Bordeaux Futures 2021: Recap #2
Posted on: 06/20/22 9:08 PM
MOVE SWIFTLY
There’s probably about a week or so to go before all the major Bordeaux chateaux will have released their 2021 futures. Given that we still have allocations of a number or wines that I expect won’t last for very long, I thought it a good time to send a recap of everything available. The table at the foot of this email shows you the price for each wine that we have available, as well as the scores from Neal Martin and Antonio Galloni for Vinous, and William Kelley for the Wine Advocate.
There are more exciting options here than I could possibly mention by name, but names like Canon, Lafite, Leoville Barton, Lynch Bages, Palmer, and Rauzan Segla should whet the appetite…
However, we’ve also got a few brand new major releases this morning, so I’m putting those front and center with tasting notes. The headline is the second of the first growths to come out, Mouton Rothschild, and that’s backed up by three other superstar seconds, Pichon Baron, Cos d’Estournel, and Leoville Poyferre as well as one big name each from Pessac Leognan and St Emilion, with Smith Haut Lafitte and Larcis Ducasse. It’s looking like our Mouton allocation is pretty small, so this might be one to move swiftly on if you’re interested.
2021 Château Pichon Baron, Pauillac, $899.94 NET per six bottle wooden case
The 2021 Pichon-Baron is a dense, packed wine, its mid-weight structure notwithstanding. There is a lot of wine here, but readers have to be patient. Red-toned fruit, blood orange, mint, rose petal and cinnamon add layers of nuance, but more than anything else, the 2021 stands out for its persistence. 95-97pts., Antonio Galloni, Vinous
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2021 Château Mouton Rothschild, Pauillac, $1,676.97 NET per three bottle wooden case
The 2021 Mouton Rothschild is a terrific wine in the making, unfurling in the glass with aromas of cherries and wild berries mingled with notions of violets, espresso roast, pipe tobacco and mint. Medium to full-bodied, deep and seamless, it’s a layered, enveloping wine that’s ample and concentrated, with succulent acids, melting tannins and a long, resonant finish. A blend of 89% Cabernet Sauvignon, 10% Merlot and 1% Cabernet Franc that attained 13.1% alcohol, this is a demonstrative, sensual Mouton that’s the fruit of extreme selection, and that may well make my score seem conservative with further élevage. Bravo to the talented Jean-Emmanuel Danjoy and his team. 95-96pts., William Kelley, The Wine Advocate
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2021 Château Cos d’Estournel, St Estephe, $1,169.94 NET per three bottle wooden case
The 2021 Cos d’Estournel is a wine of real breadth and volume. It is also quite a departure from recent vintages in that strong Cabernet aromatics are very much front and center. Cedar, tobacco, dried herbs, menthol and licorice lend notable complexity to the bouquet. I expect the 2021 will need time to be at its best. Cos is usually much more alluring in its youth than the reticent but hugely promising 2021. 94-96pts., Antonio Galloni, Vinous
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2021 Château Leoville Poyferre, St Julien, $599.94 NET per six bottle wooden case
The 2021 Léoville-Poyferré is classy and polished right out of the gate. All the classic Poyferré signatures come through, but in miniature. The 2021 impresses with its pliant fruit, silky tannins and fine balance. To be sure, the 2021 is a smaller-scaled wine than the norm here over the last few years, but that is the charm of this vintage. Inky dark fruit, pencil shavings, licorice and menthol build into the super-expressive finish. Tasted three times. 93-95pts., Antonio Galloni, Vinous
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2021 Château Smith Haut Lafitte, Pessac Leognan, $749.94 NET per six bottle wooden case
The 2021 Smith Haut Lafitte is fabulous. Rich and explosive in the glass, the 2021 possesses tremendous intensity, much of that the result of low yields of just 20-22 hectoliters per hectare, about half of what is typical here. The tannins are a bit firm today, but there appears to be more than enough fruit behind all of that structure. Vivid aromatics further suggest all the 2021 needs is time. I can’t wait to see how it ages. 95-97pts., Antonio Galloni, Vinous
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2021 Château Larcis Ducasse, St Emilion, $467.94 NET per six bottle wooden case
A blend of 86% Merlot and 14% Cabernet Franc, the 2021 Larcis Ducasse wafts from the glass with aromas of cherries, blackberries, violets, warm spices and forest floor. Medium to full-bodied, deep and attractively layered, with lively acids and a chalky, saline finish, this is a terrific effort. Nicolas Thienpont and his team were extremely selective this year, and the grand vin derives almost entirely from the slope, without much contribution from the plateau above. 92-94pts., William Kelley, The Wine Advocate
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***Please order through the links to our website. Let us know if you try to order something and find it out of stock and we will see if we can get more. Wines all offered in minimum case sizes, individual bottle price shown here for easy comparison. Wines offered on a futures basis, with payment taken at the time of the order, and shipping expected in 2024***
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Bordeaux List By Guy Davies
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