Château de France 2021

Tasted at Bordeaux Extra: Arrivage 2021 (9 | 2024) INT

Trim but fresh, offering modest black cherry and singed cedar notes, followed by a light mineral twang. Merlot and Cabernet Sauvignon. Drink now through 2027. 1,300 cases made.

Fully aromatic on the nose, perfume and ripe fruits, so appealing, really jumping out of the glass. Succulent with clarity and precision - the fruit and overall texture feels clean and tongue-scraping, with the stone and graphite elements coming through and lifting the palate away from the fruit flavours. This has real tension and focus as well as weight on the mid-palate from the plush fruit, but it's the cooling, terroir elements to the fore right now with integrated tannins and barely-there spicing. Lovely structure and persistence. Delicious. Michel Rolland consultancy.

Blackberry, black currant, dried rosemary and mocha on the nose. Peach pits and sandalwood, too. It’s medium-bodied, polished and fragrant with fine-grained tannins. Excellent length. Drink from 2025.

Fresh, elegant, refined, sweet and, frankly, pretty, the fruits offer purity and elegance on the mid-palate and in the finish. This is quite successful for the vintage. Drink from 2024-2034.

Dark ruby with purple hues on the rim. Hints of plums, a touch of blackberries and nougat. Lean red-berry fruit, elegant tannins, discreet sweetness, loosely knit, lemony finish.

Mulled red and black fruits, smoked tobacco, graphite, and a kiss of minerality all emerge from the 2021 Château De France, a medium-bodied, round, supple, satisfying Péssac that has ripe yet building tannins. Give it a year or three and enjoy over the following decade.

Grilled vanilla bean, sweet raspberry fruit, unfussy, soft fresh earth on the finish. Drink in the next five years to make the most of the fruit that is here. Tasted twice.

The 2021 de France has a medium garnet-purple color. Scents of warm cassis and black cherries pop from the glass, followed by hints of cloves and fragrant earth. Medium-bodied, the palate is soft and uncomplicated, with plenty of freshness and a harmonious finish.

The oak and fruit are well balanced, giving a fairly complete nose. On the palate, however, the wood is dominant and masks any other expression. Admittedly, the acidic framework is noticeable, but nothing else tempers that impression. Lacks full ripeness and cohesion.

The 2021 from Château de France shows a touch of élevage but also nuances of ripe black berries. With good density, the wine is supported by supple tannins. There is a hint of oak on the palate with some sweetness, while the finish is slightly drying. I think a bit of bottle age will smooth out the edges. The outlook is good in any case!

The nose is fruity, offering subtle power, a touch of concentration, delicate fruit richness, and a fine spicy edge. It reveals notes of fleshy/juicy strawberry, blackberry, and, more subtly, ripe/fleshy wild berries, with hints of grey pepper, violet, star anise, and a subtle touch of spice. The palate is fruity and delivers juiciness, minerality, roundness, a certain smoothness, indulgence, generosity, poise, and a delicate zesty backbone. On the palate, this wine expresses notes of pulpy/juicy blackberry, raspberry, and, more slightly, crushed redcurrant, with a touch of blackcurrant, mocha, cornflower, refined minerality, fine hints of cardamom, a subtle hint of star anise on the finish, and a very discreet, almost saline note. The tannins are well handled.

Beautiful deep red. Moderately aromatic, fruity nose. Soft, fruity and flavorful palate, with a lovely taste that lingers. Medium length.

The wine opens with appealing aromas of blackberry, blackcurrant, vanilla and freshness. The palate is shaped by the predominant share of Cabernet and its tannic frame. The tannins are grainy and full, just waiting to meld. Plenty of potential, then. The finish lingers on a pleasant grapefruit note.