Bordeaux 2021 in bottle: Overview and top-scoring wines

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.

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!

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.