Chateau Grand Puy Lacoste 2021

JAMES SUCKLING: "Very fine and polished tannins with lovely balance and beauty. Blackberries, blackcurrants and a creamy texture. Lovely finesse and focus. There’s delicacy and beauty to this. 85% cabernet sauvignon and 15% merlot."

THE WINE ADVOCATE: "The 2021 Grand-Puy-Lacoste is one of the vintage's successes, wafting from the glass with aromas of cassis and raspberries mingled with notions of violets, rose petals, pencil shavings and cigar wrapper. Medium to full-bodied, with a deep, layered core of pure fruit framed by ripe acids and sweet tannins, its suave, charming profile means that it will offer a broad drinking window. A slightly lower percentage of new oak, with lighter toasts, is reflected in better barrel integration out of the gates."

WEINWISSER: "85 % Cabernet Sauvignon, 15 % Merlot, 40 hl/ha. Dunkles Purpurrot mit satter Mitte und aufhellendem rubinrotem Rand. Verführerisches Bouquet, frischgepflückte rote Kirsche, Himbeergelee, zartes Veilchenparfüm und Preiselbeersaft. Am seibalancierten Gaumen mit seidiger Textur, magischer Rasse, «sapider» Extraktfülle, druckvoll, engmaschigem Tanningerüst und perfekt geformtem Körper. Im konzentrierten Finale rotbeerige Konturen, dunkle Mineralik und fein sandige Adstringenz. Ein klassisch «reiner» und sehr präziser GPL, der perfekt zum Jahrgang passt – Bravo!"

THE WINE CELLAR INSIDER: "Blackberries, cigar wrapper, roses, cocoa, currants and cedar create the aromatics. The palate is even better with its layers of rip, sweet, creamy, fresh, bright red fruits. There is solid lift and energy here with a chewy bite of cassis in the backend that lingers. This is a super wine that exceeds the vintage. The wine blends 85% Cabernet Sauvignon and 15% Merlot. Drink from 2026 - 2050."

DECANTER: "Lovely pretty and fragranced nose. A sense of classicism with bright, shining acidity underpinning crushed velvet textured tannins and a cola, liquorice cool undertone. Slightly lean but also with lots of Cabernet markers that do well to support the frame. Good weight and focus, with drive on the palate. It's light, it's not plush at all, and in that sense really quite linear and lean, but this totally works."

FALSTAFF: "Dunkles Rubingranat, violette Reflexe, dezente Randaufhellung. Tabakig-kräuterwürzig unterlegte schwarze Beeren, frische Rote Johannisbeeren, etwas Lakritze, Orangenzesten. Saftig, elegant, frische Herzkirschen, straffe, gut integrierte Tannine, frisch strukturiert, zarte Nougatnuancen im Abgang, gutes Reifepotenzial."

LISA PERROTTI-BROWN: "The 2021 Grand-Puy-Lacoste has a deep garnet-purple color. It slowly unfurls to reveal evocative notes of raspberry coulis and redcurrant jelly, leading to a core of cassis, cedar, and underbrush. Medium-bodied, the palate is bright, crunchy, and tightly wound, with a racy backbone and fine-grained tannins, finishing with a red berry lift."

WINE SPECTATOR: "Pure and fresh, with a mix of damson plum and red cherry notes laced with sandalwood, red tea and sanguine accents. Shows a lively savory streak, which adds energy to this relatively understated style. Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot. Drink now through 2035. 10,000 cases made. "