UGC Montréal - 2021 Bordeaux

[Nicklasss]

It was a very well organized event on the January 21st in Montréal. Location was Le Grand Quai and site was wide enough for all attendees and lot of natural light.

Was fun to be with my friend AlexH, and some BWEers, JeanFred, dstgolf and JimHow.

First, let say that the 2021 is less solar, more classical, with low alcohol (most Pomerol/Saint Émilion at 13-13.5). The wines are well balanced, fresh, but some are a bit thin. But no greeness at all. They should drink well after 10-12 years.

I tasted only about 35 wines. Without too much details, here are the ones i preferred ( in no order):

Favorites

Domaine de Chevalier (good concentration of fruit, complex, long, tobacco).

Smith Haut Lafitte (very SHL with it slightly lush fruit character, complex, balanced, good intensity and long final on Graves minerals). BTW, i liked the white too, citrus, saline, luminous, serious style.

Rauzan Ségla (already some Margaux berries, leather, minerals, freshness. It was probably my #1 favorite).

Canon (great duo from Chanel. A fruity, balanced, intense Saint Émilion, but with poise and nice drinkability. Calcareous plateau in mouth).

Petit-Village (great style and very Pomerol with complex merlot fruit, rasberries, restrained, argile, truffle).

Second favorites

Haut Bailly
Pavie Macquin
Brane Cantenac
Duhart Milon
Phelan Segur
Branaire Ducru

[jckba]

Nice impressions Nick and I get to taste through the 21s today in NYC.

[jckba]

Nick, tasted through the 2021s on show today here in NYC and while some wines definitely fared better than others; this was largely a restaurant styled vintage save for the whites.

Wines I liked included DdC, Haut Bailly, SHL, Beychevelle, Gruaud, Leoville Barton, Lagrange, Lynch Bages, Brane Cantenac, Clinet and Petit Village but I did not really enjoy either the Canon or the Rauzan Segla in their current state as I found them to be attempting too much extraction coupled with too much oak, granted they could turn out great in a couple of years but I won’t be betting on them.

[JimHow]

Boy they don’t look like they’re giving them away, Haut Bailly appears to be in the $120+ range on pre arrival .