Chateau Grand Village 2021

DECANTER: "Subtle floral and tomato leaf aromas, something herbal and earthy with exotic spices and red berry and cherry fruit - a nice complexity on the nose. Juicy and bright, a hit of acidity and salinity makes the mouth water straight away, tangy and alive, but pure and focussed. Not so deep, more streamlined but crunchy and crisp. Really get a sense of the tension to this wine which is nice. Almost quite dramatic in its brightness and focus. Fresh, fun and fruity. Ends chalky and mineral. Very easy to like this. Not light but streamlined, balanced and elegant. Great definition, energy and focus. Immediately impressive and upfront. Great to drink now/soon."

THE WINE ADVOCATE: "The 2021 Grand Village, a blend of 48% Merlot (picked on the 17th and 24th of September) and 52% Cabernet Franc (picked on the 2nd of October), is undoubtedly one of the best values in Bordeaux, revealing a fresh, gourmand bouquet with aromas of raspberry, cassis, spring flowers and loamy soils. Medium-bodied, tense and elegant with a supple, velvety texture, it’s perfectly balanced with powdery tannins and a long, mouthwatering, sleek finish that enhances its drinkability. While it offers plenty of immediate charm, it also has the structure to age over the next decade."

JAMES SUCKLING: "A very pretty and focused wine of this appellation with a character of terra-cotta, berries, currants, flowers and cherries. Medium body, nice midpalate. Fine tannins and a long finish. 75% merlot and 25% cabernet franc. Drink or hold."

JEB DUNNUCK: "The 2021 Grand Village (Lafleur) is stunningly good in the vintage. Gorgeous ripe black cherry and red plums give way to a chalky minerality as well as complex floral and violet notes that are something to behold. It's deep, medium-bodied, has terrific mid-palate depth, lots of salinity, and ripe tannins. It plays in the elegant, streamlined, focused style of the vintage but has impressive depth and concentration."

FALSTAFF: "Dunkles Rubingranat, violette Reflexe, breitere Randaufhellung. Feine Pflaumenfrucht, Brombeeren, floraler Touch, tabakige Nuancen, mineralischer Touch. Mittlerer Körper, feine rote Kirschen, finessenreich, zarte Tannine, rote Waldbeeren im Abgang, zitronig-salzig im Nachhall."

THE WINE CELLAR INSIDER: "Flowers, cocoa, cherries, and hints of leafy tobacco with mint pop in the nose, and on the medium-bodied, palate. The wine is fresh, vibrant, and juicy, with sweet, cherries, and cocoa in the mid-palate that carries through to the finish. This is what a vin de pleasure is all about. It is not complicated. But it is simply delicious for now, and over the next decade. The wine blends 75% Merlot and 25% Cabernet Franc. Drink from 2025-2034."

LISA PERROTTI-BROWN: "A blend of 75% Merlot and 25% Cabernet Franc (Bouchet), the 2021 Grand Village has a medium to deep garnet-purple color. It leaps from the glass with gregarious notes of lilacs, cinnamon toast, and black pepper, giving way to a core of Morello cherries and black raspberries. Medium-bodied, the palate is lively and plush, bursting with red berry and spicy flavors, finishing long and lifted."