Chateau la Chenade 2021

JAMES SUCKLING: "A succulent wine, with juicy berries, chocolate, walnuts, nutmeg and some orange undertones. Medium body. Vibrant at the end. Well done for the vintage. 100% merlot. Drink or hold."

DECANTER: "Floral strawberry and cherry fruits, there is a soft creamy scented element to the fruits on the nose. Such well-balanced acidity and brightness on the palate, a real kick of life and burst of flavour with red berries but a minerality that’s really to the fore - the crushed stone, wet slate, graphite and liquorice coming through giving nuance and angles while the soft, silky tannins glide over the tongue. This feels gently round and persistent, a good weight in the mouth, not dense as such but layers of flavour and cooling touches. You get the expansion and this is sustained. Not heavy but refined and understated. Gorgeous terroir in the glass, no frills here but such precision and identity. Ageing in 30% new oak. 20,000 bottle production."

THE WINE ADVOCATE: "The 2021 La Chenade, a 100% Merlot, evokes a fresh, fruity bouquet with aromas of flowers, dark wild berries, raspberry and violet, followed by a moderately weighted palate, a juicy, gourmand and round texture with velvety tannins and a fresh, penetrating finish. In the context of the vintage, this is worth hunting down."

JEB DUNNUCK: "The 2021 Château La Chenade is all Merlot from the Lalande de Pomerol appellation that was raised in 30% new French oak. It shows the more mid-weight, charming style of the vintage nicely and has perfumed red (and some black) fruits that give way to damp earth and floral, herbal, and coffee-like nuances. It's medium-bodied, has a soft, supple, elegant mouthfeel, and good length on the finish. Readers looking for a good representative of the vintage (and a wine that will drink well for a decade) should give this a whirl."

THE WINE CELLAR INSIDER: "Flowers and plums with hint of cocoa show with no effort in the nose. On the palate, the wine is silky vibrant and fresh. There is sweetness to the berries and an inviting texture on the palate. Produced from 100% Merlot, it is hard to believe this is a second wine in 2021. Drink from 2024-2032."