2021 Bordeaux: L’Enfant Terrible
BY ANTONIO GALLONI |
Left Bank: Saint-Estèphe | Pauillac | Saint-Julien | Margaux | Moulis and Listrac | Pessac-Léognan and Graves | Left Bank Satellites | Sauternes
Right Bank: Pomerol | Saint-Émilion | Right Bank Satellites
After three highly successful vintages, Bordeaux owners and winemakers were presented with a highly challenging growing season in 2021. En primeur tastings presaged a vintage with a high degree of variability. Extensive tastings from bottle confirm that initial first impression. Within that context, though, readers will find a wide range of compelling wines that merit attention.
The tendency is often to write off 2021, especially in our world today, where so often things are highly polarized into some version of either “great” or “terrible.” I don’t share the view that 2021 is a bad vintage; rather, I believe it is more accurate to say that 2021 is a highly inconsistent vintage. Yes, there are some wines, many perhaps, that don’t reach their customary levels of excellence, but those wines are far from bad. At the same time, a number of estates turned out seriously impressive 2021s.
How about Calon Ségur, for example? It’s magnificent. The same is true for Ducru-Beaucaillou, Lafite-Rothschild, Pichon-Comtesse, Rauzan-Ségla and a host of other wines on the Left Bank. To the south, in Pessac-Léognan, Les Carmes Haut-Brion is majestic. Over on the Right Bank, Vieux Château Certan, Cheval Blanc, Canon and Lafleur, among others, are compelling. There’s a lot to admire in the best dry whites, starting with the riveting Smith Haut Lafitte Blanc, Haut-Brion Blanc and Domaine de Chevalier Blanc. So far, I have only tasted a few Sauternes. Yields were decimated by brutal conditions, but the wines are tremendous.
The 2021s In Tasting
Almost without exception, the 2021 reds are lighter in body than the wines we have become accustomed to seeing in Bordeaux since the dawn of the 2000s. Alcohols are down about 1% from the recent norm in Bordeaux, while acids are on the higher side. The balance of structure, alcohol, acid and other technical measures is one that has not been seen in more than two decades. In many ways, 2021 can be summarized as a year in which classic Bordeaux weather of the past meets the technical know-how of today in both the vineyard and winery.
Last year, I wrote, “It is important to note that the 2021s are not finished wines. Many of them feel quite fragile at this stage. This is a vintage in which élevage (aging) is going to be especially critical in determining the final result.” That has turned out to be very much the case.
Subscriber Access Only
or Sign Up
After three highly successful vintages, Bordeaux owners and winemakers were presented with a highly challenging growing season in 2021. En primeur tastings presaged a vintage with a high degree of variability. Extensive tastings from bottle confirm that initial first impression. Within that context, though, readers will find a wide range of compelling wines that merit attention.
Show all the wines (sorted by score)
Producers in this Article
- Alcée
- Ampélia
- Arnaud
- Aurore
- Ausone
- Bad Boy
- Badette
- Balestard La Tonnelle
- Barde-Haut
- Baret
- Barrabaque
- Barrail Saint André
- Bastor-Lamontagne
- Batailley
- Beaumont
- Beauregard
- Beau-Séjour Bécot
- Bélair-Monange
- Belgrave
- Bellefont-Belcier
- Bellevue Mondotte
- Berliquet
- Bertineau Saint-Vincent
- Beychevelle
- Bourgneuf
- Bournac
- Boutisse
- Branaire-Ducru
- Branas Grand Poujeaux
- Brane-Cantenac
- Cadet-Bon
- Calicem
- Calon Ségur
- Canon
- Canon-Chaigneau
- Canon-La-Gaffelière
- Cantelys
- Cantemerle
- Cantenac Brown
- Cantin
- Capbern
- Cap de Faugères
- Cap de Mourlin
- Capet-Guillier
- Cap Léon Veyrin
- Carbonnieux
- Cardinal-Villemaurine
- Certan de May
- Chante Aloutte
- Charmail
- Chasse-Spleen
- Château Beauséjour JDL
- Chauvin
- Cheval Blanc
- Cheval Noir
- Citran
- Claire Villars-Lurton
- Clarisse
- Clarke
- Clerc-Milon
- Clinet
- Clos 56
- Clos Badon
- Clos Beauregard
- Clos de la Cure
- Clos de la Molénie
- Clos de la Vieille Église
- Clos de l'Oratoire
- Clos de Sarpe
- Clos des Jacobins
- Clos des Lunes
- Clos des Prince
- Clos Dubreuil
- Clos du Marquis
- Clos du Roy
- Clos Fourtet
- Clos Junet
- Clos L'Eglise
- Clos Lunelles
- Clos Manou
- Clos Marsalette
- Clos Puy Arnaud
- Clos René
- Clos Romanile
- Clos Saint-Julien
- Clos Saint-Martin
- Clos Vieux Taillefer
- Corbin
- Cos d'Estournel
- Cos Labory
- Côte de Baleau
- Coufran
- Couhins
- Croix de Labrie
- Croix de Rambeau
- Croix des Rouzes
- Croizet-Bages
- d'Agassac
- d'Aiguilhe
- d’Aiguilhe Querre
- Dalem
- d'Arce
- d'Armailhac
- Dauzac
- de Bellevue (Lussac Saint-Émilion)
- de Camensac
- de Carles
- de Chambrun
- de Chantegrive
- de Fargues
- de Fieuzal
- de Gachet
- de Lamarque
- de l’Annonciation
- de Lussac
- De Malengin
- de Malleret
- de Millery
- de Pez
- de Pressac
- de Saint-Pey
- des Gourdins
- des Laurets
- Desmirail
- des Ormeaux
- de Sours
- des Rêves
- Destieux
- de Tabuteau
- d'Issan
- Doisy-Daëne
- Domaine de Chevalier
- Domaine de la Solitude
- Domaine de l'Aurage
- Domaine des Cambes
- Domaine des Sabines
- Domaine du Bouscat
- Domaine Simon Blanchard
- Du Cartillon
- Ducru-Beaucaillou
- du Gazin
- Duhart-Milon
- Durfort-Vivens
- du Tertre
- Faizeau
- Faugères
- Ferrande
- Ferrière
- Feytit-Clinet
- Fieuzal
- Figeac
- Fleur Cardinale
- Fonbadet
- Fonplégade
- Fonroque
- Fontenil
- Fougas
- Fourcas Dupré
- Fourcas Hosten
- Franc 6
- France
- Franc Le Rose
- Franc-Mayne
- Gazin
- Giscours
- Gloria
- Grand Barrail La Marzelle Figeac
- Grand Corbin Despagne
- Grand Destieu
- Grand-Puy Ducasse
- Grand Village (Lafleur)
- Granins Grand Poujeaux
- Gruaud Larose
- Guillot-Clauzel
- Haut-Bages Libéral
- Haut-Bailly
- Haut-Batailley
- Haut-Beauséjour
- Haut-Brion
- Haut-Brisson
- Haut Rocher
- Haut Veyrac
- Hosanna
- Hostens-Picant
- JCP Maltus - Laforge
- JCP Maltus - Le Dôme
- JCP Maltus - Mazerat
- JCP Maltus - Teyssier
- Jean Faure
- Joanin-Bécot
- Kirwan
- La Bastienne
- Labégorce
- La Brande
- La Chandellerie
- La Chénade
- La Clémence
- La Clotte
- La Conseillante
- La Couronne
- La Croix Bellevue
- La Croix des Moines
- La Croix Lartigue
- La Dauphine
- La Dominique
- Lafite-Rothschild
- Lafitte-Carcasset
- Lafleur
- La Fleur d'Arthus
- La Fleur de Boüard
- La Fleur-Pétrus
- La Fleur-Pourret
- Lafon-Rochet
- Lafont-Fourcat
- La Freynelle
- La Gaffelière
- La Garde
- Lagrange (Saint-Julien)
- La Gurgue
- La Lagune
- La Louvière
- L'Ambroisie
- La Mission Haut-Brion
- La Mondotte
- Lamothe-Bergeron
- Langoa-Barton
- La Papeterie
- La Patache
- La Perle du Bregnet
- La Prade
- Larcis Ducasse
- Larmande
- Laroque
- La Rose Perrière
- La Rose Pourret
- Laroze
- Larrivet Haut-Brion
- Lascombes
- La Serre
- Latour
- Latour à Pomerol
- La Tour Carnet
- Latour-Martillac
- Laurence
- La Vieille Cure
- La Violette
- Le Bon Pasteur
- Le Boscq
- Le Caillou
- Le Chemin
- Le Clos du Beau-Père
- Le Coteau
- Le Crock
- Le Gay
- L'Eglise-Clinet
- Léoville Barton
- Léoville Las Cases
- Léoville-Poyferré
- Le Pape
- Le Pin
- Le Pin Beausoleil
- Leroy-Beauval
- Les Carmes Haut-Brion
- Les Champs Libres
- Les Charmes-Godard
- Les Cruzelles
- Les Grandes Murailles
- Les Gravières
- Lespault-Martillac
- Les Perrières
- Lestage Simon
- Le Thil
- Le Trébuchet
- L'Évangile
- L'If
- Lilian Ladouys
- Liversan
- Lucia
- Lynch-Bages
- Lynch-Moussas
- Lynsolence
- Magnan La Gaffelière
- Maillet
- Malartic-Lagravière
- Malescot St. Exupéry
- Mangot
- Margaux
- Marquis d'Alesme
- Marquis de Terme
- Maucaillou
- Mauvinon
- Meyney
- Milens
- Monbousquet
- Monbrison
- Montaiguillon
- Montlabert
- Montlandrie
- Montlisse
- Montrose
- Montviel
- Moulin du Cadet
- Moulin Riche
- Mouton-Rothschild
- Nénin
- Olivier
- Palmer
- Pape Clément
- Patache d'Aux
- Paveil de Luze
- Pavie
- Pavie-Decesse
- Pavie-Macquin
- Péby Faugères
- Pédesclaux
- Petit Faurie de Soutard
- Petit Gravet Aîné
- Petit-Village
- Petrus
- Pey La Tour
- Phélan Ségur
- Pibran
- Pichon Baron
- Pichon-Longueville Comtesse de Lalande
- Picque Caillou
- Pierhem
- Pierre 1er
- Plincette
- Poesia
- Pontet-Canet
- Porte Chic
- Potensac
- Poujeaux
- Prieuré-Lichine
- Prieuré Sainte-Anne
- Puygueraud
- Puy Guilhem (Fronsac)
- Quinault L'Enclos
- Rahoul
- Rauzan Gassies
- Rauzan-Ségla
- Rayne-Vigneau
- Reignac
- Reysson
- Ripeau
- Roc de Cambes
- Rol Valentin
- Roudier
- Rouget
- Roylland
- Saintayme
- Saint-Pierre de Corbian
- Saint-Pierre (Saint-Julien)
- Sanctus
- Sansonnet
- Sergant
- Siran
- Smith Haut Lafitte
- Soutard
- Soutard-Cadet
- St. Georges
- Suduiraut
- Talbot
- Tayac
- Tertre-Rôteboeuf
- Tour Bayard
- Tour de Capet
- Tour de Pas Saint-Georges
- Tour de Pez
- Tour des Termes
- Tour Maillet
- Tour Saint Christophe
- Trapaud
- Trigant
- Trocard
- Tronquoy (formerly Tronquoy-Lalande)
- Troplong Mondot
- Trotanoy
- Trotte Vieille
- Valandraud
- Vieux Château Certan
- Vieux Château Palon
- Vieux Doumayne
- Vieux Maillet
- Villemaurine
- Virginie Thunevin
- Xans