Bordeaux 2021 at Two Years: St Emilion Grand Cru
This instalment of my 2021 in-bottle tasting reports is the third and final look (for now, anyway) at the wines of St Emilion in this vintage. In this report I focus on all the wines which reside outside the St Emilion classification.
This report always features a diverse collection of wines. It takes us from the pinnacles of the appellation, from widely admired winemakers who have remained outside the classification such as François Mitjavile and Jonathan Maltus, right down to almost unknown properties in distant corners of the appellation, on light and gravelly soils close to the Barbanne (the river that marks the northern limit of the appellation), or out on the sandy plains close to the Dordogne. In between the two extremes there are upstarts, unknowns and newcomers, with the tantalising possibility that there are gems hidden in the rough, just waiting to be discovered. It is always an interesting array of wines to taste and to write up.
That remains true even in 2021, nevertheless many of the wines I report on here reflect the trials that came with this awkward growing season. While some of the wines hail from the plateau, which offers them a natural frost protection, many originate from vineyards on low-lying sandy soils which were blasted by the year’s spring frosts. And of course the vast majority of these cuvées are built around Merlot, sometimes nothing but Merlot, a variety which struggled in the frost and the mildew-ravaged conditions which followed. In many cases this shows through quite clearly in the wines.
In future Bordeaux vintage reviews, this report will of course look very different, as it will be home to all the châteaux which departed the classification in the 2022 iteration. These include Château Cheval Blanc, Château Ausone, Château Angélus and Château La Gaffelière, and it will say goodbye to a few properties promoted to the rank of grand cru classé, such as Clos Badon Thunevin and Château Croix de Labrie. But for the moment let’s get on with the wines as they were ranked in 2021.
