Pauillac 2021 in bottle: Overview plus top-scoring wines

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.

A gorgeous fragrance on the nose, scented and deep with green peppercorns, blackcurrant leaf, cedar, tobacco and sweet cinammon. Succulent and juicy - the high acidity hits straight away. Lean and direct, but smooth, tannins have a faint graphite grip. Tangy alomst grapefruit on the palate with red berries and freshness throughout leading up to a long-lasting flavour at the end which is added to by a salty minerality. A subtle estate magic is on show. Still young and tight, this will need a few years before opening.

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.

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 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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.