What to buy: Hindle highlights 80 great 2021s
For full tasting notes and scores of all the 80 wines featured here, along with nearly 790 more that Georgina Hindle tasted from Bordeaux 2021 en primeur, PLUS comprehensive vintage analysis and prices and stockists once released, please go to decanter.com/premium
The first growths 1 Château Haut-Brion, Pessac-Léognan 1CC 97 ♥
One of the absolute standout wines of 2021 with an electric appeal almost unrivalled. Blackcurrant leaf, dark chocolate, cocoa powder, rose petals, sweet cherries and bramble fruits on the nose. Incredibly lively and energetic on the palate with a burst of sharp, sweet-sour fruits that fills the mouth, coated by chalk, slate and pencil lead mineral tannins that give intensity while the fruit persistency lingers above and through to the long finish. Multi-layered, clear ripeness and power, though delivered with suaveness and style. Blend of 50% Merlot, 38% Cabernet Sauvignon, 12% Cabernet Franc. Drink 2028-2050 Alcohol 14.5%
2 Château Lafite Rothschild, Pauillac 1CC 97 ♥
Surely a contender for wine of the vintage, certainly on the Left Bank. Vibrant and explosive; graphite, black chocolate, black pepper and blackcurrant aromas but also with floral edges intense. Supple and racy, a rush of red and black fruits then stony minerality, spice. Fruit precision and clarity, energetic and bright, ending with liquorice, stone, graphite and toasted spice from the one block of old-vine Petit Verdot that went into the blend this year. A thoroughbred, made with 96% Cabernet as opposed to the usual 80%-85%. First year of full organic farming in 2021. Drink 2027-2050 Alc 12.6%
3 Château Margaux, Margaux 1CC 97
Nose serious and a bit closed, though such complexity on the palate. Ample, generous and chewy – the tannins have weight and density, lifted by high-definition cherry, strawberry and raspberry acidity beneath keeping things vibrant, with a sour cherry minerality to finish. Exceptional balance and sculpting, energy but also poise. Sophisticated glamour in full force. Thrilling and captivating. Cabernet Sauvignon with 8% Merlot, 3% Petit Verdot, 2% Cabernet Franc. Drink 2027-2050 Alc 13.1%
Château Latour, Pauillac 1CC 96
Peony on the nose, blood orange, some cinnamon with milk chocolate and blackcurrant. Opens up to the most delectable aromatic display with some earthy notes, too. Smooth and satisfying, expands with vibrant strawberry leaf and raspberry fruits then salinity and minerality, tannins coming in to give structure, chalky and super-fine. Mineral notes settle on the tongue, almost spicy, then the expansive finish widening the whole palate. This has tension and is coiled right now but the sculpting and liveliness are there. Both fun and serious, presenting fresh fruit, balanced acidity and that iron fist structure that grows and grows. 96% Cabernet Sauvignon, 4% Merlot. Drink 2027-2050 Alc 13.1%
Château Mouton Rothschild, Pauillac 1CC 96
Bright, intense nose, heady aromatics and edges of graphite, cocoa and sweet red cherries. Clarity on the palate, excellent tension with beautifully expressed cherry and strawberry fruit that has a soft, ripe fleshy core. Quiet confidence, not shouting, but gently showing off its many layers of fruit, acidity, minerality and freshness. Expands and deepens as the flavours travel across the palate in waves. Understated and introverted at the moment but still harmonious and classy; I love it. 89% Cabernet Sauvignon, 10% Merlot and 1% Cabernet Franc. Drink 2027-2050 Alc 13.1%
Dry whites Château Haut-Brion, Blanc, Pessac-Léognan 97 ♥
£610 (ib) Chelsea Vintners, Millésima
55% Semillon, 45% Sauvignon Blanc. Lemongrass, green apple, apricot, creamy peach and lime zest. Svelte and sleek, delivering a punch of flavour, fleshy and ample but also refined and finessed. All in harmony, honeyed lemon, crisp apple, peach and grapefruit adding nuance while the texture is clean and pure. Has extreme star quality, a mouthwatering juiciness, crystalline purity and length. Absolutely compelling. Drink 2025-2030 Alc 13.75%
Château Margaux, Pavillon Blanc, Bordeaux 97 ♥
£240-£261 (ib) Goedhuis & Co, Millésima
100% Sauvignon Blanc. Gorgeous peach tone on the nose, with bright lemon, clementine, green apple skin and crushed stones. Super-sharp, this is searing, focused and neat with a shot of lemon juice zing on the mid-palate, green apple and peach freshness towards the end. Fruity and extremely lively, it has an unctuous texture, not weighty but delectably textured with a silkiness. A joyful combination of freshness and power. Drink 2024-2049 Alc 13.3%
4 Château Mouton Rothschild, Aile d’Argent, Bordeaux 96
£91 (ib) Widely available
64% Sauvignon Blanc, 36% Semillon. Sharp lemon and lime, grapefruit, apricot, exotic yellow fruits and fresh white stone fruits. Lovely clarity and weight on the palate: juicy but not too much, lively but not overly. A wonderful crystalline aspect, depth from the slightly exotic fruits that add sweetness and bitterness, while a lick of slate gives a salty tang. Rich but also playful, excellent balance. Drink 2024-2040 Alc 13.2%
Château Smith Haut Lafitte, Blanc, Pessac-Léognan 96
£105 (ib) Mr Wheeler, Nickolls & Perks, Seckford
90% Sauvignon Blanc, 5% each Semillon, Sauvignon Gris. Toasted oak, lanolin, honeyed caramel, lemon zest, red apple peel on both the nose and palate. Has an unctuosity to the texture with Semillon fatness and intensity from the Sauvignon. It’s not yet ready to show the world what it’s about, but you do get precision and detail, a sculpting of elements. The soft vibration of flavours from start to finish is so promising – a lot of life and immense enjoyment to come. Drink 2025-2046 Alc 13.5%
5 Les Champs Libres, Blanc, Bordeaux 96 ♥
100% Sauvignon Blanc. Exuberant youth, lemon and lime, grass, elderflower and pear on the nose, perfumed aromatics. Mouthwatering and succulent palate, full of lemon, peach and bright clementine notes given high definition by mineral, slate and wet stone nuances. Power, density and energy with layers and supreme length. One of the most promising whites in 2021, with sucrosity, juiciness, a linearity but opening to an expansive finish. Totally moreish. Drink 2024-2035 Alc 13%
Château Couhins-Lurton, Blanc, Pessac-Léognan CCG 95
£30 (ib) Millésima, VinQuinn
100% Sauvignon Blanc. A zesty tang that hits straight away on the palate, juicy, alive, sharp in the best way with such brightness filling the mouth. Concentrated flavours of citrus fruit, lemongrass, peach and vanilla have pure energy that drives this forward. Precision, clarity and detail with a crystalline nature. Drink 2022-2032 Alc 13%
Château La Mission Haut-Brion, Blanc, Pessac-Léognan 95 ♥
£485 (ib) Widely available
55% Semillon, 45% Sauvignon Blanc. White chocolate, satsuma, lemon peel, peach and white flowers on the nose. Intense palate, expansive, with succulent lemon and orange, zesty grapefruit, crisp apple and delicate creamy patisserie elements all