Bordeaux 2021

[Musigny 151]

I received this morning fascinating e mail from Jean Marc Quarin, who has just finished tasting 200 samples. I am not sure I can legally copy it, but I can give you a few of his insights. As one of the most thoughtful commentators, it seems good starting point.

It is a short crop.
It is much better than he would have expected given the weather. He attributes this to a tremendous amount of work at the estates. Even so, there seems to have been a struggle for ripeness, and there was a need to push extraction.
It is heterogenous.
Many chateaux used either or both chapitalization and some form of concentration either bleeding or reverse osmosis, which reduced an already small crop. Some may have added 2020 (15% is legal) others may use 2022.
It is a Cabernet vintage, with many chateaux using larger amounts of Cabernets than is usual in their blend.

My apologies if I have got anything wrong. I used a translator, and my own semi pidgin French.

[JimHow]

Thanks for the report Agent Musigny 151.

[JoelD]

Very interesting. I had no idea that 15% of another vintage is legal. Should be an intellectual vintage down the road. Sounds like one that it will be important to pick/target the right producers/bottlings and avoiding others.

[Musigny 151]

Depending on price of course. There is some speculation that because it is such a small crop, prices will be quite high.

[DavidG]

The bottle is half full: Better than expected due to hard work at the estates, under-ripe.

The bottle is half empty: Short crop, under-ripe.

The dregs: Over-extracted, heavily manipulated, expensive.

[Claudius2]

Very interesting. I had no idea that 15% of another vintage is legal. Should be an intellectual vintage down the road. Sounds like one that it will be important to pick/target the right producers/bottlings and avoiding others.

The same is legal in Australia, A (say) 2020 Coonawarra Cabernet for example could be 70% 2020 Coonawarra Cab, 15% 2019 Coonawarra cab and 15% Cabernet from the hot irrigation regions (worth about $2 a gallon). Or in fact it could be 15% Grenache, Cinsault or anything else - including whites.

I suppose a lot of wines could be labelled NV.

[Ambrose]

Yields look alright in the best parts of the Medoc.

https://janeanson.com/en-primeur-2021-yields

[Dionysus]

Yields look alright in the best parts of the Medoc.

https://janeanson.com/en-primeur-2021-yields

Appears to the case. Saint-Estèphe and satellites further north have done ok it seems.
An early report here by Panos - https://cluboenologique.com/story/2021- ... n-primeur/

Unless pricing drops back to 2019 levels (which I suspect it will not), I won't be going near this vintage, aside for keeping a few verticals on the go. And possibly forum favourite Calon Ségur.

[JimHow]

I think that about states where I'm at, Dio.
I'll buy a bottle or two of Calon Segur, Leoville Barton, etc., but I really am pretty much done.
Even 2019, I've gotten some nice deals on futures but going forward at most I'll be buying in 3-4 bottle quantities.

[Nicklasss]

Ok, i'll be the first saying it, i'm done buying Bordeaux primeurs.

2021 is probably like Johnny Depp : a tough vintage, but saved by Amber Heard.

[un bureaucrate]

Yields look alright in the best parts of the Medoc.

https://janeanson.com/en-primeur-2021-yields

Appears to the case. Saint-Estèphe and satellites further north have done ok it seems.
An early report here by Panos - https://cluboenologique.com/story/2021- ... n-primeur/

Unless pricing drops back to 2019 levels (which I suspect it will not), I won't be going near this vintage, aside for keeping a few verticals on the go. And possibly forum favourite Calon Ségur.

Thank you for the link.

Given the way the ’21 vintage’s reds are described in Mr Kakaviatos’s article as a cross between ’08 and ’14, my curiosity is piqued — especially looking forward to seeing how VCC performs in upcoming tasting notes. Definitely have to try it out, regardless, “for Science.”

On the whites front, depending on the price, might see about a case of Pavillon Blanc, or one of those beauties from Graves.

Cheers,
Thomas