Chateau Soutard 2021

THE WINE CELLAR INSIDER: "Showing a nice depth of color, the wine is soft, round, polished, rich and fruity, with silky tannins and freshness from start to finish. The creamy finish leaves you with a touch of spice in the endnote. The wine is a blend of 70% Merlot, 18% Cabernet Franc, 7% Cabernet Sauvignon and 3% Malbec. Drink from 2024-2040."

THE WINE ADVOCATE: "The 2021 Soutard has turned out very well indeed, showing the results of vineyard restructuring and additional precision in picking dates, parcel by parcel. Unfurling in the glass with notes of dark berry fruit, sweet spices and loamy soil, it's medium to full-bodied, layered and nicely concentrated, with beautifully refined tannins, succulent acids and a seamless profile."

JAMES SUCKLING: "A chewy and rather tannic red with blackberries and wet earth. Some saltiness. Medium body. Juicy finish."

JEB DUNNUCK: "An impressive 2021, the 2021 Château Soutard comes from the upper plateau, in a slightly cooler sector. It's dense and concentrated, with beautiful minerality in its darker cherry and currant fruits. These carry to a medium-bodied Saint-Emilion with ripe, polished tannins, good mid-palate density, and a great finish. It's one of the more unevolved 2021s, and I suspect a few years of bottle age will be warranted."

FALSTAFF: "Tiefdunkles Rubingranat, violette Reflexe, zarte Randaufhellung. Zartes Nougat, dunkle Waldbeeren, ein Hauch von Lakritze, mit etwas Edelholz unterlegt. Mittlerer Körper, rote Kirschen, feine Tannine, frische Struktur, zart salzig, vielseitig einsetzbar."

DECANTER: "Dark and heady nose showing rich blackcurrant tones. Black cherry and blackcurrant also on the palate, alongside sweet exotic spices and smoked earth. It's lightly framed with a crushed stone element and soft salinity that expands around the mouth. The flavours are carefully presented with a balanced structure. Nicely concentrated, refined and enjoyable."