru Classé)

2021

95

Underlying power and a real sense of structure that many are missing in 2021. An initial tang of bright acidity opens the expression and then the tannins come in, giving this a serious edge with lots of menthol and herbal Cabernet character. It's smooth and long, with excellent potential for ageing.

Pauillac (2ème Cru Classé)

2021

95

Inviting, fragrant nose with pink flowers and red berry fruit. Pure and elegant with a crystalline aspect to the fruit, juicy and lively balance. A super, classic take that I really love: firm and appealing mineral grip, a sense of power and drive but also delicacy and finesse. Reflecting the vintage, it's light and delicate but persistent from start to finish, with tension. Linear but well contained, a solid effort.

Haut-Médoc (5ème Cru Classé)

2021

94

Aromatic and expressive nose, perfumed and black-fruited with dark chocolate and clove. Supple and agile, a lively character but with a stony undercurrent that provides the grip and texture in the mouth. Great tannin management and focus, cool character but concentration, too, a lovely gravelly aspect that puts the terroir in the glass and gives a mineral salinity.

St-Julien (4ème Cru Classé)

2021

94

Green peppercorns, menthol elements, sightly herbal aspects too. Smooth and silky, a shot of bright high acidity with a creamy touch to the texture. Tannins are super fine, barely there, but do give the frame which nicely carries the flavours. Really charming and fruity, lively with great energy if not depth. Fruit so well worked and then whole thing is presented delicately with finesse. I like this.

St-Julien (4ème Cru Classé)

2021

94

Green 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.

Margaux (3ème Cru Classé)

2021

94

Gorgeous fragrance and florality on the nose with ripe and perfumed black fruit and some peony touches. Smooth and supple, nicely weighted with lovely finesse and concentration to the fruit - blackcurrant, cherry and raspberry - with really juicy acidity. A lovely almost creamy aspect to the texture with just grippy and spiced tannins towards the finish. Nice aspect of oak throughout showing the ageing potential. I like this a lot, well formed, well delivered. Easy to enjoy with tons of personality.

Margaux (3ème Cru Classé)

2021

94

Gorgeous fragrance and florality on the nose with ripe and perfumed black fruit and some peony touches. Smooth and supple, with finesse and concentration to the berry and cherry fruit. A lovely, almost creamy aspect to the texture with just-gripping and spiced tannins towards the finish, a nice aspect of oak throughout showing the ageing potential. I like this a lot. Easy to enjoy with tons of personality.

Pauillac (5ème Cru Classé)

2021

94

Ripe, dark and fragrant fruit on the nose - dark plums, cherries, damsons and blackberries with a dusting of black chocolate - coolness but also touches of floral sweetness. Smells softly floral and softly herbal with the fruit at the fore. Smooth and round, nice fullness to the texture - very slightly chewy and plush tannins, this has a bit of flesh to it which I like - textured and filling in the mouth. Ripe strawberries, chewy blackcurrants, it’s cool but textured, grippy, salty and stony. Really a great expression with nuance and layers of different elements. Holds the interest. A touch narrow a bitter still on the finish, though excellent high acidity gives life and vibrancy and nicely counters the plush fruit. Quite a complete wine, not with sunny exuberance but finessed and still flavourful.

Pauillac (5ème Cru Classé)

2021

94

Smells heady, black bramble fruit on the nose, fragrant black cherries, a dusting of clove and cinnamon spice, orange peel - slightly bitter but juicy with a hint of toast too. Quite tight and lean, direct and focussed, this is streamlined - you can feel the cool blue fruit and slightly tense tannin structure, seamless but all held in one line in the centre of the wine. A little strict, but pure, precise and clean. There is lovely clarity to the expression, a silky texture with mouthwatering acidity. Tastes fresh and lively and so clean with that moreish salty and menthol tang that lingers on the tongue. Sleek with a really long finish. Really intense flavours that coat the mouth - cinnamon, clove, redcurrants, cherries, blueberries and blackcurrants. Cola and liquorice lingers on. Sleek and well delivered.

Margaux (3ème Cru Classé)

2021

94

Mint and flowers on the nose with delicate fragrant black bramble fruit. Smooth and elegant, lifted with a lovely balanced acidity to this, not sharp - it's all very calm and delicate but with texture ot the tannins, slightly grippy and softly chalky giving the frame and the definition. I feel they've treaded delicately here, not tried to overdo it, and it's not as ample or fleshy as some in Margaux but what it doesn't have in confrontation it has in finesse. Really easy to drink and easy to enjoy with gorgeous fragrance throughout, lovely raspberry and strawberry elements, and some black tea on the finish.

Pauillac (4ème Cru Classé)

2021

94

After a few minutes soft notes of dark chocolate, red cherry, blackcurrant, green peppercorns and strawberry leaf emerge from the glass. Full and smooth on the palate - silky and sustaining with a lovely fresh juiciness but matching texture that gives a wide expression and layers of chalk, wet stone, graphite and blackcurrant. Feels nicely structured, not opulent at all - in keeping with the vintage but a certain fullness and sense of character. Well delivered. I love the juiciness here, really mouthwatering - clean and clear - precise, but carefully presented with a delightful texture and long menthol finish. Very enjoyable and already very drinkable. Subtle and nuanced, totally moresih and the flavour really lingers. So smooth and silky.

St-Julien (2ème Cru Classé)

2021

94

Concentrated and herbal, creamy and smooth, this is immediately classy with concentration, while keeping a cool blue fruit and mint freshness throughout. Structured, with well-defined texture and some power, it doesn't have the overt acidity and vibrancy some 2021s do, so this is a more serious take, but I like it a lot – a classic St-Julien wine with signature and salty, wet-stone finish. Tannins are verging on austere, but this has the bones to age well and to be very enjoyable.

St-Julien (2ème Cru Classé)

2021

94

A rich, ripe toasted nose, clearly concentrated. Good fruit density, underlying power and sense of structure. This has personality, it does feel a tiny bit pushed on the palate with acidity opening the expression but the fruitiness fades quite quickly and is replaced by the tannic structure and menthol, herbal Cabernet aspects. It's smooth with a long length. Nice bones for ageing, so give this a few years.

Pauillac

2021

94

Toasted notes on the nose; cinnamon, clove with dark rich black fruits, then roses come through, some sweet blackcurrants and red cherries. Sleek and direct, a nice balance and weight in the mouth - halfway lean and focussed halfway textured and creamy, so the flavours give bite, acidity gives tang and tannins give the weight but this remains straight and streamlined. Quite a complete, understated wine, feels more serious than many other second wines, thick and rich, but not heavy. Concentrated, still with high acidity, but feels complex and polished. No rawness here, no shiny brightens either, this is serious.

Margaux

2021

94

Quite a rich, dark heady nose, full of blackcurrants, bramble leaf, raspberry and some dried herbs with floral touches too. Smooth and supple, you can feel the concentration in the mouth but the texture is so silky and fresh too. Bursting with energy and brightness - the fruit has a ripe touch to it - plummy and blackcurrant but the acidity is great giving a real lean and direct frame to the wine and driving it from start to finish. Polished and very enjoyable still with lots of flavour. A real cool element to the dark fruit - it’s not rich and chewy and exuberant and plush, it’s streamlined but full of juicy brightness and then a slick wet slate touch to the finish. Perfumed all the way through with cola, blueberry and liquorice touches as well. Serious and layered. A successful second wine to match the gorgeous grand vin.

Margaux (2ème Cru Classé)

2021

94

Beautifully perfumed on the nose, smells sweet and delicate. Smooth and ample in the mouth, succulent and juicy, quite lean, a sense of austerity in the cool, mineral edged fruit - blackcurrant and blueberry with cola edges and wet stone touches too. It's refined for sure, missing a touch more weight but there's great winemaking on show. First year in organic conversion which can't have been easy. They've done a great job and it's beautifully delicate and poised, an elegant and polished rather than weighty expression.

Pessac-Léognan (Cru Classé de Graves)

2021

94

Cherry blossom and ripe cherry on the nose. Smooth and supple, a nice energy and focus to this straight away with lifted acidity and a chalky core that is super mineral and laced with liquorice and wet stones. Feels like a serious wine with well-handled oak and tannins on the prominent side but really supportive and giving the frame. Needs to age, but more importantly it feels like it will be able to age and develop really well. Lots of life and style to this. A great effort. I like this alot.

Pessac-Léognan (Cru Classé de Graves)

2021

94

Cherry blossom and ripe cherry nose. Smooth and supple, with nice energy and lifted acidity, a chalky core that's super-mineral and laced with liquorice and wet stones. A serious style with tannins on the prominent side but really supporting the frame. Lots of life and style to this, will be able to age and develop really well.

Margaux

2021

93

Fragranced and spiced nose full of nuance and detail - roses, cinnamon, cherries and strawberries. Smooth and succulent, a drive of bright and clear red fruits begin this wine with such purity to the expression. It's lightly framed, more lean and juicy than plush, which is to be expected, but this carries the weight well with energy and focus. Needs a bit of time to put on a little weight around the edges but this has finesse and plenty of juicy appeal. Still has the Margaux elegance, but a bit light on the finish.

St-Estèphe (5ème Cru Classé)

2021

93

Gently fleshy and ripe on the palate, this has chew and bounce to the expression with ripe strawberry and blackcurrant with a really enjoyable wet stone and liquorice element. This is a great effort this year, lovely long length and persistence. Juicy, but really juicy - blackcurrant and strawberry with lift. Lovely freshness all the way through. Appealing and easy to recommend.

Margaux (5ème Cru Classé)

2021

93

Green peppercorns, blackcurrant leaf, curry powder. Supple and nicely ripe fruit on the palate - blackcurrant, black cherry - lovely high acidity with freshness and brightness. The minerality and wet stone aspects come in quite quickly, adding a nuance and just taking over the fun, making this quite serious, although there's lovely acidity all the way through. Nicely constructed and delivered. Easy to enjoy. Has lift and energy which sustains the palate. A success.

Margaux (5ème Cru Classé)

2021

93

Sweet and spicy on the nose, curry leaf, sage, pepper and sweet red fruits. Bright acidity straight away, an instant buzz of tangy fruit before subsiding a little giving way to the chalky, mineral tannins. Nice freshness all the way through with an undercut of fresh fruit. They've been very careful here and this hasn't been pushed. Could have maybe taken on a bit more weight, but this is straight and streamlined, elegantly presented with balance all the way through. Not a showstopper but quietly charming.

Margaux (3ème Cru Classé)

2021

93

Coffee beans, menthol, blackcurrants, roses and clove on the nose - super complex and inviting. Tangy, sharp and bright, the acidity is great but does give this quite a lean, almost austere frame making it seem as if it's missing a bit of weight. Nicely worked in the sense of clarity and precision but doesn't have the concentration and density that some other Margaux wines have. Certainly finessed and elegant though so give this a few more years to settle and soften. Good potential.

Pauillac (5ème Cru Classé)

2021

93

Lovely pretty and fragranced nose. A sense of classicism with bright, shining acidity underpinning crushed velvet textured tannins and a cola, liquorice cool undertone. Slightly lean but also with lots of Cabernet markers that do well to support the frame. Good weight and focus, with drive on the palate. It's light, it's not plush at all, and in that sense really quite linear and lean, but this totally works.

Margaux (3ème Cru Classé)

2021

93

Curry leaf on the nose, strong aromatics with ripe black fruit too. Tangy and sharp, a nice buzz of energy and lovely acidity starts the wine before calming with slightly herbal, medicinal Cabernet touches and minty freshness on the finish. Feels well worked. Calm, elegant, not trying too hard. All in balance, nothing harsh, a direct frame and sense of straightness but with precise fruit, clarity and finesse. A really nice wine with a salty, cola finish. Great effort and totally easy to drink.

Pauillac

2021

93

Ripe, dark perfumed blackcurrant and black cherries on the nose. Fragrant but also herbal, liquorice, clove, tobacco and toast. Supple and juicy on the palate, a lovely sense of life and energy to this straight away. Gorgeous texture, full and expansive in the mouth with gently plush and crushed velveted tannins. Feels like a serious wine with a great fresh backbone of lively acidity, ripe fruit and structured tannins. I love the high acidity and sense of explosion you get here. Raspberry, red cherry and blackcurrant - so red and black fruits with tinges and hints of liquorice, cola and mint around the edges. Really nuanced but very approachable. Fun with clarity and precision. Such a clear palate. A lively baby brother.

St-Julien (3ème Cru Classé)

2021

93

Menthol, dark chocolate and bramble fruit on the nose. Some cola touches and cool blue fruits too. Supple and agile, nice movement and energy here, I like the weight and the depth, it has good concentration with an enjoyable touch of sweetness to the mid palate but cool blue fruit too, with kick and underlying power but nothing overdone here. Great length and juicy, fruity with lots of savoury markers of the vintage. Liquorice, dark chocolate, dried herbs and the Cabernet character of blackcurrant leaf. Very consistent good work from Lagrange.

St-Julien (3ème Cru Classé)

2021

93

An expressive nose full of dark fruit, spiced and herbal elements. Clean and clear, juicy and lively, more of a light, lean delicate take, everything is there just a subtle version of the blackcurrant and strawberries, acidity and tannin profile. I do like it though, it's well made and still has an enjoyable juicy core and long finish. Likely to be extremely pleasant and easy to drink in a few years still with typicity. Same score as Primeurs but this was lovely to taste again.

Pessac-Léognan (Cru Classé de Graves)

2021

93

Sleek and pristine and nice crystalline element to this, it's light and lean, certainly driven from start to finish in one line but this has a sense of finesse and not trying too hard. I love the salty finish, a touch of black tea and some liquorice elements. Good weight and balance, lots of great drinkability here with a lovely lift on the finish that many do not have. Fun, friendly and really sustains. A great effort.

Margaux

2021

93

Rich and intense on the nose, fragranced red and pink flowers with red cherries and plums. Really vibrant pink rim to the glass too. Touches of dark chocolate, cedar and green pepper, herbal, and eucalyptus. Round and vibrant, a playfulness - super high acidity, almost sharp and tart and tangy, with grippy tannins that give the texture and structure. Half crushed velvet and half lean and austere so you get both weight and direction. Feels quite youthful and buzzy right now but this has a nice juiciness, great fresh acidities, bite on the tongue, a clean - wet stone slate feeling and texture. A touch of green peppercorn and toast gives the spicy angles and the minerality on the finish. Well constructed, not the most easy to drink at the moment, this is more serious, but there's good potential and a lot of flavour. It has a certain intensity, a touch of green leeness sets it apart from being totally charming right now, but this certainly carries interest and nuance.

Margaux (4ème Cru Classé)

2021

93

Smells perfumed with curry leaf notes to the aromatic expression, vanilla, cherry, cola and toast. Bold and well formed, slightly more amplified than some of the others in terms of the fruit concentration, ripe blackcurrant and cool blue fruit that carries past the mid palate with fine grained tannins that are a touch fleshy and crushed velvet in texture. Ends a touch mineral and sombre but this has been well made with attention to the fruit maturity and ageing. I like this and has good potential for easy drinking

St-Estèphe

2021

93

Fragranced roses, raspberry and vanilla nose. Smooth and supple, a nice juicy core. Clean and clear, good use of oak and extraction. A pleasant and really enjoyable glass of wine with bright red fruits, fine silky tannins and a long mineral finish. Becomes a bit more serious on the second taste, the tannin mass amplifying in the mouth, growing in structure. This is a good example and wil age too. Has some density and character.

Margaux (4ème Cru Classé)

2021

93

Scented and alive on the nose. Upfront, forward and bright, it's lean but not severe or too austere. The fruit is not plush but it's concentrated and got some texture thanks to just-ripe tannins that give a softly wide mouthfeel. I like the sense of finesse, the juicy acidity and really elegant nature from start to finish - focussed and balanced. Ends chalky and mineral. Lots to like here, feels like it will age well too.

Pessac-Léognan

2021

93

A herbal, blackcurrant scented nose. Lively and tangy, this has bite and grip, a little more closed and tight compared to Les Hauts which is more expressive and charming but this has great precision to the dark fruit and fine tannins. Almost creamy texture but with tension and grip from the flint and wet stone edges. A serious take, but works so well, really in keeping with the vintage, nothing over the top. Juicy and mouthwatering with crunchy black fruit, balanced acidity, fine tannins and a chalky, salty, gravel-like finish. I like this a lot, it's calm and controlled but with an underlying confidence. Great potential. Dense and more tannic for sure. Needs time to open and relax.

St-Julien (4ème Cru Classé)

2021

93

Cranberry, red berry fruit and green peppercorns - something a little spicy on the nose. Charming and effortless. Clean and crunchy on the palate, crisp and high toned with some green apple, just ripe raspberry and strawberry fruit with juicy, bright but balanced acidity and a gently creamy, chalky texture all the way through. Nice personality, pretty but nuanced and well built. Not a showstopper, certainly on the lighter more delicate side, but they've done a good job here. Tangy, but cheerful and characterful. A nice effort.

St-Julien (4ème Cru Classé)

2021

92

Dark chocolate, green peppercorns, blackcurrants, lots of Cabernet markers on the nose. Missing a touch more mid palate depth, starts off juicy and bright but then settles and quietens. It's got a lovely sleek texture, tannins are really well integrated and this isn't at all pushed which is a great effort in 2021 showcasing restraint over trying to make something too hefty. I just wanted some more vibrancy and concentration to follow through. This may just need more time to come together and harmonise.

Moulis-en-Médoc

2021

92

Supple and agile in the mouth, a good burst of chalky tannins with bright strawberry acidity and touches of mint and blackcurrant leaf around the sides. The texture is on the prominent side at the moment, taking over the fruitiness, but there's good structure and feels like a serious wine. Juicy and salty, straight and all in one line. Good potential. Not demonstrative but nicely built with underlying power and strong tannic backbone. Great terroir touches too.

Listrac-Médoc

2021

92

Blackcurrants, chocolate, liquorice and salted caramel on the nose. Searing acidity really lifts the initial expression of this wine before the limestone salty, wet stone-textured tannins enter the picture. Clean and clear, pristine fruit and unmistakable terroir signature , still packing a punch in terms of fruit forwardness, acidity and a salty, very mineral finish. In keeping with the style of the estate and a success in 2021.

Pauillac

2021

92

Rose petals, milk chocolate, plums, blackcurrants with herbal and menthol notes on the nose. Supple and succulent on the palate, juicy and fun, high acidity gives life straight away and this is characterful and bright with the focus on tangy red fruits and shining acidity that makes the mouth water with wet stone minimality around the sides just giving the nuance. Fun and friendly. Broad mid palate, dark fruit characters of blackcurrant and plum nicely counters the high acidity. A super delicious, easy, accessible second wine. Still with bite and structure and stoniness. Not the longest, and tapers with a saltiness, but very good.

Pessac-Léognan

2021

92

Fennel and aniseed on the nose, with blackcurrant and red cherry. Clean and clear, great purity from the first sip, lovely sense of style and charm here. A super tasty and enjoyable glass of wine that's not trying too hard and really leans into the vintage with freshness and ample appeal. Fresh and fun! A lovely wine with a creamy, chalky finish that is moreish.

St-Estèphe

2021

92

Juicy and lively, bright and vibrant with a crisp texture to the red berry fruit with creamy sides and a hint of graphite and wet stone underneath. It loses some oomph and impact towards the finish just tapering out but the initial expression was nice and it ends with a cool note. Might need some more time or might just need to be enjoyed in its youth for a light, delicate but fruit-forward style.

Listrac-Médoc

2021

92

A herbal and mentholated nose full of Cabernet scents with crushed cherries and blackcurrants. Tangy and bright strawberries, lovely smooth profile on the palate, tannins are present but well integrated and this carries its juiciness, acidity and saltiness really well. A lightly-framed wine that is really enjoyable and easy to drink.

Pessac-Léognan

2021

92

Ripe and concentrated nose, smells lively and aromatic with five spice, cinnamon and blackcurrants. Smooth and sappy, a lovely energy straight away, a kick of bright acidity - almost sour and tart, but stays the right side, really focussed and bright, before the salty core comes into play but balanced and harmonious naturally following the lively start. I love the salty minerality with just-textured tannins adding grip and a fruit-forward finish. Tannins are great, this is juicy with real terroir influence. I like it a lot. Easy drinking but also feels like it will age. First vintage in the new cellar.

Haut-Médoc (3ème Cru Classé)

2021

92

Perfumed and nicely scented on the nose, fresh rose petals and raspberries. Clean and precise, a lovely clarity to the expression - crystalline with a softly mouthwatering strawberry juicy core - half tangy, half really quite mineral which, when added to the salty tannins, gives quite a chalky, almost dry wet stone ending. It's easy to drink, just missing a touch more spark and vibrancy, but good structure.

Pessac-Léognan

2021

92

Fresh and fruity nose, quite bright and expressive with clear berry fruit aromas aligned with touches of tobacco, liquorice and dark chocolate. Smooth and succulent, instantly juicy and mouthwatering. Clean and controlled, this has good energy and focus. It’s quite tart, verging on sour but the mineral chalky, wet stone grip brings it back and harmonises the finish with menthol touches and soft spiced edges. A sharp, tangy wine. High acidity but lovely and cool all the way through. Nice purity and finesse.

Pessac-Léognan

2021

92

Tight nose, liquorice, slate, black chocolate, herbal and perfumed notes. Sleek and bright, quite a straight style but with lovely juiciness and freshness, almost tart but stays the right side with pep and bite to the fruit. It has some power and concentration in the touches of heat and cinnamon on the tongue but keeps its shape and focus from start to finish. Will be great for easy enjoyment and early drinking. Ends with a stony and menthol element.

Pauillac

2021

92

Blackcurrant and green peppercorns on the nose, quite a serious take. Dark, bright purple rim to the glass. Smooth and round in the mouth, nicely textured, really a step up from the Pauillac, lovely almost fleshy, chalky tannins with bite and grip, the same pyrazine, green peppercorn / clove spiced edges with liquorice and really quite ripe fruit but with high acidity underneath giving the kick of life. Well constructed, tannins certainly at the for right now but there's plenty of concentrated fruit and tannins and acidity to support this. Nothing dry, or raw or rustic here. Acidity and tension with some weight. Nicely ripe not too much or too little.

Pessac-Léognan

2021

92

Gorgeous strawberry and pink flower, vanilla and raspberry yoghurt accents with touches of blackcurrant leaf - really pretty and perfumed and expressive. Smooth and supple, this has a juicy and joyous expression. Lively summer red berry fruits, straight a touch lean and light, more like a Pinot really, but still with structure and body. Hints of salinity at the finish add to its drinkability. Accessible and drinkable if you like high acidity and bright strawberry fruit. Great balance and harmony, touches of grip by the tannins and a long persistence of flavour despite quite a light, ethereal body overall. Nice graphite and salty wet stone, chalky aspect that lingers.

Margaux (3ème Cru Classé)

2021

92

Green pepper, vanilla, toast, cola and blueberries - a sense of cool freshness from the start with high acidity to begin with but actually settles where the chalky tannins then do most of the talking. The focus is on the structure right now and despite the bright star the fruit doesn't quite make the end. However, I like the tannic expresion, it's full in the mouth, almost chewy with no dryness or bitterness.

St-Estèphe

2021

92

Smooth and gently lively, there is nice bite to this, the fruit is there in the background, cool blueberries, cola and liquorice while the tannins give a soft tension and grip. It's well made, clean and precise. Nothing too demonstrative but well made with focus and length if not weight and density.

Pessac-Léognan (Cru Classé de Graves)

2021

92

Grippy and tangy, a lovely initial fruit expression here, juicy with clean just ripe raspberry, strawberry and cherry - really quite fun and lifted and pure. Becomes quite dry towards the finish though and ends on a black tea, salty aspect. The two aren't quite in harmony yet and need a bit more time to settle.

Pessac-Léognan (Cru Classé de Graves)

2021

92

Slightly toasty, highly fragrant nose with cool blue fruits. Quite intense, feels a little pushed and over extracted with an austerity that comes in relatively quickly and just overtakes the ripe but also cool fruit. The frame is nice but the texture is a little pinched and streamlined just tapering off to a black tea and crushed stone finish.

Margaux (Cru Bourgeois Exceptionnel)

2021

92

Concentrated and intense nose, clearly ripe with roses and red cherries. Lovely bounce and weight on the palate, not plush but with a soft chew to the bright and just-ripe blackcurrant and strawberry fruit. Good lift and acidity, nice control of the fine tannins and soft touches of bitterness and wood spice around the edges with oak really well used and integrated. An easy buy for early enjoyment with less austerity than you find in many 2021s.

Pauillac (5ème Cru Classé)

2021

92

Cool blue fruits and liquorice and salty stones on the nose. High acidity makes its mark straight away - a combination of crisp green apple, just ripe raspberries and some red cherries. Tannins are nicely integrated with hints of oak, toast and tobacco towards the finish alongside wet stones. There's juiciness and tannic structure, adn this feels as though it will be lovely to drink in 3-5 years with the oak, acidity and tannins to age. Very good.

Margaux

2021

92

Lovely fragrance on the nose, richly scented with dark fruits and subtle exotic spices. Smooth and supple in the mouth, great energy and drive with a fun, juicy core that is light but in focus giving this more of an elegant touch but still with persistence. A really nice take on 2021 with plenty of body and flavour. A gorgeous wine that people are sure to finish! Energetic, clean, pure, lively, juicy and clean. A great show with strawberries, blackcurrants and cherries.

Pessac-Léognan

2021

92

Rich fragranced nose, full of flowers, blackcurrant and dark chocolate, but smells cool and fresh too. Supple and succulent, a burst of life and energy straight away, piercing acidity - so lifted, a well defined and quite straight and mineral-edged core but with lovely, slightly textured tannins that give the structure and almost bounce to the expression. Clean, pure, so easy to understand and to enjoy, and great with food. Already super approachable. Blackcurrant, black cherry and freshly picked strawberries. Great stuff.

Haut-Médoc

2021

92

Juicy and lively, a nice buzz to this straight away, lifted and then controlled by quite prominent minerality that gives the salty undercurrent. Doesn't quite sustain so much weight - but this is well balanced, carefully delivered with integrated tannins - just grainy and supportive, with a general feeling of energy, tanginess and freshness at the start and finish. A nice glass. Not big, but refined, elegant and well presented. Has some charm.

Haut-Médoc (5ème Cru Classé)

2021

91

Strongly perfumed, smells strongly of Petit Verdot. Quite high acidity, sharp and tangy straight away, prominent acidity which is mouthwatering, then settles and turns a bit creamy and chalky towards the finish. Ends a little bit bitter. Calm, not shouting, and missing a bit more push and sense of juiciness, a little serious right now but this should round out nicely and provide lots of short-to-mid-term drinking pleasure.

Pauillac (5ème Cru Classé)

2021

91

Quite a toasted nose, full of liquorice, cedar and tobacco nuances. Structured and full for the vintage, quite a serious take with not as much acidity shining through as some. Here the tannins take the fore as well as the mineral, salty, liquorice edges giving this more of a savoury ending with a feeling of licking wet stones. Maybe in time this will open and soften a little more.

Haut-Médoc (5ème Cru Classé)

2021

91

Smooth and supple, fruity and fun, lifted strawberries and cherries fill the mouth before quite salty, mineral tannins take their place. But it's clean and pure with a lovely finesse to the expression if not quite the persistence of fruit but this does have a long finish. This will be great in time, has the potential.

Haut-Médoc (Cru Bourgeois Exceptionnel)

2021

91

Clean and lean, streamlined and tense, but balanced in its expression. Dark fruits with a salty core, tannins are gripping but so well integrated giving this some structure and dark fruits give the strength if not power. A great effort in 2021, fruit energy, purity, acidity, salty undercurrent and a touch of austerity on the finish that will settle.

Margaux (3ème Cru Classé)

2021

91

Gorgeous fragrance of the nose, so floral and perfumed, really pot pourri and parma violet sweets. Quite a delicate texture and flavour profile here - subtle red berries, a prominent chalky texture and mineral finish. Feels well worked, not so demonstrative right now, missing a touch more weight and energy but it's sleek and well defined.

St-Julien

2021

91

Juicy and clean, a lovely light handed touch to this, strawberry, creamy raspberry and fragrant cherries. Straight but not lean, there's no harsh austerity here, all in balance with a silky texture. Missing a touch more vibrancy but I like the acidity, fruit purity, soft minerality and sense of gentle calmness here. Totally likeable and easy to drink.

Haut-Médoc (4ème Cru Classé)

2021

91

A bit dry and sombre, nice structure with just grippy tannins, but missing some more acidity. Feels calm and controlled, a nice balance all the way through, with minerality on the finish. A little quite still, just shy in terms of energy and life.

Margaux

2021

91

Plump and slightly full expression for the vintage, the ageing have added some fat to the tannins - almost chewy with fresh acidity - strawberry and red cherry flavours and prominent minerality. The frame is taking over some of the fruity fun, but this is well presented with some character and liveliness. Great acidity and bounce to the palate. Not weighty as such and the fruit doesn't quite last to the finish with a cola and liquorice end but this is well worked. I like it. Tasty and really well delivered.

St-Estèphe (4ème Cru Classé)

2021

91

Super ripe and perfumed on the nose. Bright, almost searing on the palate then chalky with a crystalline mineral edged finish. Clean and precise, lacks a touch more density on the mid palate, but this is well worked with balance and a long salty finish. Cool blue fruits are lovely as are the licks of menthol, eucalyptus and flint.

St-Estèphe (Cru Bourgeois Exceptionnel)

2021

91

Perfumed and potent on the nose, clearly ripe and concentrated. Smooth and silky, quit lean and streamlined, not so textured more grippy with bite and tang rather than plush and textured. It's direct - not moving form the core, but well defined and feels finessed. Nothing out of place. Great purity, really well executed and lots of enjoy here. Mouthwatering acidity with cool elements as well as soft juicy creaminess, like tasting light strawberry juice. Delicate but enjoyable. Great acidity, easy to like with terroir touches. Tannins stul on show but they'll soften.

Pessac-Léognan

2021

91

Lovely fresh fragrance on the nose, raspberries, scented blackcurrants and floral notes - you can smell the Cabernet Franc with some soft green herbal accents. Sleek and supple, a lovely shot of bright juiciness - fresh acidity - with bite and a mineral grip on the tongue straight away. Fun but gripping, the wet stone and flint making its mark and lingering on the tongue. I love the sense of life. It's lean and straight with tension but also has the juicy core with a mineral finish.

St-Estèphe (Cru Bourgeois)

2021

91

Round and almost fleshy, this has a nice filling texture with sweet, sour and sharp fruit - lovely bright and fresh raspberries and strawberries with tangy blueberries and cooling mint and wet stones giving minerality. Still quite a lean wine, streamlined and finessed, not layered or weighty but well presented and easy to enjoy. This will also age as it still feels a little young and tight.

Margaux (3ème Cru Classé)

2021

91

Lots of fruit on the nose - notes of floral perfume and concentration as well as green notes. A calm wine, not too high acidity compared to some so it feels as if it's missing some life and verve, with quite austere, grainy tannins that grip and hold on. Tight and quite restrained for the moment with blackcurrants, plum and cherry accents. It doesn't feel too pushed but needs time to come together a bit more. Shows promise.

Moulis-en-Médoc

2021

91

Nice fragrance on the nose, perfumed and vibrant with red and black fruits. Smooth and round, but straight too, nice definition, a shot of bright acidity with slightly tangy black berry fruit, mineral sides and just gripping salty, stony tannins. Good balance and weight on the palate, not light or too austere, but mouthwatering with character and length. Not shouting but quite complete.

St-Julien (4ème Cru Classé)

2021

91

High acidity, bright and tangy then creamy and soft. Gentle persistency, smooth tannins and nice just-ripe blackcurrant and black cherry. It's quite savoury, with some dry, almost green and chalky tannins on the finish. A good example, perhaps missing a touch more vibrancy and lift, but it's structured and well balanced with concentration.

St-Estèphe

2021

91

Nice menthol fragrance to the nose with some pink flowers, raspberries, aniseed, liquorice and cinnamon. Juicy and fresh, there's lift to this, a good bounce to the profile still with a salty, mineral core that drives in one straight line. Well made with finesse and elegance, structure from the Cabernet with herbal aspects and a fine grained tannins. A good effort.

Graves

2021

90

Supple and friendly, textured and serious. Tannins are a little dry and raspy, just giving some austerity on the mid palate and finish but I like the weight and sense of drive. Really not a bad effort with high acidity, good juiciness mixed with dried herbs and Cabernet aspects and licks of oak and dark chocolate on the finish suggesting more time to age and settle. Nice construction and potential.

Moulis-en-Médoc

2021

90

Such a pretty nose with raspberries and rose petals. Bright and supple, a nice energy to this straight away, lively and juicy, missing some more push and length towards the finish, but starts off nicely with bright strawberries and red cherries before a mineral, wet stone element comes into play. I love the initial juiciness, before it fades away, but the lingering salty, stone minerality is nice. Straight and lean, I'd like this to have a bit more push and mid palate depth but perhaps it'll expand given some time.

Margaux (Cru Bourgeois Exceptionnel)

2021

90

Bright and shiny, lovely purity to the fruit expression - clear and clean strawberries, raspberries and cherries. A little light but sleek and streamlined, with a touch of tension keeping the direction. Nicely worked and presented, not weighty, but this has definition and nuance and cooling mint and wet stone aspects on the finish.

Pessac-Léognan

2021

90

Fruity and forward, a nice energy straight away which gives focus. It's quite lean and light, the fruit loses some impact towards the mid palate and then keeps a relatively lean and direct route to the finish ending a touch salty. Tannins are present and support the fruit, giving a touch of texture to the mid palate, so give this a bit more time to harmonise and fill out.

Pauillac

2021

90

Softly fragrant red berries - raspberries and rose petals with fresh strawberries too. Round and lively in the mouth, softly grippy and chalky around the edges with a tang and bite too - bright and fresh acidities give a sense of leanness while the herbal and fragranced fruit profile adds texture and weight. Juicy and nicely balanced, not a showstopper, on the delicate side in terms of texture but still with red berry fruit and a menthol freshness on the finish. A lovely lick of salty stones to end the taste. Not the most persistent.

Pauillac (5ème Cru Classé)

2021

90

Smooth and silky, with high acidity, quite lean and straight, all in one line - a little light - very mineral and taught - lots of tenison driving this wine from start to finish with clear lines of liquorice, menthol, dark chocolate, flint and wet stone. It's missing a bit more density and vibrancy but I do like the dried herbs and cola, liquorice stoniness. I had high expectations for this based on my Primeurs tasting but it didn't quite meet them.

Pauillac

2021

90

Lovely strong concentrated nose, full of Cabernet menthol and blackcurrant markers. Concentrated and so lively and juicy, really lifted with bright acidity, almost tart, but then pulled back by the salty, gravel minerality. Long with bite and a sense of power. A really nice, shining, tangy example. Not so tannic, they're super fine, but this has plenty of flavour and sense of excitement. I like it with its strong mentholated finish alongside clove, liquorice and tobacco.

St-Julien

2021

90

Bright and pure, an unfussy style with clarity to the red and black cherry and berry fruit and high acidity that lifts the expression. Feels delicately and sensitively made, not pushed with fruit expression at the fore. Nice detail and cooling aspects. Not heavy or weighty but nice and stylish with definition and energy. I like the finesse.

Margaux

2021

90

Gorgeous fragrance and florality on the nose, rose petals, black cherries and raspberries. Nicely plump texture in the soft chew to the salty, mineral-edged tannins - a metallic tang joining some herbal edges and liquorice on the finish. I like the character and the frame, this has some bounce to it and sustains the flavour to a long finish. Not weighty, built not lean, with the minerality showing through all the way.

Pessac-Léognan

2021

90

Fragranced and pretty on the nose. Juicy and nicely plump, a little bit of tangy, salty texture. Good energy and sense of life to this, clean and precise, very drinkable and appealing to drink now. Lovely finesse and just sense of gentle calmness and sleek presentation. All in balance and long. Red berries, some dried herbs, vanilla, clove, tobacco and cola. Cool and fresh.

Pessac-Léognan

2021

90

Great fragrance and intensity of aromatics on the nose. Clear and clean, juicy and lively, a nice sense of restraint to this with just ripe, cool blueberries and red cherries with grippy, salty tannins. A success in that they didn't overdo it here. An easy drinking example with signature.

Margaux

2021

90

Lively and bright, a nice initial burst of energy and quite pristine strawberry juice acidity to this. It has balance but doesn't quite carry the same sense of fun all the way through just tapering on the finish with an edge of salty, wet stone. Nothing harsh here, carefully worked, not dry or bitter with high acidity. Easy to drink with a cooling fresh undercurrent of blueberry and cola.

Médoc

2021

90

Scented and heavily fragrant on the nose, some green fruit and herbal tones also, nice aromatic range. Juicy and fresh, there's lift straight away on this, not the weightiest in the mouth, this is sleek but I like the tannin profile, the soft chalkiness and sense of texture on the tongue. Good with food and nice to crack open and enjoy young. Summer red and black berries with blue fruits, liquorice, stones and a touch of clove.

Pauillac

2021

90

Roses and milk chocolate with some soft dried herbs on the nose. Fruity and high toned, a touch of juiciness then softens and calms, a little raw towards the finish in terms of flavours even though the texture is nice and grippy. Sharp acidity is there, just tapers with salty elements, green peppers, dried herbs and blackcurrant leaf. Give this some time.

Margaux (2ème Cru Classé)

2021

90

Full and fruity, supple and agile, this has a lovely density to the fruit with quite prominent mineral tannins that give this a slight bite and edge of chalkiness in the mouth. The two elements aren't quite harmonised yet but this has promise. Feels well made with fruit maturity, high acidity and long finish. The fruit does taper but this feels like it has good potential.

St-Julien

2021

90

Sleek and fun, this has a nice pure fruit expression with quite creamy edges giving some weight to the palate. Overall quite light however, this is sleek and doesn't really deviate from the centre in terms of widening. A little herbal on the finish which detract slightly but a good effort.

St-Émilion (1er Grand Cru Classé)

2021

97

Deep, complex and precise, what a wine in 2021. Grippy and intense, this captures attention and holds it: the sharp zing of acidity, wet stone minerality, crystalline fruit. Bright and fresh, excellent tannin integration, mid-palate depth and a salty, liquorice twist at the end. You almost want to chew this wine, yet it's spot-on and totally moreish; freshness is the focus but not a beat is missed with the texture and mouthfeel. No one can be disappointed with this wine!

St-Émilion (1er Grand Cru Classé A)

2021

96

Perfumed nose, full of pot pourri, scented flowers, dried raspberries and cherries. Really quite evocative, maybe in a vertical you'd pick this out from the nose but it smells wonderful and rich with cool blueberries. Round and charming, this is gorgeously soft, tannins are so inviting, caressing the mouth, not deep at all, this is delicate and primed to float across the tongue, registering the flavours but no heaviness. Almost ethereal in its performance. Really very delicious, full of flavour and character. Gorgeous styling and only got better after half an hour in the glass. Succulent, mineral, graphite, limestone touches on the finish remind you where you are.

St-Émilion (1er Grand Cru Classé A)

2021

96

Smells wonderful, the nose full of milk chocolate and fragranced cherries, so pure and precise. Wonderfully clean and delineated - also has a sense of weight and expanse to the aromas - blueberries and blue flowers. Taut and controlled, this strikes an immediate buzz in the mouth, straight and focussed, not much deviation from the core, but this has a nice texture that gives a bounce to the expression. Still young and a bit coiled, but this carries wonderful freshness and a real sense of drinkability. It’s on the light side, some new oak coming out in the spiced edges and liquorice undertone but I like the no frills nature. Not showing off at all, but giving refined elegance. When it’s ready, it will be a real pleasure to drink.

St-Émilion (1er Grand Cru Classé A)

2021

96

Rich and dense aromatics, lovely black cherry and dried flowers, the Cabernet Franc bringing all the aromas. Supple and smooth, so alive in the mouth yet this has density and depth, something to chew on. It’s not plush, but there’s texture from start to finish, with delicacy and finesse to the expression. A highly drinkable Angélus that has really benefited from dialling back on the power. Great freshness and precision, while feeling as if it will age well. Impressively keeps the structure and density but with energy.

St-Émilion (1er Grand Cru Classé A)

2021

96

Extremely dark aromatics on the nose, dark bramble fruits, cedar and liquorice with a really vibrant but dark indigo rim to the wine. Focussed and sharp, high toned in the best way, this really makes you smile when you first taste it, the juicy but almost sweet acidity making the mouth water while salty, but so well defined tannins coat the mouth giving the structure and support. Lovely finesse and movement from start to finish and an excellent weight too - deep and round but straight and pristine. Feels a bit relaxed, quite elegant and not pushed or too tense at this point. A lovely wine to drink, acidity, fruit purity, fine tannins and a sense of balance and good construction. Still a little constricted on the finish, this will need time, but when it hits its drinking window this will be lovely to drink. Fresh and invigorating but keeping the structure and power.

St-Émilion (1er Grand Cru Classé)

2021

96

Pink floral and raspberry aromas, fragrant red cherries and just-ripe strawberries. Incredibly well textured, alive and forward in the glass, this has energy and lift. A really pure and precise bite to the fruit with excellent acidity and style. A delicious, moreish wine, revealing layers of flavour and texture with lovely gentle acidity and a soft, cooling menthol minerality that lingers.

St-Émilion (1er Grand Cru Classé)

2021

96

Gorgeous fragrance, pretty and pure. Juicy and clean, this has such a lovely energy and focus to it – lifted, bright but not searing, juicy but not too acidic, weighty but still streamlined and direct. I love the fine tannins, still with some tension, and a soft, sality liquorice outline. Feels elegant and finessed, polished and stylish with lift and movement.

St-Émilion (1er Grand Cru Classé)

2021

96

Delicate and beguiling fragrance with a bright and shiny, sleek expression on the palate. Direct and focused with tangy red berry fruit, acidity on the high side giving an immediate buzz, supportive tannins that give density and structure but retain grace and elegance. A full and serious wine while still being streamlined and on the leaner flavour spectrum. Lots of texture and interest.

Pomerol

2021

96

Gorgeous fragrance, very floral and almost evocative in terms of perfume, flowers, spices and dark blue fruits with hints of liquorice. Bright and shiny, but so calm and controlled. A tiny bit grippy from the grainy tannins and oak, a touch tight, but there’s such purity and gently expansive fruit - you can feel the concentration - no green elements, nothing harsh here. Pure and fine, really not a light wine but not heavy either. Crunchy, juicy, not fleshy but there’s texture here enough to give a wide mouthfeel and not feel too lean. Fun and fruity with refinement too so you're getting the Conseillante DNA. I love it, not trying too hard. You're not getting plush power but this is wonderful to open and enjoy.

Pomerol

2021

96

A gorgeous 2021 from Le Pin. Summer autumn berries on the nose - crunchy strawberry and ripe blackcurrant. So expressive with a beautiful fragrance and nuance of aroma. Incredibly precise and sharp, gorgeously clean and nuanced. It's delicate no doubt, there’s barely any weight here but just such beautiful delineation of flavours that just linger on the tongue. It’s fresh and al dente. Really not trying too hard with lychee, orange peel, slightly exotic elements and a bitter spice on the finish. Silky and smooth, with drive and definition the whole way through. The signature is just slightly more cool in terms of aromatics but it’s still Le Pin.

Pomerol

2021

96

Floral and mixed berry nose. This is rich, ripe and round from the first sip, almost so you'd forget you’re drinking a 2021 – not plush but something to chew on here, textured and fleshy. Deep in terms of penetrating flavour yet with tension, too, keeping the precision and focus. Barely a detail out of place, and it’s perhaps still not showing it’s true potential, but I love the mineral markers, the finesse and the underlying power. Delicious, totally keeps the magic signature of the estate despite the vintage conditions.

Pomerol

2021

96

Perfumed and vivid nose. Supple and alive, plump yet streamlined, too - the initial bounce of round, ripe fruit straightens and focuses like a laser with cool blue fruits and menthol touches supported by the grippy, salty tannins that keep the mouth full of texture. A serious wine yet nuanced, pure and fresh. Perhaps not the weight you’d usually expect, but this has total charm and really delivers an enjoyable, cellarable wine.

Pomerol

2021

96

Dark floral and black berry fragrances and some toasty aspects on the nose, rich but pure. Scintillatingly fresh and bright, the acidity is the main focus before softly gripping tannins come in and take over. Great structure but still with nuance and soft touches of minerality, mint freshness. A little tight and compact right now, but does display hints of chewy Pomerol charm and density while still being finessed. Elegant, characterful, with a long life ahead.

Pomerol

2021

96

A wine you don’t want to put down. Not light, but round and full for 2021, with body and concentration, carrying its frame well with a direct piercing of flavour through the middle. Tension and tang, bite and grip, gravel and clay nuances in texture and flavour. Juicy and succulent with tobacco, wet stones, slightly creamy and chalky with red and black fruits. Not the longest in terms of the initial expression, but lovely terroir character with lots of energy. Sublime.

Bordeaux Supérieur

2021

95

Saline, mineral notes on the nose, crayon, liquorice and graphite with light blackcurrant and blueberry. Strong and intense, a lovely weight to this in the mouth, texture and flesh, but smooth, well constructed and harmonious. This has something to chew on at first then sleeks out and focusses towards the finish, ending sharp with liquorice and wet stones. Delicate and nuanced, not in your face at all, more confident perhaps than Grand Village but less detail immediately on show. A great effort in 2021 but it's sleeping now, will need more time.

St-Émilion (1er Grand Cru Classé B)

2021

95

An improvement on its Primeurs score. Delicately fragranced on the nose with soft red berry and pink floral notes. Smells pretty and inviting with delicate accents of green peppercorns, vanilla and clove. Supple in a juicy, textured way with a finessed energy that definitely doesn't shout out of the glass but is quietly confident. Finessed and well put together, almost sinewy in the construction - fine tannins, acidity, pure red fruit and a long liquorice and wet stone finish. Really complete, just dialed down, very in keeping with the vintage. Nothing is out of place. A lovely wine with the delicate sweet juiciness that I love. May be too light for some, but this is great.

St-Émilion (1er Grand Cru Classé)

2021

95

One of the more complete 2021 wines in terms of energy and harmony. Fragrant and ripe fruit on the nose, perfumed black cherries and a dusting of milk chocolate, toasty wood and dark spices. This has a lovely presence on the palate, pure but with concentration and coolness at the same time. Stylish with energy and focus, lots of movement and forward motion. A great showing already.

St-Émilion (1er Grand Cru Classé)

2021

95

Gorgeous cool blue fruits, liquorice and salinity on the nose, clean but really expressive. Full and forward, quite intense with plump fruit, however there's great depth and energy. Concentrated and ripe, but also with cool touches of blueberry, cola and wet-stone nuances. Nice energy and focus, streamlined, but this has a great weight with the bite and grip of 2021. Great effort.

St-Émilion (Grand Cru)

2021

95

Heady and expressive, lovely dark black fruit aromas and soft floral hints, vanilla, chocolate and toasted oak. Full, round and succulent, softly chewy, has great texture but is smooth and sleek, too. The nuanced, gorgeous menthol-fresh undertones and lovely mineral element on the finish reveal the fruit element sourced from 1ha on the St-Emilion plateau. A wine that shines in a year where you can feel the winemaking and terroir; tasty, enjoyable and drinkable.

Pomerol

2021

95

A bit quiet aromatically. Bright and shiny straight away, juicy with acidity and minerality to the fore - a real coating of liquorice and flint straight away, fruit feels ripe and perfumed with a lean texture and racy acidity - salty, straight and focused. Tannins are slightly grippy and grainy giving the frame and structure. Needs more time to come together but this feels well worked, with a certain fullness. Salty strawberries, herbal raspberries, wet stone, flint and graphite. You really get the terroir effect here and the final flavour leaves you wanting more. Delicate yet determined. I like it a lot.

Pomerol

2021

95

Smooth and supple, a nice energy and focus to this, clean and clear with a lovely purity and finesse. Lots of red berry fruit, just ripe, almost on the tangy sour side but stays in the right place, giving a good, wide mouthful without feeling too heavy or dense or pushed. Clear and racy with nicely gripping tannins and lots of fresh mint, menthol and wet stone on the finish. Tension, focus and drive, I'd like to see how this evolves. Excellent potential.

Pomerol

2021

95

Blackcurrant and black cherry nuances on the nose, smells aromatic but delicate. Strong and intense straight away, you can feel the power here, but it’s cloaked in silk. Smooth and shiny, this is giving confidence and brightness with tang and bite, Gorgeous succulence and crunch but pure too. There’s no sun so you get layers of pixelation and nuance of flavour, hints of spice, coolness, tang and acidity. Taught and tense, strict almost, but you can feel the beginnings of it start to soften. A delicious, pure and straight wine that will be a beauty.

Pomerol

2021

95

Floral and lifted nose, clean, clear and fragrant. Soft but grippy, chalky and intense, with a push and movement to the textured strawberry and red cherry fruit. Almost fleshy but cool, giving some roundness but no heaviness. This has character and something to get your teeth into. Nice persistence, well presented.

Pomerol

2021

95

Delicate but inviting aromatics of raspberry, red cherries and pink roses. Plump and nicely fleshy, this has a really enjoyable texture, is forward and in your face right now but has just the right weight and balance, with a gorgeous salty tang to the tannins and cool blue fruit. Tannins are perfect and this has the potential to age, too. Delicious.

Bordeaux Supérieur

2021

94

Subtle floral and tomato leaf aromas, something herbal and earthy with exotic spices and red berry and cherry fruit - a nice complexity on the nose. Juicy and bright, a hit of acidity and salinity makes the mouth water straight away, tangy and alive, but pure and focussed. Not so deep, more streamlined but crunchy and crisp. Really get a sense of the tension to this wine which is nice. Almost quite dramatic in its brightness and focus. Fresh, fun and fruity. Ends chalky and mineral. Very easy to like this. Not light but streamlined, balanced and elegant. Great definition, energy and focus. Immediately impressive and upfront. Great to drink now/soon.

St-Émilion

2021

94

Lovely aromatic profile, softly aromatic and flowery with nice touches of black fruits. Something really quite perfumed about the nose. Smooth and succulent, instantly so juicy and alive on the palate, very clean and balanced, cleans the tongue and scrapes with a graphite and mineral, wet stone texture. Very appealing and utterly drinkable still with hallmark tones of tobacco, liquorice and spice on the finish. I love the energy, really feels lively in the glass, crunchy and so fruity. Well executed, full of flavour and polished.

St-Émilion (1er Grand Cru Classé B)

2021

94

Fragrant and ripe fruit on the nose, perfumed black cherries and a dusting of milk chocolate. Lots of toasted aromatics too, wood, clove, cinnamon and spice. Weighty and well textured, this has a lovely presence on the palate, pure but with concentration yet cool at the same time. Stylish with energy and focus. Really sustains the palate, lots of movement and forward motion. One of the more complete wines in terms of energy and just harmony. Still the oak there so this will age but a great showing.

St-Émilion (1er Grand Cru Classé B)

2021

94

Rose petals, pink flowers, raspberries and a touch of cardamom and cinnamon to the red berry fruit. Grippy and textured, quite a lean expression, direct and focussed, with bite to the tannins and a touch of dry salty, flinty minerality that coats the cheeks. It's well worked but hasn't quite settled yet and doesn't quite have the fruit density to carry more of the motion and energy. Sleek though and definitely confident. Will be lovely once it calms.

St-Émilion (1er Grand Cru Classé B)

2021

94

Gorgeous cool blue fruits, liquorice and salty nose, smells clean but really expressive. Ripe and round, full and forward, quite extracted with plump/thick fruit, however there's great depth and energy here, concentrated fruit clearly ripe but also with cool touches of blueberry and cola and wet stones that bring nuance. Nice energy and focus, streamlined but it has a great weight and sense of character. Very good - energy and liveliness still with bite and grip from 2021, but a great effort.

St-Émilion (1er Grand Cru Classé)

2021

94

Perfumed and potent on the nose with wood and toast tones. Lively on the palate, though, a shot tangy acidity and high-toned raspberry fruit before green peppercorns and clove spice, the wood still clearly on show and dominating right now, but this feels really well thought-out with good potential to age.

St-Émilion (Grand Cru Classé)

2021

94

Fragranced and scented nose. Elegant, a little light and may be missing some extra plumpness for some, but it has backbone and structure with balanced and intense flavours, and the texture is sleek and well defined. Straitlaced, but with fragranced cherry and strawberry, a touch creamy yet with plenty of energy and verve, all in good proportion. Fresh and flavourful.

St-Émilion (Grand Cru Classé)

2021

94

Ripe, fragrant nose, chocolate, cherries and roses. Enjoyably textured, this has energy and focus as well as fruit concentration. Touches of vanilla and cream come in to give smoothness, ending on a softly salty note with liquorice and dark cocoa powder. Juicy, fruity and enjoyable, still with licks of oak so will need time but has ageing potential.

St-Émilion (Grand Cru)

2021

94

Soft florally, lightly delicate flowers, blue fruits and spices. Gorgeous succulence and texture - fluffy almost, textured, pillowy, the flavours caresses the mouth and linger. Salty, spicy, liquorice, tobacco and clove, but fruity too with the cleanest finish. Delicious. A serious second wine, one of enjoyment, juicy blackcurrant, black cherry and chalk. Sexy and not many 2021s are that sexy, they're more svelte. Great character.

Pomerol

2021

94

Perfumed nose, something mineral about the scent, stoney with lots of cherry aromas. Smooth and alive, a nice upfront brightness to this - shiny but sleek. Crunchy fruit, clean but this has texture too and a real mineral undertone. You can feel the tension, it's straight and well defined, to the point, long and piercing. A very good wine that’s interesting and characterful. Nuanced with tomato leaf and spiced accents around the sides. A clean and easy to enjoy wine made by Guillaume Thienpont.

Pomerol

2021

94

Ripe and fragrant black fruit on the nose, cherries and blackcurrants. Grippy, vibrant and rich, an element of quite perfumed fruit here. It tastes on the border of being overly ripe in terms of fruit concentration, but has a very lean, direct texture that is streamlined with an undercurrent of liquorice, cola and salty minerality. It comes together nicely on the chalky, slightly spiced finish. Charming and confident.

Pomerol

2021

94

Fresh and appealing summer berry fruit and soft floral aromatics on the nose ,cherry and raspberry. Smooth and supple, this carries its weight and energy nicely. Easy to approach with crunch and bite. Well defined, hints of spice and minerality. Gorgeous purity and ease to this, just so effortless and enjoyable. Not the longest or heaviest but really wows on the palate for its finesse. Great acidity and purity, it’s clean but still flavourful. Very impressive for a second wine. I love the ease and effortless nature, you couldn't not drink all of this. Delicious.

St-Émilion (Grand Cru Classé)

2021

93

Blackcurrants, rose petals and cocoa powder on the nose. Fresh and slightly tart in a lively way, the fruit and acidity is at the fore giving life and energy. It's light and lean, but doesn't feel as if it's missing the mid-palate depth, it's complete in its way with redcurrants, creamy black cherries, freshly-picked strawberries and a salty, wet stone finish.

St-Émilion (Grand Cru Classé)

2021

93

Rose petals and red berry fruit on the nose. Smells pure and pretty. Purity continues on the palate, this is finessed and sleek with a soft plushness to the expression - tannins are present and fill the mouth with a crushed velvet texture supporting the fruit. Lovely juicy acidity, really well balanced and friendly. Not trying too hard. It's light but no harsh leanness or austerity. Fruit is pure and this is really enjoyable.

St-Émilion (Grand Cru Classé)

2021

93

Smooth and silky, this has a lovely texture from the start - singing fruit of dark blackcurrants, red cherries and raspberries with balanced acidity - not too sharp and licks of wet stone and salt on the finish. This has a good structure without being too much. Easy to enjoy, still with ripe fruit and a hint of underlying power which some of the 2021s lack. Juicy, light, fun, food friendly with appealing liquorice, cola and graphite on the finish. A touch of heat on the finish suggests the 14% but adds to the overall width rather than detracting anything from it. A success.

St-Émilion (Grand Cru Classé)

2021

93

Fragrant and a touch smoky on the nose with perfumed floral notes and ripe blackcurrants. Smooth and supple, a nice juicy intensity with high but not too seering acidity makes way for slightly austere touches against a salty mineral core. It's lightly framed and delicate, very easy to drink and enjoy. Friendly, charming, juicy, fun, fresh and well worked. A touch savoury and minty on the finish.

St-Émilion (Grand Cru Classé)

2021

93

Smells strong and concentrated with lots of oak and dark fruit nuances. Cool blue fruit with vanilla and tobacco, still needs time to harmonise and for the wood to integrate and as such isn't giving total balance and connectivity right now. The texture is sleek, and there is weight and acidity, but the flavours need to meld a little. Confident and structured, shows lots of promise.

St-Émilion (Grand Cru Classé)

2021

93

High toned and full of energy and spark straight away, it's light and flexible, with a juicy core full of red strawberry and cherry fruit, liquorice and minty edges. Lovely purity and poise, it's not the fullest, but carries its light frame really well with plenty of ripe fruit flavours and really quite high acidity that lifts the whole expression. A nice effort in 2021 and a joy to drink. Clean and clear.

St-Émilion (Grand Cru Classé)

2021

93

Smells forward and nicely scented. Fresh and bright, a lovely almost sour cherry and freshly picked strawberry aspect to this which is nicely balanced by hints of vanilla, liquorice, chocolate, cardamom and cinnamon with the crushed stone, chalky tannins giving the width and depth. It's not hugely persistent but really delivers on a clean, elegant and still fresh and fruity glass of wine with a delicious salty mineral finish.

St-Émilion (Grand Cru)

2021

93

Beautifully expressive aromatics, really jump from the glass, alive and nuanced, floral, fruity - rosehip, cranberry, cardamom, cinnamon. Supple and lithe, this has movement to it which is so nice. Not super tense and straight, not dense and chewy, somewhere in-between with bright, mouth-watering acidity that lifts the expression. Hints of chalky minerality on the finish brings it back to focus with a moreish aspect. Tannins are great, barely noticeable but still giving the frame and support to the structure. Well delivered. Gorgeous purity, balance and harmonious, really lovely drinking here.

St-Émilion (Grand Cru)

2021

93

Lovely fragrance on the nose, really quite aromatic blackcurrants. Smooth and supple, juicy and lifted, a really great energetic expression. Just shy of lean, a slight bounce although with slightly rustic tannins that grip the mouth and leave a salty, liquorice and graphite texture and taste. I like the expression, lots of fruit, freshness, acidity and structure with so much life. Focussed and finessed with a really prominent mineral core and mint, eucalyptus finish. You can tell this was from a cool vintage but it still has power.

St-Émilion (Grand Cru)

2021

93

A new in-bottle showing for Château Figrac's small sister estate in St-Emilion. Lovely rich scent, dark creamy blackcurrant and bramble fruits on the nose. Clear and clean on the palate, finesse matches the texture, slightly plush and fleshy. Not heavy, but this has a nice mouth filling texture and long finish. Enjoyable mineral undertones too, graphite and wet stone. Freshness is there and no question regarding the ripeness of fruit with hints of liquorice, wet stone - creamy, and mineral. I really love the juiciness and weight, strong but slight, and sleek. Great persistence and character.

St-Émilion (Grand Cru)

2021

93

Cherries and blackcurrants, quite strong aromatically. Liquorice, slate, blueberries, vanilla and floral scents. Nicely juicy and plump, lots of energy here with focus and precision. I like the fun side of things, this has a confidence about it, full of flavour and texture - a chalky and stony grip, but with well integrated wood. The Cabernet Franc is giving lots of great floral scents and some spicy back bone to the wine. Lots of freshness but there’s underlying power here too. Quite a serious wine, it’s not light at all, very accomplished. A true introduction to the grand vin here. Suggest waiting a few years but actually it’s got a lot to offer right now. Ends stony and mineral.

St-Émilion (Grand Cru)

2021

93

Lovely aromas on the nose - beautifully delicate and fragrant - a touch of cola, blue fruits and salt with green pepper and toasted oak. Smells youthful, taut and lean on the palate but with a gorgeous tannin structure and a delicate yet filling weight. Certainly not plush or heavy, this is refined and focussed - crisp and mouthwatering, excellent energy and sense of life with a delicious moreish liquorice, wet stone finish. Extremely easy to like and super drinkable. They didn't try too hard here, this is a serious, well-constructed wine with depth but no heaviness.

St-Émilion (Grand Cru)

2021

93

Ripe and round, a nice fullness to the expression for the 2021 vintage. Juicy, succulent and direct, still with a sense of lean focus, but with accents of ripe fruit and a touch of chew to the tannins edged by salty liquorice, dark chocolate and soft tobacco. Nicely sculpted, juicy and fresh - clean and pure - with lots to like. Lifted and fully expressive ending on a mineral and freshly-picked mint leaf note. I like this a lot. Not trying too hard but still giving a full expression.

Fronsac

2021

93

Beautifully lifted and aromatic nose, smells wonderful with such clarity. Juicy and succulent, lovely energy straight away, fruit is bright but not sour with a soft hint of both sweetness and cooling freshness. Layers of minerality and wet stones offset the fruit and the well integrated tannins give the structure. Not lean but not massy, a lovely balance for a finessed, delicate wine in 2021. Ends a touch light but give this time.

Pomerol

2021

93

Smells aromatic and fruity, lively and full of nuance, chocolate, menthol notes, fragranced dried flowers and liquorice touches and red fruits. Rich and well textured on the palate, juicy and alive. Nice purity and clarity to this, it has bite and a touch of high toned tangy red fruit to it, but it's lovely and light on its feet. Great body and character to this, enough fruit for sure, and well handled tannins. A really enjoyable glass with plenty going on. Still a touch tight but it's tension that gives energy rather than something being hidden. Very good. Flavour goes on and on, really lingers with cherry, liquorice and some minty touches. An upscore on Primeurs.

Pomerol

2021

93

Red berries and herbal strawberry leaf on the nose. Smooth and supple, a nice energy to this straight away, juicy core with slightly metallic tannins that coat the mouth and give the frame. Delicate in style but still with lots of flavour. Refined and well worked, it's missing the plushness that can be so brilliant at this estate but there is good fruit vibrancy and clarity and this has character. I like it. Feels serious albeit with no heaviness. Tannins are good and feels like the ageing and oak treatment was right.

Pomerol

2021

93

Smooth, supple, lively and fresh but still with dark fruit and a touch of Pomerol charm in the slightly chewy and plush texture. Tannins are giving support and coating the mouth in powdery almost fleshy cherry fruit while a minty, liquorice aspect is underneath and on the finish. A lovely example, all in balance, lots of push and persistence and balance of flavour. Lovely.

Pomerol

2021

93

Concentrated blackcurrant and black cherries on the nose. Nicely textured, this has some grip to the tannins and a little bit of a plush, salty, crushed stone texture ot the palate. Still needs some time, but this has energy and some juicy, fun aspects. Salty, tangy and stony. I like this. Not trying too hard. Has a long length and good potential. In organic conversion.

Pomerol

2021

93

Lovely scented aromatics on the nose. Juicy and succulent, not fleshy, this is more lean and straight but there's nice attention to detail and it's presented with finesse. Body and structure, smooth tannins, a bite of liquorice and clove, the wood still on show, but there's precision to this and a certain dark charm on the finish. There's not the texture or depth you might expect, its streamlined but is very enjoyable. A sleeping beauty that will be very disarming and drinkable in a few years.

Castillon Côtes de Bordeaux

2021

92

Blackcurrant and cherry, smells quite heady and concentrated with lifted floral edges. Supple and agile, this has a nice bounce to the expression on palate, a lovely weight in the clear concentration and just-fleshy red berry fruit yet keeps the direction from start to finish. Touches of bitter liquorice, dark chocolate and wet stone on the finish. Long and lovely with a real understone of understated power, this has character and will be a beauty. Great freshness and balance. An upscore from Primeurs.

Castillon Côtes de Bordeaux

2021

92

Open and alive, not crisp but not creamy, tangy but not too sharp, this has a good drive of fresh acidities and bright raspberry and cranberry fruit. Lean and straight, it's all in one line, not dense but carries some weight and character in the purity of the fruit. I love the initial juiciness that then turns too salty, minerality on the finish. Well made, if missing a bit more of a bridge between the initial start and finish which will happen over the next few years. A good effort.

Castillon Côtes de Bordeaux

2021

92

Textured, nicely direct and well defined in the mouth. This has an instant appeal with bright, shiny and concentrated strawberry and red cherry fruit with a sleek frame, high acidity and freshness on the finish. It's not weighty, it's gentle but still carrying tons of flavour. A solid effort where they got ripeness and didn't overdo the extraction or oak. Very charming and appealing still with bite, touches of spice and oak giving it good ageing potential.

Castillon Côtes de Bordeaux

2021

92

Gorgeous scents on the nose, rose petals, cherries, really floral and fragrant and expressive. Juicy and lively from the off, a sharp tang of buzzy fruit hits the palate, totally mouthwatering but stays away from being sour and changes to develop an almost bitter spiced edge. Focussed and well defined, keeps its definition and straightness from start to finish. It has density and power but well masked by the acidity at this point. Bright and streamlined, gorgeous purity of fruit and the florality really carries all the way. Delightful drinking and you do feel this has ageing potential with some reticence on the finish. Lovely.

Castillon Côtes de Bordeaux

2021

92

Clean, minty and fresh nose, lifted blue fruits with a salty edge. Really juicy matched with high acidity, lots of life here, not so deep, streamlined but with precision to the fruit and bitter toasted edges. Mouthwatering with tension, a good food wine. Will be drinking well sooner, lots of strawberry and red cherry summer fruits. Lovely expression, contained and relatively tense right now but very good.

St-Émilion (Grand Cru Classé)

2021

92

Perfumed floral notes with raspberry and fragrant cherry - smells pretty. Lean and initially quite sharp, lightly presented with a creamy, salty mineral texture balancing the high acidity. It's a little subdued however, not as fruit forward as some or carrying much weight, but it's focussed and retains the same balance the entire way through with a minty, fresh finish. Everything is well presented, just dialed down. While you're not getting desne, plush fruit, this has a great and easy drinkability to it.

St-Émilion (Grand Cru Classé)

2021

92

Lovely heady fragrance on the nose with perfumed black fruits. Clean and clear on the palate, excellent precision and focus, direct and lean, but still with a fun juiciness and sense of lift. The tannins are straight and supportive - this doesn't really deviate from the core - but it has a lovely fruit and tannin expression with a long finish. Elegant and nicely worked with freshness and juicy red cherries and raspberries alongside some slightly green fruit notes and a salty tang to the finish. Great for early to medium term drinking to enjoy the freshness and sense of ease.

St-Émilion (Grand Cru Classé)

2021

92

Smells quite strong and oaky with almost ripe and under ripe elements on the palate. It's broad and a bolder style that will reward more ageing. There's concentration and power, acidity and minerality, so all the pieces are there - it feels like they could have relaxed the oak a bit but this will soften in time.

St-Émilion (Grand Cru Classé)

2021

92

A gorgeous nose full of milk chocolate, black cherries, fragrant raspberries, tapenade and cinnamon. Supple and nicely weighted on the palate, tannins are chewy and grippy in the best way and this has a fun, juicy element that nicely counters the structure. Round and more full than some, this still needs a bit of time to settle, but there's lots of life in this with ripe fruit, mouthwatering acidity and lovely salty, minerality on the finish. A lovely wine with plenty of savoury elements on show still in the flint, wet stone, liquorice, toast, tobacco and cocoa powder. Shows great promise.

St-Émilion (Grand Cru Classé)

2021

92

Smells ripe and dark and heady. A plump start, bright and round, with concentration to the dark fruits. It's clean and well worked, not pushed too hard, but it feels as if they struggled to get full ripeness from the soft texture in the mid palate. However, there is a nice sleekness and sense of gentle energy from start to finish. I loved this En Primeur and it may just need some more time to fill out a little. Shows promise and better to be restrained than try to force a style that wouldn't work in 2021.

St-Émilion (Grand Cru Classé)

2021

92

Pure blackcurrants on the nose, a touch of Ribena cordial to the aromatic display with slightly mineral, graphite edges. Smooth and elegant in terms of tannins - excellent sculpting with slightly plush and chewy red and black berry fruit and a core of freshness edged by mint and flint. It's not the most demonstrative or stand out, but all the elements are well presented and this has a lovely ease to it. Mineral, salty, liquorice, chocolate and black cherry finish. Delightful.

St-Émilion (Grand Cru Classé)

2021

92

Redcurrants and raspberry leaf on the nose, slightly herbal and fragrant. Smooth and supple, a nice gentle chew to the texture with a juicy core of freshly-picked strawberries and red cherries underpinned by bright but not seeing acidity. Tannins are just a touch dry towards the finish, hints of menthol and eucalyptus give some freshness and sense of leanness, but also just giving some constriction to the fun fruitiness but this is nicely structured - not too light - with a long finish.

St-Émilion (Grand Cru Classé)

2021

92

Cool blue fruits with violets, crisp and fresh on the nose. Concentrated and round, not fleshy, but this has a small bounce to the palate with bright juicy red fruits, crystalline minerality that gives a soft wet stone aspect and touches of cola and menthol on the finish. Feels well balanced, nothing harsh or too much, nice gentle structure and powdery finish with a kick of power.

St-Émilion (Grand Cru Classé)

2021

92

Fragrant dark bramble fruit on the nose, really aromatic and open. Supple and agile, this has a really nice weight in the mouth, not fleshly but there’s something quite plump about the texture with a lifted acidity and really clear minerality on the tongue - lots of slate and liquorice, dark chocolate and tobacco. The wood is definitely on show but once this integrates more this will be a lovely wine. I like the weight, good example for 2021. Last vintage. Now integrated into Pavie 2022.

St-Émilion (Grand Cru Classé)

2021

92

Strongly scented and quite ripe and potent on the nose. Quite closed and oaky, fruit is clearly concentrated and acidity is there which offers lift and brightness but this also feels a bit pushed and as such the frame and texture takes over a little from the mid palate at this point with some wood notes and dry tannins. Give this a few years before opening.

St-Émilion (Grand Cru Classé)

2021

92

A delicate rose perfumed on the nose with black bramble berries. Succulent and clean, great precision and clarity with a lean, salty core that keeps this quite straight and focussed but with well balanced juiciness and easy to drink and enjoy. I love the salty minerality on the finish that still is allied to fresh strawberries and black cherries. A lovely expression that really works in 2021 with tons of freshly picked mint leaves on the finish too.

St-Émilion (Grand Cru Classé)

2021

92

Smells ripe and quite jammy. Sharp and sour, high toned, raspberry, cherry and strawberry flavours, which move towards savoury minerality with liquorice, wet stone and graphite. It loses the connection a little between the initial flavour and mid palate, almost too ripe and sweet at first, then acidic, then a little dry so this is still a little youthful. Tannins are well integrated though, smooth and supportive so this will provide excellent drinkability when ready. Give this a few years before opening.

St-Émilion (Grand Cru Classé)

2021

92

Quite a perfumed nose with touches of toast, clove and tobacco allied to menthol and green peppercorn notes. This has bite and grip with tannins that are a touch rustic but do well to give the frame and support the bright fruit and high acidity. Clean and clear, creamy strawberry and mint and liquorice laced cherries are at the fore with an undercurrent of salty minerality and toasted elements. This needs more time, but has all the elements.

St-Émilion (Grand Cru)

2021

92

A bit subdued on the nose, lightly scented with soft floral accents and some red and black berry fruit. Tangy and a little tart at first, bright and bold, sharp but sleek and straight. Loses some punch towards the middle and end, softening a little but keeping the direction. Lots of cherry notes and raspberry leaf with some menthol accents on the finish. Delicate and poised, juicy. Lightly framed but flavourful and feels finessed with some underlying power too. Definitely not a light wine but needs time.

St-Émilion (Grand Cru)

2021

92

Fragrant blackcurrants and black cherries on the nose, smells vivid and vibrant. Plump and sweet with a real ease of drinking. Quite straight but finessed, nothing sticking out harshly, tannins have a slight mineral grip with underlying tones of tobacco, cedar and clove but still with lots of fruit too. Easy to enjoy - clean and clear, a stony element on the finish still with lots of flavour and juiciness throughout. Very nice.

St-Émilion (Grand Cru)

2021

92

Cool and toasted aromas on the nose, liquorice, tobacco, purple flowers and cherries. Smooth and well rounded, high in acidity which gives the initial lift before the salty minerality comes in giving a slight wet stone / chalky texture in the mouth. It’s really quite fruity and lifted but with a serious core, straight and well defined. Not heavy at all. A nice second wine. Detailed and feels very polished. Needs more time to expand as it’s still a little tight.

St-Émilion (Grand Cru)

2021

92

Lovely intense fragrance on the nose, bright and full in aromas of blackcurrant, liquorice and tobacco. Juicy and supple, a nice concentration of black fruit with bright acidity and a steely mineral undertone. Quite straight and focussed, not so layered, but delivers an enjoyable and characterful glass of wine. Nothing harsh or too light. I like the mineral grip on the finish. Still feels quite young but approachable nonetheless with menthol elements as well as tobacco, graphite and soft spiced clove. Long lasting flavour.

St-Émilion (Grand Cru)

2021

92

Quite a dark nose, graphite and pencil led. Slightly floral with fragrant blue and purple fruit. Supple and lively, this has a nice energy and focus to it. Crisp red fruit with bite. Lean and quite straight, lovely cool fresh blue fruits with liquorice, soft toasted spice and menthol elements at the end. Clean and well balanced with high acidity and lots of flavour together with an enjoyable mouth-filling texture.

St-Émilion (Grand Cru)

2021

92

Fragrant and perfumed blackcurrants and black cherries on the nose. Bright and focussed, an instant buzz of fresh acidities and zingy fruit open the palate before the salty undercurrent shows through ending on notes of flint and graphite. Relatively lean and light, but direct with real polish to the tannins and fruit presentation. Certainly not plush, but this carries a nice proportion of density with finesse and the acidity is well balanced to the minerality and structure. Feels effortless and very enjoyable with a really salty, flinty, aniseed finish.

St-Émilion (Grand Cru)

2021

92

Quite a toasty nose, lots of oak (80% new) on the nose. Deeply scented black berries and soft floral touches. Smooth and supple, a nice energy and focus to this. Good body too, has tension and focus in the sense it's tangy and straight, doesn’t deviate too much from the core. Slightly spiced and lean, but purity is there. Needs time to soften and expand a little as it's a but unyielding at the moment yet there's excellent structure, crunchy fruit, bite, tang and lovely salinity. Easy going and nothing harsh. Less Cabernet Franc in the blend than usual as all went into Le Dome. 90% Merlot.

St-Émilion (Montagne-St-Émilion)

2021

92

Dark fragrance and black fruit on the nose, touches of cedar, liquorice and dark chocolate. Nice energy and weight straight away, lively and focussed, not fleshy at all, but equally the tannins give this some weight in the mouth adding a powdery, chalkiness to the tongue and cheeks. I like it a lot, feels nicely balanced and would be good with food, will also age as well. Juicy red fruits, cool blueberries and a chalky undertone.

Fronsac

2021

92

Clean and sappy, bright and focussed with a touch of raspberry, green strawberry and cherry. This has bite and a welcome grip by the slightly chalky tannins ending with power and length. Nicely balanced, not a deep wine, but this still has a kick and sense of quiet power underneath with hints of chocolate, tobacco and clove on the fiihs. A good effort with a lingering finish.

Fronsac

2021

92

Floral and fragrant with chocolate and vanilla hints, strawberry and cherry. Smells intense and expressive. Supple and characterful, full of flavour, intensity and texture on the palate. Juicy and alive, lean, tangy and grippy, but in a mineral way, leaving a zesty, wet stone aspect on the tongue. Really lingers and lasts. Not the fullest, but a great balance of delicacy and drinkability.

Fronsac

2021

92

Lovely bramble fruit and floral aromatics. Clean and clear, lifted on the initial attack, really quite tangy red fruits before a dose of chalky minerality comes in and puts a coating of liquorice, graphite and wet stones around the mouth. Ends fresh and cool with mint, dried herbs, chocolate and toast. Not particularly layered but lovely purity and still with some power and heft.

Pomerol

2021

92

Plummy and floral aromatics on the nose, quite dark and intense but pure too with hints of tobacco and liquorice and savouriness. Intense and juicy, full of life on the palate with mouth-watering acidity. Verging on sour, this is sharp and really gives a kick on the palate, before settling and focussing towards the finish. Overall quite lean but with plenty of energy. Tannins are smooth and well defined, really quite silky. I like the upfront fun nature, it’s certainly accessible and ready to enjoy with a crystalline purity towards the finish.

Pomerol

2021

92

Clear and clean in the glass, a light colour, almost translucent. Floral and fruity, notes of roses and violets with raspberries and red cherries. High acidity, salty, gripping tannins and a menthol undercurrent. Quite a pretty, delicate take on the vintage for Pomerol, really haven't pushed this, tannins are a touch grippy and grainy but this balances out to a finish with high-toned red berry fruit and lots of wet stone salty, minerality. Not super long, but very enjoyable.

Pomerol

2021

92

Juicy and vibrant, this starts with a kick of almost chewy tannins and ripe fruit which moves into creamy blueberries and cola tones with a salty, liquorice finish. Textured and nicely weighted, nice acidity and a good food wine. Drink young and enjoy the youth and sense of buzz. This doesn't feel like they've tried too hard but this is definitely on the slightly more pushed edge with full/filling tannins and a density to the fruit profile.

Pomerol

2021

92

Smooth and charming, this has a nice focus to it with zesty fresh fruit, raspberry, bright orange, cherry and chalky tannins. I love the ease to it, it’s got power, but delicately poised, still with freshness and a lot of length. Nothing harsh here. Quite charged but really works with such freshness and cooling mint on the finish. Great acidity, not the most layered but really not trying too hard and leaning into the vintage in the best way. Streamlined and a touch lean but this will fill out in time.

Pomerol

2021

92

Succulent and nicely round, a good gentle body to this, not weighty and not too light, smooth and well defined with blackcurrant and raspberry flavours and a soft salty undercurrent. Really well presented, not a big wine, but finessed with delicacy on show and this is all the better for it. A great effort in 2021 with succulence and tang.

Pomerol

2021

92

Softly supple, this is quite delicate and lightly presented, almost lean but there's a gentle chew and bright acidity to the raspberry and blackcurrant fruit with elements of dried herbs, liquorice, green pepper and toast. Feels a touch sombre at this point, clearly there's power underneath but needs more time to soften and expand. A little disjointed right now but good potential.

Pomerol

2021

92

This is lifted, bright and high toned. There's some energy here with tannins that are fine but have bite and tang and support the expression and coat the mouth in grippy saltiness. A good effort this year, not trying too hard. Mouthwatering but cool and crisp with a lovely weight and frame and flavours of blueberry, liquorice, flint and dried herbs.

Pomerol

2021

92

Smells heady an floral with touches of oak, plums and roses. Nice crunchy fruit on the palate, more fresh than I was expecting with raspberry and strawberry elements and high acidity to counter the soft underlying power. A gentle chew and bounce to the expression. Feels as if it has a touch of the Pomerol charm here, albeit in a 2021 outfit. Shiny, bright and well textured. Keep for a few years before opening or give it a good air to soften the slightly grippy tannins.

Pomerol

2021

92

Lightly presented, raspberries, strawberries and cherry floats on the palate with almost salty, softly chalky tannins that give the outline and structure. It's a bit quiet, degingiely not pushed or overdone, more so that it's not yet very expressive and open. Feels they have treated very carefully here and gone for finesse over substance. Touches of dark chocolate, clove and liquorice on the finish. Definitely less bold than it was during the Primeurs, it's more soft and subtle now, the oak worked judiciously.

Pomerol

2021

92

Oaky nose, smells heavily extracted and potent. Great high acidity opens the palate, sharp and bright, before turning quite salty and sombre. The frame is definitely taking over right now, putting the fruit and acidity to the back and presenting fine but massy tannins and lots of toasty concentration. Nice licks of freshness and liquorice though. Give this a few years to soften.

Pomerol

2021

92

Gorgeous floral and perfumed notes on the nose, creamy rose and strawberry yoghurt. Streamlined and sleek, this has a lovely silky texture, so smooth with delicate flavors of raspberry, cherry and strawberry. Doesn't have so much weight on the mid palate, really quite finessed, not what you'd expect for a Pomerol, but it's really well balanced and harmonious for its style and I like it for that. Nothing out of place and all in line. Super elegant and refined with some chalky touches on the finish.

Pomerol

2021

92

Intensely fragrant and floral on the nose with ripe blackcurrant aromas. Nicely round and filling, not heavy at all, but this has structure in the mouth with silky tannins and ripe fruit. Acidity isn't as obvious as some wines, less sharp and tangy, more calm and gently fleshy. Sweet and cool, this has a good balance and power all the way through. Feels young still, certainly one that feels like it has the ability to age with lots of character on show. Stylish, but not showing off. This works.

Pomerol

2021

92

Ripe fruit on the nose and palate, succulent blackcurrants and strawberries but with sharp aspects too, a push-pull of weight and acidity. Needs a bit more time to balance out but there's good potential. Tannins are well integrated and this has a silky texture that really works. Fresh and sappy, juicy and textured. Not so long but I really like this.

Pomerol

2021

92

Juicy and supple, lovely bounce and brightness here but with intensity from the tannins and a lingering aspect of liquorice, clove and wet stones - input from the oak and terroir. I like the character, it has some power and push and keeps an intensity of flavour through to a long finish all while being quite sleek and silky. Acidity is good too which keeps things lifted. One to watch.

Francs Côtes de Bordeaux

2021

91

Juicy and tangy, lots of bright fruit, high acidity and quite lean salty tannins. A little constricted still, a bit tense and focussed but nice detail and precision. Needs some time to expand but good detail. Rich fruit and heady scents and a long finish. Streamlined if not full.

Francs Côtes de Bordeaux

2021

91

Sleek but with a slight chew and sense of texture and weight to the palate. Lots of strawberry and herbal edges - dried herbs, mint, green peppercorns, liquorice, fennel and cocoa powder. This has character and personality and sustains the interest and sense of liveliness from the start to the finish. Licks of minerality come through on the finish ending with a salty, almost iodine tang. Nicely constructed without overdoing it.

St-Émilion (Grand Cru Classé)

2021

91

Smells full of dark fruit and herbal elements. Supple and juicy, with high acidity. A touch restricted on the mid palate, with fairly present tannins giving depth, but this has a nice lift towards the end with bright strawberries and cherries coming into play. Feels well worked and easy to enjoy.

St-Émilion (Grand Cru Classé)

2021

91

Nicely fragrant and perfumed on the nose with blackcurrants and bramble berries. An instant splash of just ripe red and black fruit - tart strawberries and cherries - makes the mouth water before being replaced by salt-edged tannins that leave a slightly grainy, but pleasant, texture in the mouth. Lingering elements of vanilla, black chocolate, graphite and touches of liquorice accent the finish though in a savoury rather than spiced way. Nicely balanced and not trying too hard. Soft, gently filling and elegant.

St-Émilion (Grand Cru Classé)

2021

91

Creamy vanilla, strawberry and black cherry notes on the nose with hints of toast and black chocolate. Bright and high toned, juicy with a kick of high acidity that lifts the palate and gives a tingling sensation rather than being overly mouthwatering as the tannin structure is relatively full for the vintage giving a wide frame. The fruit is certainly more plush than some of the wines, and the 14.5% alcohol just makes an appearance towards the end with a flash of heat, cinnamon and clove spice, but this keeps focus and direction too. Still needs a bit more time to harmonise the fresh, lean acidity with the tannins and fruit but this will be an enjoyable, if atypical bottle.

St-Émilion (Grand Cru Classé)

2021

91

Juicy and bright, a nice sense of life and ease to this, not trying too hard but still with some grip and hold to the salty, wet-stone edged tannins. Nicely textured, not overly fruit-forward, some strawberry, fragrant raspberry and creamy blackcurrant - the structure still taking the limelight right now, but it's balanced and well worked with a long mineral finish accented by a touch of cinnamon, tobacco and clove spice.

St-Émilion (Grand Cru Classé)

2021

91

Blue fruits and cola tones on the nose. Smooth and juicy, this is fun and tangy, with the focus on the ripe fruit and high acidity. VIbrant and energetic, this has gently chewy tannins with blackcurrant and black cherry elements alongside salty, grippy tannins that give the minerality to the texture and flavour. Well built, this has an undercurrent of power with flashes of green fruit, heat and depth despite the 13.5%. A nice wine in 2021 that doesn't feel as if it's trying too hard, ending on a salty, fresh note. Not the most persistent, it's light and lean, but very enjoyable an easy to drink.

St-Émilion (Grand Cru Classé)

2021

91

High toned and verging on sour with a sharp burst of raspberry and strawberry and some green fruit before the cola, graphite, liquorice, wet stone and mint come into play giving this a focussed, less fruit-forward expression on the finish. Feels well built, the tannins are well integrated and this has a lightness that is easy to enjoy. Ends savoury and salty, but this is easy to drink with vintage markers and terroir markers.

St-Émilion (Grand Cru Classé)

2021

91

Smooth and fun but with a sense of structure and length too. Nicely balanced, the interplay between fresh acidities, just ripe blackcurrant, black cherry and strawberry work well together with well integrated tannins that have a touch of liquorice, tobacco and wet stone to them. This grips and holds interest, not heavy or weighty, this is certainly in keeping with the vintage in it's light and lean expression but nicely presented. It's not the weightiest but it is finessed and pure and really easy to drink still with structure and length.

St-Émilion (Grand Cru Classé)

2021

91

Lightly framed but with clarity and precision. Quite lean and direct, not in a harsh way, but this is focussed on the purity of fruit, high acidity and delicacy of the slightly chalky tannins. It's silky and fresh with mouthwatering acidity and fun strawberry juicy flavours but is missing just a touch more push. Still, it's easy to drink and enjoy, balanced with each element in place and nothing trying too hard.

St-Émilion (Grand Cru Classé)

2021

91

Supple and nicely agile on the palate, with flavors of cool blackcurrants, just ripe strawberries - verging on tart, but actually giving this quite a lifted, bright expression. High toned for sure but works with fine just gripping tannins and a cool mentholated finish. Complete and works with the vintage still with juice on the finish.

St-Émilion (Grand Cru Classé)

2021

91

Almost sweet strawberry and vanilla cream on the nose, with some green peppercorns and dried herbs. Juicy and fresh acidities give way to a salty mid palate with gently textured tannins. Nice and easy, nothing harsh here, the fruit could be a bit more persistent, but this is easy and likeable.

St-Émilion (Grand Cru Classé)

2021

91

Super perfumed on the nose. Sappy acidity with a pretty sleek and lean core, sharp but then softens and settles with an easiness about it. Not too sharp or too dry, balanced. Well presented with finesse and still mouthwatering on the final flavour which is enjoyable. Fun and lifted.

St-Émilion (Grand Cru)

2021

91

Dark berries on the nose, some tobacco and ash notes. Juicy and succulent, nice and easy going on the palate, smooth and supple, good tannin integration with crunchy, high acidity. So bright, not deep, more straight and streamlined but still with plenty of buzzy tangy character. Easy enjoyment on offer here. I love the hit of bright red tangy fruit that then softens and elongates with hints of spice and tobacco.

St-Émilion (Grand Cru)

2021

91

Fresh and fragrant nose, roses, pink flowers and red summer berry fruit. Punchy and characterful, this has great burst of tangy strawberries and red cherries, clean and succulent, a nice amount of mouth-watering acidity with a saline finish. Very easy and a good showing, nothing harsh. Tannin management is excellent and this has great purity. Light, but not lacking flavour. Streamlined texture, nothing plush, but sleek and direct. Good focus. 80% new oak.

Pomerol

2021

91

Sharp and high toned, tangy straight away with a hit of buzzy red fruit, it's light but pleasurable, some slightly dry and salty tannins but overall this has a nice fun character with a juicy core. Not the longest but very approachable with a clean and pure finish.

Pomerol

2021

91

A nice pure and clean wine, initially full of flavour and intensity with a nice tannic profile that suggests it's still at the start of its life. The mid palate softens a little with the favours becoming more delicate and nuanced but still with focus. An elegant take on 2021, this has a lovely character with high acidity, salty almost chalky tannins and a long finish. Not massively demonstrable but that makes this all the nicer.

Pomerol

2021

91

Sappy and not as concentrated as the potent and ripe nose suggests. Quite lean and straight, focussed but light and lacking a touch more fruit density to really make this shine. A little sombre, may just be closed as many are right now. It's direct and streamlined, but there's some austerity and lots of toasty wood on show so it's not so charming right now.

Pomerol

2021

91

Quite intense and dark aromatics, liquorice, tobacco, blackcurrant, crayon, bramble fruits and some savoury herbal elements. Quite sharp, high acidity, almost sour but stops short and has a chalky, almost mineral vein that, together with the tannins, gives grip and interest to the palate. It has a certain density on the palate, not light not plush but with definition. Certainly bright and buzzy, the emphasis here is on the tangy red cherry, strawberry and blackcurrant fruit. Juicy, straight, well controlled and very pleasant with a kick of minty liquorice on the finish. I like the texture. Consistent and not trying to be something it’s not. Lean, fresh, bright. Easy and accessible. First year of organic conversion. Indigenous yeasts.

Pomerol

2021

91

Tight and quite lean, instantly you feel the grip of the salty, just shy of dry tannins on the palate, the fruit that was there initially - high acid, bright blackcurrant and strawberry - fades into the background with the minerality and structure taking the fore. It needs some more time to harmonise but there's purity here and a nice sense of easy drinking when it'll be ready.

Pomerol

2021

91

Five spice, green peppercorn, cinnamon and blackcurrant on the nose. Ripe and cool fruit, almost sweet strawberries with cool blueberries and lots of fresh menthol aromas too. I like the texture, sleek and well defined, good movement and energy. It's sleek - silky even with forward motion. Not trying too hard. Cool and creamy and salty on the finish.

Pomerol

2021

91

A little toasted and spicy on the nose with dark bramble fruit aromas. Fresh and sappy but tight and coiled too, there's tension here and a sense of strictness in terms of texture and width of the palate. Fruit and acidity is there, but feels like the oak is on show a little and the tannins need more time to settle and expand. Good acidity underneath so give this time.

2021

90

Herbal edged raspberries on the nose, smells floral, lifted and softly savoury too. Clean and clear, a lovely punchy energy straight away offset by high, mouth-watering acidity. Sleek and pure, slightly tangy with red summer berries, some bitter orange elements and an undertone of salty minerality which lingers on the finish. Very likeable and easy to drink. Great tannins and hit of mint at the end. Drink straight away. Why wait.

Canon-Fronsac

2021

90

Juicy and clean, a nicely presented wine with balanced gentle juiciness and fruit profile - delicate cherries, strawberries and raspberries. Feels well made with a subtle charm. Not trying too hard, but great for easy drinking with lingering fruitiness and not dry on the finish. A success.

Castillon Côtes de Bordeaux

2021

90

Richly scented, deep and heady notes on the nose. Quite succulent and juicy, almost sweet and sour with touches of flesh and high acidity dotting the palate as well as some cooling mint and liquorice aspects on the finish. Smooth and with character. Nice energy here.

Castillon Côtes de Bordeaux

2021

90

Lovely floral fragrance on the nose, bright and lifted with violets, roses and red cherries. Smooth and soft, nice shot of acidity really gives this a lift with crystalline and mineral edges to the red berry fruit. Ends powdery and soft with a touch of bitter, spicy grapefruit and liquorice which adds a bite to the finish. On the high-toned spectrum, sleek and straight but juicy and easy too. Give this some time as the finish is a little marked by wood, but a nice example with plenty of racy acidity and minerality.

St-Émilion (Grand Cru Classé)

2021

90

Fragrant and perfumed on the nose. Quite highly charged for the vintage, the blackcurrant fruit is certainly ripe with a slight chew to the tannins and lashings of dark chocolate, liquorice toast and cinnamon suggesting the oak still needs time to wear off or integrate a little more. The expression is wide but the texture remains quite lean and straight, but this still has a juicy lift to the finish. The ripeness of the fruit and the alcohol stand out a little for the vintage and this feels a touch pushed.

St-Émilion (Grand Cru Classé)

2021

90

Slightly sharp and sour on the initial taste, a burst of raspberries, green apple and just picked cherries which then fades quite quickly into quite mineral, creamy chocolate, liquorice and cola laden flavours that coat the mouth. Tannins have a touch of a grip to them giving the mineral aspect even more. It's well made with a good construction and underlying power. Needs a few more years but there's enough freshness to sustain early to mid term ageing.

St-Émilion (Grand Cru Classé)

2021

90

Quite subdued, some bitter orange and dark chocolate elements with herbal notes and dark berry fruit. You get the underlying power more than any overt fruit or juiciness, but feels like it'll come together. A little compact right now but there's polish to the tannins and lovely fruit purity. It's not super exciting but feels well made with a good structure and long finish. There's ripeness and concentration no doubt. First year of organic certification.

St-Émilion (Grand Cru Classé)

2021

90

Direct and straight, a nice linear core of cool red and blue fruit with a salty minerality and undercurrent of liquorice and wet stone. Nicely constructed, a touch of green pepper, herbs, blackcurrant and fennel on the palate. Ends clean and fresh with a cool flint accent.

St-Émilion (Grand Cru Classé)

2021

90

Heady, fragranced and ripe notes on the nose. Sour and slightly sweet initially, a burst of really quite zingy, almost unripe raspberries and strawberries before the fruit fades into some austere touches around the mouth. Doesn't quite sustain the fun fruitiness and feels just a touched pushed and dry towards the finish. A shame as I loved this En Primeur.

St-Émilion (Grand Cru Classé)

2021

90

Smoky and slightly spicy on the nose, chocolate and cherries with soft floral scents. Tight and nicely constructed, still lean - the tannins have a salty grip on the tongue, but there's good depth of dark fruit with just chalky, powderiness on the finish. Really dark fruit. Nice acidity, not plump, more straight with lashings of liquorice and bitter tones on the finish.

St-Émilion (Grand Cru)

2021

90

Green apple, just ripe strawberries, soft floral reflections and a hint of dried herbs on the nose. Fruity and fun, this has bounce and a soft chew to the texture giving a round body in 2021. More dense than Tempo, this has a bit more push but keeps the definition and tension with slightly grippy tannins and a layer of chalkiness. Well made. Same mouthwatering acidity, not a heavy wine by any means, this is sleek and lightly footed but has depth and character. An easy option.

St-Émilion (Grand Cru)

2021

90

Fresh and fragrant blackcurrant on the nose, smells lively and forward. Smooth and supple, a nice energy and focus straight away with high-toned and a high acid juiciness that verges on tart and zingy but gets reigned in by a touch of flinty minerality and soft chalky finish. Overall, enjoyable with plenty of life and bright fruit despite the quite lean frame

St-Émilion (Grand Cru)

2021

90

Aromatic and fragrant on the nose, floral and pink fruited. Clean and clear, lacking a touch more density and vibrancy, but this has purity and nicely integrated tannins with enjoyable juiciness underneath. This carries to a precise and well defined finish.

St-Émilion (Grand Cru)

2021

90

Oaky and savoury on the nose. Softly fleshy, clean and mineral at the same time - a mixture of ripe and perhaps just-ripe fruit gives this both a sense of purity and linearity as well as fruit concentration and weight. Needs some more time to harmonise but I like the cool blue fruit touches and hints of flint on the end. Nice potential for ageing.

St-Émilion (Grand Cru)

2021

90

Delicate and light, feels like they could have pushed this a little more, but there's enjoyable strawberry juice with a creamy palate and salty undercurrent. The tannins have a nice texture, very slightly crushed velvet, adding grip to the sides of the mouth while the red berry fruit carries the flavour. A good effort.

St-Émilion (Montagne-St-Émilion)

2021

90

Quite a fresh and lifted nose, smells cool with blue fruit and wet stones. Quite a lean style, not so fleshy, but juicy and flavoursome. Bright red cherries, some licks of minerality and a touch of liquorice and slate. Not the most sustained but equally feels like they've done a good job of not making something they couldn't. Easy to drink, fresh and lively.

St-Émilion (Puisseguin-St-Émilion)

2021

90

Juicy and lithe, quite lightly presented, the fruit is focussed on cherry and red berry elements. The richness displayed during Primeurs has settled down but the expression remains controlled. Ends structured and round, nothing harsh, no dry tannins or too much wood. Clean and balanced, still with texture and flow. A bit gripy on the finish with some wet stone and tobacco elements. I like this.

St-Émilion (Puisseguin-St-Émilion)

2021

90

Clean and clear, a touch of weight missing from the texture here, but the fruit is pristine, blacucrant an black cherry, just a bit diluted on the mid palate and ends a bit horribly with oak and dried herbs.

St-Émilion (Puisseguin-St-Émilion)

2021

90

Sweet, clean, tangy and lively, this has a good energy, it's lean and streamlined, not fleshy or weighty, with a salty, chalky core of tannins that give a soft grip to the mouth. Feels clean and well presented. Certainly for easy and accessible drinking still with finesse. Nothing harsh here.

Francs Côtes de Bordeaux

2021

90

Supple and lively, a nice burst of bright strawberry and tangy raspberry fruit before soft dried herbs and liquorice come through on the mid palate. Well constructed, this has bounce and a sense of movement from start to finish with lots of minty freshness throughout. A little light at the end, missing some extra push, but very enjoyable nonetheless.

Lalande-de-Pomerol

2021

90

Sleek and shiny, a nice level of calm juiciness and soft tannins but still with bite and tang giving a calm texture but spicy flavour. A good effort with acidity, fine tannins and an easy drinking appeal. Leans into the vintage and works.

Pomerol

2021

90

Sapply and lithe, sleek, a good energy and focus to this, lifted and bright with ripe fruit but also quite a lot of structure that is taking over the finish a little right now. Toast, liquorice and oak with mint and dried herbs, it's not too much, just reminds you that there is underlying power. A little consumed by wood right now - constricted and tight - but this should smooth out.

Pomerol

2021

90

Vivid aromatics on the nose, floral fruity and spicy. A little tight and constricted on the palate, but there's a sense of good tension to this too, fruit is pristine and well presented, more lean than fleshy with cooling mint and liquorice undertones. Rather than being unbalanced it just feels as if this hasn't fully opened yet but there's good potential. I like the acidity and the juicy cherries but the fruit fades in favour of the structure so this will need more time.

Pomerol

2021

90

A vivid colour in the glass and heady aromatics on the nose. A nice sense of ease to this wine, it really feels as if it's not trying too hard, tannins are silky and well integrated and the fruit is just ripe with balanced acidity. Feels finessed and carefully worked, I like the delicacy of the presentation. A touch of liquorice, tobacco dryness on the finish, the wood still playing a part, but this has nice potential for an easy-drinking wine in a few years.

Pomerol

2021

90

Quite ripe fruit on the palate - blackcurrants and plums. The bright expression is a little shut down by the frame right now, oaky and toasted with some acidity missing. Feels quite a sombre expression but it's nicely textured with a slight weight to the tannins. A touch of greenness and some dried wood notes that just distract from the fruit and sense of fun. Give this a few years.

Bordeaux Blanc

2021

96

Pale lemon in the glass. Aromatic green/herbal edged nose, elderflower but not sweet, toasted pear and apple tatin, bitter lemon and peel. Tangy, sharp, bright and focussed, lovely hit of citric acid, gorgeous pineapple, tangy and so seductive before the honeyed, toast, caramelised lemons and quite bitter green fruit come in towards the sides and ends. A combination of richness and liveliness - the texture remains sleek and in one line, just the flavours change and evolve. The two are fighting a little now - one then the other. Feels serious and structured but with the most enticing bright, shiny juiciness, that makes your mouth water and want to take another sip straight away. Fun, fruity, sweet, salty, bitter, I love this, will be intriguing as to how it ages. Different style here, elegant but plucky, confident and totally drinkable.

Bordeaux Blanc

2021

96

Creamy herbs, green and red apples, oranges and truffles. Very hard to tell the grape variety from the nose. Filling and fleshy, bright and smooth, mouthwatering and fresh, succulent and just so enjoyable. Gorgeous density yet lightness, you get a ton of lemon and lime, green apple and soft bitter orange elements with saline undertones and a sense of energy and direction. It's a mouthful but leaves no trace of heaviness. Again, where the reds truly shine is the nuance at the end, and this has that. A few minutes later you're still tasting all the nuances and makes you think this is an excellent white Bordeaux. Refreshing, tangy, moreish and clean. Fabulous.

Pessac-Léognan

2021

96

Lemon and lime, such purity and scintillating freshness, bright and sharp, so well positioned and poised with licks of mineral salinity on the finish. Great texture, weight and sense of life. I love this wine! The juiciness is moreish and this makes you want another sip straight away.

Bordeaux Blanc

2021

95

Matcha, white chocolate and gooseberries - clean fresh and expressive on the nose. Crisp and tense, this has an immediate burst of energy and flavour on the palate, mouthwatering, pineapple, grapefruit, green apple and grapes, but so juicy, nothing bitter here at all. Fun and fresh, clean all the way through, and so uplifting. Feels perfectly manicured and there’s power, this is not light, it’s filling but at the same time elegant. Hard to explain just how good this is. Pure enjoyment with a sharp, almost sour edge that is very enjoyable.

Pessac-Léognan

2021

95

Quite herbal and green on the nose, aromatic but intensely. Full and intense also on the palate, bright lemon and grapefruit, some bitter and spied touches too. Again like the red wine, Haut-Brion steps it up a notch in 2021 giving more body and richness than La Mission. Tangy, lively, upfront, tense but also direct, this has character and a flavour that lingers long after its left the mouth. A memorable wine in 2021. Structured and compact.

Pessac-Léognan (Cru Classé de Graves)

2021

95

Clean and clear, a nice weight to the palate here, slightly oily and full with honeyed lemon tones, some bitter grapefruit and crisp green apple. Lots of complexity and nuance, well built, a serious wine with an acidic backbone, long length and lifted finish accented by a stone, flinty minerality. Lovely potential and great drinkability on offer.

Bordeaux Blanc

2021

94

Green apple skin, gooseberry and soft floral nuances. Lovely juicy core, high but balanced acidity gives the life while the toasted, quite bitter (grapefruit, orange, wood) elements come in towards the mid palate giving extra layers of nuance and depth and interest. It's not complete yet but good potential. Feels clean and precise and well worked. Maybe loses a touch of push and persistence on the finish, but there's nice purity and vibrancy from start to finish.

Pessac-Léognan

2021

94

Floral and green fruit aromas on the nose. Juicy and upfront, lively and fun, this has zing and focus. I love the almost sherbet lemon touch to the initial expression followed by soft green fruit and some softly spiced herbal accents. It’s clear and clean, bright and focussed. Tapers a little towards the finish, just lightening, but lovely and enjoyable - very aerial in style.

Pessac-Léognan

2021

94

High toned, almost sherbet and wild honey, toasted fruit, a real combination of flavours on the palate with brightness but also quite serious toasty elements. I do love the flavours but this needs more time to come together, feels punchy and forward, expressive with lots of oak nuances still at play. Good acidity though, this should be good in a few years.

Pessac-Léognan (Cru Classé de Graves)

2021

94

Clean and crystalline, pure and precise with lemon, green apple and touches of tangerine juice to the expression. The juiciness is taken over a little by the minerality, just turning the focus away from the fun freshness towards the finish, but this has a sense of precision and gentle charm.

Pessac-Léognan (Cru Classé de Graves)

2021

94

A fresh and fragranced nose with green fruit, apple, pear and lemon touches. Crisp and clean, lots of bitter grapefruit and orange combined with creamy lemon and apple giving a push pull of flavours. Not yet fully harmonised but there is potential. Lots of flavour nuance and good viscosity and weighty texture with a long length and good lift on the finish. Well made with promise.

Bordeaux Blanc

2021

93

Very Sauvignon nose, green peas, straw, lemon zest and elderflower - smells very expressive with cool citrus elements. Crisp and alive, so delicious, crunchy with mouthwatering acidity but then a weight - almost oiliness / fat from the wood and lees adds to to the texture that immediately counters the acidity and gives the mouth filling expression. Bitter grapefruit and lemon zest on the finish. Great energy and complexity. A touch green in some places, you know this isn’t from a warm vintage, a touch of metallic element on the finish, but extremely enjoyable.

Bordeaux Blanc

2021

93

Grassy, lemon yellow gold in the glass. A herbal and white stone fruited nose, ginger, flowers, apricot, melon, orange, lime and some green fruits. Bright and energising, lovely fresh acidity hits straight away - a sherbet-esque flavour but with a honeyed, toasted note too from the Semillon really giving different flavours and textures right now. Feels serious in the honeyed, waxy lemon, toast, buttery caramel but the acidity underneath is so great. A lovely potential for this. Ends chalky, flinty and clean, a gorgeous mineral grip. Succulent, fun, fresh, juicy and layered. I like this a lot. Interesting to see this project progress.

Graves

2021

93

Nicely lively and well balanced, this has both texture, structure and brightness giving energy and seriousness. I love the citrus and apricot elements with some bitter orange flecks and stoniness too. Fun and so easy, a lovely succulence on the mid palate and really round frame all the way through. Complex and nuanced. Well made and a lovely white in 2021.

Pessac-Léognan

2021

93

Fresh and fragrant, white flowers, smells clean. Quite punchy on the palate, strong lemon and lime, sweet tropical and exotic fruit and juicy, a round body and nice freshness too. It has some zip and zing, really lively and captivating definitely with a ripe element, with some small hints of vanilla and white chocolate on the finish along with a kick of acidity that leaves a fresh feeling. Seems the vintage really suits the estate and this style is lovely.

Pessac-Léognan

2021

93

A honeyed, slightly wild, toasty nose with apricot, pineapple orange and fragrant stone fruit on the nose. Round and calm, a lovely gentle confidence to this wine, gorgeous acidity gives the lift and sense of life, while the really fruity, juicy lemon, apple, orange and pineapple give the fruity core. Nothing too much, if anything still a bit quiet, but pure and precise. Really easy to like and enjoy, with body, freshness, complexity and nuance.

Pessac-Léognan (Cru Classé de Graves)

2021

93

An oily texture but gorgeous juicy core with bright acidity and ripe green apple, creamy peach and softly bitter orange and toasted lemens son the finish. Great acidity though which really sustains the wine. Well constructed with lots of nuance and interest and ageing potential.

Pessac-Léognan (Cru Classé de Graves)

2021

93

Lemon and lime, nice freshness and sense of lift. Precision with purity to the texture and fruit with lots of salty tones on the finish and edges of the mouth. Mouthwatering acidity does well to give life and this has a nice easy balance and good drinkability. A little bitter and toasted on the finish which will settle.

Bordeaux Blanc

2021

92

Faint lemon balm and honeysuckle on the nose. Smells nice. Juicy and plump, a hint of sweetness to this on the mid palate giving depth but with a mouthwatering aspect too and also some minerality - pineapple, orange, lemon, lime and peach. Lots going on, a good example. Upfront, forward, persistent, lively with sweetness that is moreish. Feels weightier than many.

Pessac-Léognan

2021

92

Soft green apples and herbal touches with raspberries and wild cherries. A lovely clarity and grip to this, textured and bright, giving a touch of leanness but with a chalky, mineral grip to the cheeks and tongue. I like the character, a bit more full bodied than Chapelle. Lovely tension and hold, keeps the interest with a cool blackcurrant and blueberry undertone with freshly picked mint. Loses some oomph on the finish, but unfussy and still with lots of character.

Pessac-Léognan

2021

92

Licks of stone and minerality on the nose, smells fresh and clean. Bright and high toned, a lovely crisp lemon and green apple flavour. I love the clean precision on the palate, pure and salty, the terroir coming through with interest and such easy drinkability in that the acidity is not too high. Fun, fruity, fresh and lifted. Feels finessed and well made with push and an enjoyable wet stone, slightly bitter orange finish.

Pessac-Léognan

2021

92

Really aromatic and fragrant on the nose, elderflower, green apple and floral touches. Alive but controlled, acidity is there supporting the wine, a tangy undercurrent with bitter orange and lemon not but searing - this is more cool and stony with a round creaminess in the mouth. Touches of salt and spice enter on the finish, this has complexity and interest and more than just green fruit and high acidity.

Pessac-Léognan (Cru Classé de Graves)

2021

92

Sharp and bright, really alive in the glass the acidity making its mark straight away, soft hints of sweetness not as much as some - cool lemon, sherbet, lime and orange and peach dot the palate giving the unctuousness but matched by high acidity that makes it tart and thrilling. I like this and fans of Bordeaux whites will too. Lots of tension, oak is very light or none at all it seems which works in its favour.

Bordeaux Blanc

2021

91

Green peas and crisp green apples on the nose with citrus aromas. Juicy and alive, exotic pineapple, apricot and almost sweet lemon juice aspects, nothing too bitter or harsh at all, round with a gentle creaminess that comes in towards the mid palate while staying quiet lean and direct. Much less severe and acidic than I was thinking, really balanced and harmonious and so enjoyable to drink with a slate and mineral finish. A top value pick!

Pessac-Léognan

2021

91

Slightly toasty nose, the waxy, honeyed and perfumed Semillon also stands out. Nice weight and texture on the palate, a little thicker and more oily than some others but with just as high, mouthwatering acidity giving weight and texture. Green apple, bitter lemon and orange, gooseberry, and pineapple. More of a serious take, this feels like it will age and will be good with richer foods.

Pessac-Léognan

2021

91

Strong aromatics on the nose, green peas, elderflower, vanilla and lots of green apple and bright green citrus notes. Bright and zingy, not too high acidity gives this energy without any sourness. Quite lean and a little light, just tapering towards the finish with soft peach and lemon notes. Great aromatics, really lifted, but straight towards the finish. Well worked, nothing harsh at all.

Pessac-Léognan (Cru Classé de Graves)

2021

91

Bright and tangy, high acidity with a crispness to the expression - fresh green apple. Almost too tart for me, but it's lifted with lots of energy and a really sherbet-esque edge to the palate which gives character. Lots of citrus lemon and lime adding to the flavours and lingering on the finish.

Bordeaux Blanc

2021

90

Fresh and lifted, a nice shot of lemon, pineapple, orange and green apple. Nice bright start - lifted and bright with a sustained mid palate. It's a little bit more subdued on the finish than some of the others, settling and becoming slightly more oily and a touch toasty and bitter, but it's great for easy drinking with character.

Pessac-Léognan

2021

89

Juicy and lively, a kick of citrus acidity with orange and lime flecks and green apple. Gently mouthwatering and really fresh, sustains to a long finish with an undercurrent of wet stone minerality all the way throughout giving the tongue cleaning aspect. Very typical aromas. It's easy drinking.

Pessac-Léognan (Cru Classé de Graves)

2021

89

Very varietal nose of Sauvignon Blanc, peas, green apple and touches of elderflower. Quite crisp tart fruit, gooseberry and green apple before the salty lemon and slightly honeyed apricots come into play giving width and depth. Relatively straight still, defined and all in one line. I like this, stylish and forward with plenty of life.

Bordeaux Blanc

2021

88

Pear, fragranced white stone fruit and apple on the nose. Clean and clear with quite high acidity but a bit diluted once the initial, bright expression has faded.

Sauternes

2021

95

Rich golden honey colour. Smells clean and fresh, white flowers, yellow fruit - quince, pear and apricot. Supple with lots of energy in the mouth. Feels quite sugary, the sweetness really lingering on the mid palate, penetrating the tongue giving a sense of sherbet tang as well as weight. The sugar is doing most of the talking right now but there's a nice undercurrent of acidity that lifts the expression. Not so nuanced right now, but this is packing lots of flavour and texture. Definitely the 'largest' sweet wine. The bottle still says barrel sample as of 02/01/2024.

Sauternes (1er Cru Classé)

2021

95

Lovely purity straight away, a gorgeous texture in the mouth, clean, not overly sweet. Touches of pear, bitter orange peel, sweet peaches, honey, caramel and ever so soft floral reflections. I like this a lot, totally moreish and easy to drink with lots of flavour and plenty of nuance. Ends clean. Pretty good!

Barsac (2ème Cru Classé)

2021

94

Smells clean and fresh, pure and lively. Almost refreshing on the palate, there's sweetness of course, but there's energy too, tangy lemon and pineapple, soft touches of ripe peach and then orange and grapefruit peel. Not the sugariest, this ends on a lighter cleaner note, but there's lovely detail here.

Sauternes

2021

94

Clean and clear, a lovely hit of sweet lemons and pineapples with edges of tangy lime, salted honey caramel and orange peel. Lightly presented, not the most thick of rich or the leanest, this walks a lovely line of flavour and focus. Very enjoyable and easy to drink.

Sauternes (1er Cru Classé)

2021

94

Thick and ample in the mouth, weighty and full of sweet orange peel, slightly wild honey, spiced lemon and pineapple, a real mixture of flavours and textures in the mouth. Doesn't have the sugary density of some, this is more focussed and straight with a lightness of touch come the finish, but I like it's style and character.