Chateau Grand Village 2021

DECANTER: "Softly floral-touched blackcurrants - violet and lilac, quite a subtle perfumed tone to them but giving such expressive aromas to the nose with touches of smoked earth and sweet milk chocolate. Juicy and succulent, a whoosh of bright fruit juice - red cherry and strawberry - really so lively then straightens and becomes more direct. Lots of minerality and salinity on show, lifted and aerial. The structure and frame comes more towards the end rather than on the Mid-palate, growing in depth and density until a noticeable weight appears with a mineral, salty, iodine finish. Elegant from the start however, finessed with freshness and such supreme approachability. Utterly lovely."

THE WINE ADVOCATE: "Incorporating fully 25% Cabernet Franc derived from massal selections taken from Château Lafleur, the 2021 Grand Village offers up inviting aromas of dark berries, plums, violets and rose petals. Medium to full-bodied, deep and seamless, it's a lively, sapid wine that concludes with a saline finish. The progress of this estate, benefiting from upgraded vine genetics as well as the uprooting of less optimally sited parcels, transcends vintage variation to the extent that this 2021 should equal the quality Grand Village attained in 2016!"

JEB DUNNUCK: "The 2021 Grand Village (Lafleur) is another brilliant wine from this team. Based on 75% Merlot and 25% Bouchet (Cabernet Franc) from the upper plateau on the Right Bank, it has a great nose of darker black raspberries, spring flowers, bright cherries, and some loamy, earthy, mineral nuances. It's gorgeous on the palate, with a more broad, expansive mouthfeel (especially when compared to the Les Perrières), ripe tannins, medium body, and a great finish. Put this in a blind lineup of Grand Cru Burgundy and I bet it wouldn't stick out."

JAMES SUCKLING: "A bright and fruity wine with bright acidity and light, fine tannins. Nicely lifted. Creamy texture."

FALSTAFF: "Dunkles Rubingranat, violette Reflexe, breitere Randaufhellung. Feine Pflaumenfrucht, Brombeeren, floraler Touch, tabakige Nuancen, mineralischer Touch. Mittlerer Körper, feine rote Kirschen, finessenreich, zarte Tannine, rote Waldbeeren im Abgang, zitronig-salzig im Nachhall."

THE WINE CELLAR INSIDER: "Flowers, spice, tobacco leaf, herbs, and red fruits are on the nose. Medium-bodied, soft, elegant. refined, silky and fresh, there is a nice purity and sweetness to the fruits on the mid-palate and in the finish. You can enjoy this with pleasure on release. The high proportion of Cab Franc in the blend really works in this vintage, adding depth of flavor and salinity. The wine blends 75% Merlot and 25% Cabernet Franc. Drink from 2023-2033."