It’s a real privilege and pleasure to be out in Bordeaux, tasting the 2021s with the team. Monday, our first day on the road, was spent checking in with top addresses in Pomerol and St Emilion, and provided us with more vital context on the 2021 vintage, which defies a simple explanation.

The promise shown at the previous day’s tasting by Laroque, Le Prieuré and Vray Croix de Gay was borne out, and then some. La Prieuré proved a very charming château – almost more Burgundy than Bordeaux – with the horses out ploughing the small hillside vineyards as we arrived.

Sadly, their commitment to organic viticulture has seen them produce only 6,000 bottles this year, (the barrel room was bare!), but what they have managed to eke out of the vintage was pure, vibrant and charming. Definitely one to watch.

Other highlights were La Conseillante – which showed its classic hedonistic side, but somehow only clocked in at a modest 13.3% ABV!

Grand Village from the owners of Château Lafleur, has kicked up another gear in 2021 and is incredible value for money. Montlandrie from the Durantous also showed fantastically and is yet another great value pick.

At our first appointment of the day, La Fleur-Pétrus, was my standout, and at our last appointment of the day Carillon from Château Angélus wowed all of us.

We asked Edouard Mouiex for an overview, and he explained that with the triple challenges of frost, mildew and a cooler growing season that, “this is not a terroir vintage. But a vintage of men and women”.

This sentiment was echoed by Omri Ram of Château Lafleur, who called it the “year of the vigneron… Not a year of concepts, a year of work.” The reason being, you “needed to be able to analyse and react” as the weather through the year was so varied, with “many seasons inside of one season.”

Those who did the work have clearly produced some cracking wines.

Let’s see what the Left Bank holds.