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Bumper day for Bordeaux 2021 releases

08 June 2022 By Arabella Mileham

The steady trickle of en primeur releases over the last few weeks has become a veritable torrent, with a slew of releases today including chateau of the moment, La Gaffelière, “an utterly brilliant” Château Montrose and a “beautifully structured” Clerc Milon 2021.

Evening view of Place de la Bourse with the reflective Miroir d’Eau in Bordeaux, France

First off this morning, saw the release of Château Montrose 2021 at €114 per bottle ex-négociant, down 10.9% on 2020’s opening price (€128).

Although, as our Bordeaux correspondent Colin Hay pointed out, left-bank Merlot was a tough and tricky proposition in the 2021 vintage, he called Montrose the “star of the show” for St Estephe, and awarded it 95-97 points. “An utterly brilliant – if subtle and complex – wine that, like most of the leading left-bank wines of the vintage, is a near perfect expression of the cool summer new classicism that is embraces so fully”, he commented.

Other critics were also impressed – Neal Martin of Vinous gave it 93-95 points, just below Antonio Galloni (94-96 points), who commented that “the 2021 is a fine choice for Montrose fans who want to drink the Grand Vin without waiting for decades”. William Kelley of The Wine Advocate also scored it 94-96, and, saying it was “reminiscent of a purer, more precise, modern-day version of the estate’s 1996”. Lisa Perrotti-Brown MW of The Wine Independent however, only rated it 90-92 points, and Liv-ex data points out that there are other back vintages that offer better value, notably the 2017, 2015 and 2014 vintages.

Also out this morning was Grand-Puy Ducasse 2021 in Pauillac released at €24 per bottle ex-négociant, unchanged from 2020’s opening price, which is being offered by the international trade for £288 per 12×75. Colin Hay called it “a disappoint”, with only 89-91 points, with fruit that “feels a little blended and the tannins…. just a touch coarser than the appellations’ finest”, although he applauded the “quiet and steady progression in recent vintages which continues here even in a challenging vintage”.

Neal Martin scored it similarly, calling its finish “slightly rustic”, but James Suckling was more generous, awarding it 93-94 points and described it as “a precise and focussed wine for the vintage”.

Offered by the international trade for £288 per case, the wine is more expensive than some back vintages with the 2011 or 2019 offering better value, Liv-ex noted, with the latter available at an 8% discount to today’s release.

Pauillac’s Clerc Milon 2021 has also just opened, released at €114 per bottle ex-négociant, down 10.9% on 2020’s opening price (€128). Available for around £684 per 12×75, this “aromatically engaging, rich, dynamic and explosively expressive” wine was described by Colin Hay as “beautifully structured”, winning 92-94 points, the same as both Antonio Galloni at Vinous and William Kelley of Wine Advocate. However, Liv-ex noted that both the 2017 and 2019 vintages look better value in relation to the 2021 release.

Meanwhile Rauzan-Segla 2021, “an exceptional wine that, in keeping with the vintage, is perhaps a little more floral at this stage than is usual – but… texturally sublime” (Colin Hay, 95-97 points) has been just been released at €60 per bottle ex-négociant, down 9.1% on 2020’s opening price (€66).

Another one hot of the press is Chateau La Gaffelière 2021 which was released at €48 per bottle ex-négociant, or £576 per 12×75, unchanged from 2020’s opening price. According to Liv-ex, the wine looks relatively well priced in relation to recent vintages, although the better scoring 2018 and 2019 vintages might appeal, with the former at a 3% discount to today’s release and the 2019 only a fraction higher.

The chateau spectacularly announced it was withdrawing from the St Emilion classification scheme last week, see our analysis of what this will mean for the classification here.

Canon 2021 has been released at €90 per bottle ex-négociant, down 6.3% on 2020’s opening price of €96, or £1,080 per case of 12. However, although William Kelley described it as “a brilliant wine in the making”, worthy of its 94-96 points, Liv-ex suggested it was “overpriced”, pointing out that the better scored 2017 and 2019 vintages were available for less.

Yesterday’s releases

Theses releases follow yesterday morning’s opening prices for Quinault l’Enclos, the “newly resurgent star” Cantenac Brown, Troplong Mondot, L’Evangile and Lafite Rothschild, the majority of which were offered unchanged from 2020’s opening price.

Hence Quinault l’Enclos 2021 was released at €25.80 per bottle ex-négociant, or £312 per case by the international trade, with Cantenac Brown 2021, “a conventional crowd pleaser – a very fine, classic and authentic expression of its terroir” at €34.2 per bottle ex-négociant, Troplong Mondot 2021 – part of a “brilliant trio” around Mondot – at €72 per bottle ex-négociant, and L’Evangile 2021 at €180 per bottle ex-négociant,

However Lafite Rothschild 2021 was released at €470 per bottle ex-négociant, down 1.2% on 2020’s opening price (€475).

Last week

These come hot on the heels of Canon La Gaffelière, Gazin and Lagrange over the bank holiday weekend.

Coming out last Wednesday, just after our roundup, was Lynch Bages (released at €90 per bottle ex-négociant), Tertre 2021 (€27 per bottle ex-négociant), Grand-Puy-Lacoste 2021 (€50.40 per bottle ex-négociant), Grand Mayne 2021 (€27.60 per bottle ex-négociant), Branaire-Ducru 2021 (€31.20 per bottle ex-négociant) and Talbot 2021 (€39.60 per bottle ex-négociant), all unchanged from 2020’s opening price.