Climatic conditions
There is no denying 2021 was a cool, and complicated growing season from beginning to end in Bordeaux. Quite simply, winter was cold and wet, followed by a mild spell in very early April that encouraged an advanced bud-break. Sadly, a devastating frost that covered most of the region during the nights of 7th and 8th April affected many producers, resulted in varying loss of yields (or total loss again for poor Bérénice Lurton at Climens in Sauternes-Barsac).
May continued in the same, rather ominous manner yet thankfully, June heralded the arrival of warmer weather and flowering occurred in favourable conditions. Nevertheless, Mother Nature once again had other plans, as hail and heavy rainfall fell at the end of the month, and into July. Disease pressure was high and the risk of both mildew as well as grey rot became a real (yet manageable) issue for many Châteaux, with vines needing constant monitoring through rigorous canopy management and treatments such as copper sulphate (for example L’Evangile in Pomerol sprayed 23 times from May to August!)
Véraison began slightly later than usual (early August) when the long-anticipated dry, sunny period, finally came and there was, of course, enough water in the reserve table to off-set any potential hydric stress (though in truth temperatures were much lower in comparison to the heatwaves of 2018, 2019 and 2020 and rarely exceeded 30°C). The remainder of August was dry and sunny with cool nights, which allowed for the slow accumulation of both physiological and sugar ripeness. For dry whites, Sauvignon Blanc was the first to be picked, starting on 28th August, followed by the Sémillon a week later.
September saw the arrival of an unexpected, yet welcome Indian Summer, which saved the vintage for the reds. Nevertheless, the threat of rain forecast for the last week of the month made many estates anxious about harvest dates - should they pick early and guarantee a crop, albeit it not fully ripe? Or alternatively, sit tight and hope better weather prevailed to ensure quality? Thankfully the dreaded forecast did not come true, and most producers took the risk and waited… and it paid off! For many the earlier ripening Merlot was picked around 25th September, followed by the Cabernet Sauvignon around mid-October. Those who waited harvested grapes with good level of ripeness, without alcohol levels becoming too high.
For estates in Sauternes-Barsac, cool temperatures in Spring affected flowering and fruit set as well as causing mildew outbreaks, resulting again in yield reduction. The warmer weather in September slowed down the crucial spread of Botrytis Cinerea, although some plots were harvested for freshness and acidity. The misty mornings and sunny afternoons of early-October finally created the perfect conditions for Botrytis development, and the main “tries” (or picks) were done in these first few days, followed by another between 9th-17th October, and the final selection coming in right at the month end around 28th October. As our great friend and Sauternes Guru, Bill Blatch, stated although yields are extremely low “there are some lovely wines that are rich and sensuous.”
Style of the vintage
There is no denying that 2021 is a different style of vintage in comparison to what we have seen in recent years (2016, 2018, 2019, and 2020) with generous fruit and power. 2021 it is a vintage of energy, freshness, and vibrancy where the good wines have plenty of purity and density. There are more red berry fruits than black, with the wines also having lower alcohol levels from the cooler growing season. It’s impossible to put in a box and compare with any other vintage; we asked many winemakers, oenologists, and Châteaux with considerably more years of experience than us, and nobody could compare to any other vintage (or group of vintages).
In our opinion it’s an “old school” vintage dressed in modern clothes; stylistically you must go back to the early 1990s (pre-Robert Parker era) to find wines of this nature, yet the addition of modern technology has helped immeasurably in such a challenging vintage to produce wines that are fresh, pure, and elegant with good tension.
Vintage conclusion
Despite the initial reports from critics about the difficult growing season and resulting wines, we think 2021 is a good vintage, where some very good wines have been produced you just have to pick your way through as there was much variation and disappointment in some case. Price as always is the big question and will dictate the success of the campaign. It is going to be even harder this year with such small yields and estates wanting to increase prices, but I ask any producer reading this review to respect the consumer, although I understand and appreciate your team’s hard work in delivering some beautiful wines in such a challenging vintage.
Overall, 2021 is a vintage that we admire, and appreciated more throughout the duration of the UGC week. We have written tasting notes on over 300 wines, yet, in reality we have tasted nearer 500; some wines we have tasted on two or even three occasions, and always try to visit the Château where possible, as the samples are fresher. As such, we feel that if you know where to look (and we will of course guide you), there are some lovely wines that deserve a place in your cellar.
We have sought out many up-and-coming Châteaux that are producing better wines than their price tag suggests and could potentially be big names in the future. These wines are listed below as “star buys” and “rising stars”.
As always, the UGC En Primeur week is an intense, yet highly rewarding week. With ca. 500 wines tasted; we were certainly put through our paces! However, whilst writing up our tasting notes, Andrew and I have made the tough decision of choosing our top 10 wines of the vintage. They are in no particular order:
Top 10 wines
• Palmer
• Figeac
• VCC
• Mouton
• Margaux
• Montrose
• Haut-Brion
• Cheval Blanc
• La Conseillante
• Tertre Roteboeuf
Star buys
• D’Issan
• Beychevelle
• Batailley
• Pontet Canet
• Talbot
• Alter Ego
• Clinet
• Langoa Barton
• Roc de Cambes
• Domaine de Cambes
Rising stars
• Phélan Ségur
• Corbin
• Tronquoy-Lalande
• Rouget
• Pédesclaux
• Berliquet
• La Gaffelière
• Meyney
• Capbern
• Pey Mouton
There are other wines that we are interested in, however, it is very much dependent on the price.
Prominent wine critics have also been busy writing their reports on the vintage, and some have started to release their scores. To read more, please click on the individual links below:
William Kelley (Wine Advocate): Sauvé des Eaux – Bordeaux’s 2021 Vintage
Jane Anson (Inside Bordeaux): What’s new for Bordeaux 2021
James Suckling: A difficult 2021 comes out easy
Please note that due to uncertainty with the cost of raw materials, all wines are currently only offered in cases of bottles (6 or 12x75cl). Upon release, many Châteaux are not providing us with larger format surcharges due to the current climate. Should you wish to order other formats other than 75cl, please advise us and we will confirm the surcharge prior to bottling confirmation.
To view further details and information on our Bordeaux 2021 En Primeur campaign, please keep up to date with our release diary for all the latest from Bordeaux.
