Black cherries, orange rind, plums, flowers, blackberries, tobacco and smoke filled aromas get your focus with little effort. There is a richness to the wine due to all of its chocolate, licorice, cherries, and currants. The finish combines salty oceanic influences, dark chocolate, citrus, licorice, chalk, and savory fruits, with chocolate in the lingering, dusty finish. I sense this could be even better with a few years of bottle age. A large part of the success with the 2021 vintage here is the concentration that comes from yields of only 22 hectoliters per hectare. Blending 63% Cabernet Sauvignon, 33% Merlot, 3% Cabernet Franc, and 1% Petit Verdot. Drink from 2027-2050.
UGCB tasting-Amsterdam 2021 Bordeaux 03-04-2024: Like the white here too firm vanilla and wood. The wine is tasty and has a friendly aftertaste, but misses for me the refinement of Domaine de Chevalier and Pape Clement.
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(60% Cabernet Sauvignon, 40% Merlot). Purpurrot. Die Nase ist super präzis, Cassis, Brombeere, ein Hauch Tabak, Süssholz, Veilchen, super komplex, schon jetzt. Im Gaumen frisch, rassig, gradlinig und knackig, sensationelle Struktur, feinmaschiges Tannin, dieses ist von höchster Güte, keine Adstringenz, keine Trockenheit, einfach nur sehr hohe Qualität. Im Abgang mit schöner Länge und viel Frische. Ein Top Wein, mit guten Reserven. 2025-2045 (Verkostet im November 2023 in Zürich bei UGCB)
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UGC Bordeaux (Drake Hotel - Chicago IL): Walkaround tasting. Firm and cellarworthy with very good depth for the vintage. Long finish shows minerally, complex finish worth looking forward to, from 2031.
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11x Bordeaux 2021: UCG Arrivage Tasting of just a handful of 2021 Bordeauxs. Some thoughts: 1) It's a very mediocre vintage. There is not enough substance, many wines seem simple. Especially on the Left Bank, the balance was a bit off (too much acidity, too many herbal notes, not enough fruit... and some showed greenness and drying tannins). 2) 2021 is being promoted as a vintage for "classic" Bordeaux lovers, a vintage for those who liked 2014 and 2017. In my opinion, 2021 does not come close to those vintages. 2014 is more structured, with better balance and often more depth. 2017 is much rounder, more balanced and a bit more polished. 3) We all know the high prices for 2021, so there's no need to chase them (they'll probably only get cheaper in the next few years). Here are some impressions on a few selected wines.
TN: Brief comment, no detailed notes taken. The two Pessac-Leognan wines present, the SHL (90pts) and the DDC (88pts), were quite similar: both had nice dark red berries in the center, were a bit simple and had slightly drying tannins. While certainly ok, these are definitely not wines to chase.
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Bordeaux 2021 Arrivage Tasting (Dolder Grand, Zurich): Dark fruit profile with cherry confit, blackberry, but also blueberries. Sweet spices of vanilla, chamomile tea, vegetal notes, earth and leather. The palate is round and balanced with soft tannin even if just a tad unripe I found. Otherwise a strong representative of the vintage that is well placed to offer early-drinking pleasure.
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(96-98 vvPunkte) (60% Cabernet Sauvignon, 40% Merlot). Purpurrot. Die Nase ist super präzis, Cassis, Brombeere, ein Hauch Tabak, Süssholz, Veilchen, super komplex, schon jetzt. Im Gaumen frisch, rassig, gradlinig und knackig, sensationelle Struktur, feinmaschiges Tannin, dieses ist von höchster Güte, keine Adstringenz, keine Trockenheit, einfach nur sehr hohe Qualität. Im Abgang mit schöner Länge und viel Frische. Ein Top Wein, mit guten Reserven. 2025-2045 (Verkostet "En Primeur" im April 2022. Château Smith Haut Lafitte) vvWine.ch
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Dark in color, the wine opens with blackberry, boysenberry, flowers, cocoa, licorice, chocolate and black cherry. The wine is soft, polished, elegant and refined, with silky tannins, energy and purity to the fruit, which you can taste in the mid-palate. The finish delivers a precise note of chocolate-covered mint and cherries with a mineral, chalky endnote. Blending 63% Cabernet Sauvignon, 33% Merlot, 3% Cabernet Franc and 1% Petit Verdot, 13.5% ABV pH of 3.65. The harvest took place September 22 through October 14. Yields were low at only 22 hectoliters per hectare. Drink from 2027-2047. 94-96
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En-Primeur campaign for the 2021 vintage; 4/25/2022-4/29/2022 (Bordeaux): A denser and more concentrated version of the le petit – the cherry replaced by a little blackcurrant note. Oak is here as well as a little jubey underpin. In the mouth its juicy, savoury fruit is pleasantly bold, charming and engaging – quite pure – Tannins are talc textured and in support. Very nice.
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3/9/2024 - Jeff Leve wrote: 95 Points
Black cherries, orange rind, plums, flowers, blackberries, tobacco and smoke filled aromas get your focus with little effort. There is a richness to the wine due to all of its chocolate, licorice, cherries, and currants. The finish combines salty oceanic influences, dark chocolate, citrus, licorice, chalk, and savory fruits, with chocolate in the lingering, dusty finish. I sense this could be even better with a few years of bottle age. A large part of the success with the 2021 vintage here is the concentration that comes from yields of only 22 hectoliters per hectare. Blending 63% Cabernet Sauvignon, 33% Merlot, 3% Cabernet Franc, and 1% Petit Verdot. Drink from 2027-2050.
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3/4/2024 - Xavier Auerbach wrote: 91 Points
Amsterdam UGCB Tasting (Zuiderkerk): Deep ripe fruit on the nose, good flavours but the finish is extremely dry.
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3/4/2024 - FransS wrote: 92 Points
UGCB tasting-Amsterdam 2021 Bordeaux 03-04-2024: Like the white here too firm vanilla and wood. The wine is tasty and has a friendly aftertaste, but misses for me the refinement of Domaine de Chevalier and Pape Clement.
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3/1/2024 - vvWine.ch wrote: 96 Points
(60% Cabernet Sauvignon, 40% Merlot). Purpurrot. Die Nase ist super präzis, Cassis, Brombeere, ein Hauch Tabak, Süssholz, Veilchen, super komplex, schon jetzt. Im Gaumen frisch, rassig, gradlinig und knackig, sensationelle Struktur, feinmaschiges Tannin, dieses ist von höchster Güte, keine Adstringenz, keine Trockenheit, einfach nur sehr hohe Qualität. Im Abgang mit schöner Länge und viel Frische. Ein Top Wein, mit guten Reserven. 2025-2045 (Verkostet im November 2023 in Zürich bei UGCB)
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2/12/2024 - Swintonblade Does not like this wine: 88 Points
tight, lacking in fruit/depth.
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1/26/2024 - englishman's claret wrote:
Ripe red cherry, lipstick, rose, a bit of bitter dark chocolate. Quite tannic! Yet finishes a little short.
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1/25/2024 - MRichman wrote:
UGC Bordeaux 2021, SF: Black fruit, tar, earth. heavy toast, a bit of floral lift. Savory. Dark and a bit juicy.
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1/23/2024 - Burgundy Al wrote: 93 Points
UGC Bordeaux (Drake Hotel - Chicago IL): Walkaround tasting. Firm and cellarworthy with very good depth for the vintage. Long finish shows minerally, complex finish worth looking forward to, from 2031.
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1/22/2024 - oldwines Likes this wine: 94 Points
Union Des Grands Crus Bordeaux (New York City, NY, USA): Good tension and energy, balanced. Charcoal, blackberry, herbs. Fresh. Layered. Fairly long finish.
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11/19/2023 - Cailles wrote: 90 Points
11x Bordeaux 2021: UCG Arrivage Tasting of just a handful of 2021 Bordeauxs. Some thoughts: 1) It's a very mediocre vintage. There is not enough substance, many wines seem simple. Especially on the Left Bank, the balance was a bit off (too much acidity, too many herbal notes, not enough fruit... and some showed greenness and drying tannins). 2) 2021 is being promoted as a vintage for "classic" Bordeaux lovers, a vintage for those who liked 2014 and 2017. In my opinion, 2021 does not come close to those vintages. 2014 is more structured, with better balance and often more depth. 2017 is much rounder, more balanced and a bit more polished. 3) We all know the high prices for 2021, so there's no need to chase them (they'll probably only get cheaper in the next few years). Here are some impressions on a few selected wines.
TN: Brief comment, no detailed notes taken. The two Pessac-Leognan wines present, the SHL (90pts) and the DDC (88pts), were quite similar: both had nice dark red berries in the center, were a bit simple and had slightly drying tannins. While certainly ok, these are definitely not wines to chase.
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11/6/2023 - sirpat00 wrote: 94 Points
Bordeaux 2021 Arrivage Tasting (Dolder Grand, Zurich): Dark fruit profile with cherry confit, blackberry, but also blueberries. Sweet spices of vanilla, chamomile tea, vegetal notes, earth and leather. The palate is round and balanced with soft tannin even if just a tad unripe I found. Otherwise a strong representative of the vintage that is well placed to offer early-drinking pleasure.
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6/25/2022 - vvWine.ch wrote: 97 Points
(96-98 vvPunkte) (60% Cabernet Sauvignon, 40% Merlot). Purpurrot. Die Nase ist super präzis, Cassis, Brombeere, ein Hauch Tabak, Süssholz, Veilchen, super komplex, schon jetzt. Im Gaumen frisch, rassig, gradlinig und knackig, sensationelle Struktur, feinmaschiges Tannin, dieses ist von höchster Güte, keine Adstringenz, keine Trockenheit, einfach nur sehr hohe Qualität. Im Abgang mit schöner Länge und viel Frische. Ein Top Wein, mit guten Reserven. 2025-2045 (Verkostet "En Primeur" im April 2022. Château Smith Haut Lafitte) vvWine.ch
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5/20/2022 - Jeff Leve wrote: 95 Points
Dark in color, the wine opens with blackberry, boysenberry, flowers, cocoa, licorice, chocolate and black cherry. The wine is soft, polished, elegant and refined, with silky tannins, energy and purity to the fruit, which you can taste in the mid-palate. The finish delivers a precise note of chocolate-covered mint and cherries with a mineral, chalky endnote. Blending 63% Cabernet Sauvignon, 33% Merlot, 3% Cabernet Franc and 1% Petit Verdot, 13.5% ABV pH of 3.65. The harvest took place September 22 through October 14. Yields were low at only 22 hectoliters per hectare. Drink from 2027-2047. 94-96
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4/29/2022 - chatters wrote:
En-Primeur campaign for the 2021 vintage; 4/25/2022-4/29/2022 (Bordeaux): A denser and more concentrated version of the le petit – the cherry replaced by a little blackcurrant note. Oak is here as well as a little jubey underpin. In the mouth its juicy, savoury fruit is pleasantly bold, charming and engaging – quite pure – Tannins are talc textured and in support. Very nice.
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