Château La Dominique 2021

Fruit-driven, cassis, blackberries, plums, herbs, with a stony coolness. The palate is fleshy, round, showing power and finesse, fine-grained tannins, top balance, long-lasting. A hit.

Soft in feel, with modest damson plum and cherry fruit lined with a whiff of chalk. Ends with a potpourri echo. Merlot, Cabernet Franc and Cabernet Sauvignon. Drink now through 2025. 10,000 cases made.

Ripe, fragrant nose, chocolate, cherries and roses. Enjoyably textured, this has energy and focus as well as fruit concentration. Touches of vanilla and cream come in to give smoothness, ending on a softly salty note with liquorice and dark cocoa powder. Juicy, fruity and enjoyable, still with licks of oak so will need time but has ageing potential.

The 2021 La Dominique has a very Left Bank–inspired nose, which is surprising as the Cabernet components comprise only 15% of the blend—I suspect this originates from the growing season. The palate is medium-bodied with grainy tannins and notes of cracked black pepper, a little austere toward the finish but there is a sense of class and restraint here that enhances the freshness and precision.

Vibrant, elegant, fresh, soft and discreet, this wine is all about its refined character, revealed through nuances of freshly picked flowers, herbs, and soft-textured, energetic red fruits and herbs. The wine is medium-bodied and energetic, already expressing its core of red fruits and herbs. You can enjoy it upon release. The blend is 85% Merlot, 13% Cabernet Franc and 2% Cabernet Franc. Drink from 2024–2042.

Deep dark garnet with purple reflections at the rim. Black cherries, plum fruit, a touch of vanilla, candied orange zest. Medium-bodied, red cherry fruit, vivid tannins, fresh, well-structured, a little nougat on the finish; has good ageing potential.

The 2021 Château La Dominique comes from 85% Merlot, 13% Cabernet Franc, and 2% Cabernet Sauvignon that spent 14 months in 50% new French oak. It has a deeper ruby hue as well as gorgeous aromatics of darker currants, truffly earth, ripe herbs, and flowers. More medium-bodied on the palate, it has a supple, layered mouthfeel, ripe, polished, and nicely integrated tannins, and flawless balance. This is a very complete, balanced, seamless, and incredibly complex 2021 that has the density and class to evolve and drink well for two decades.

Kunz barrel sample 2022: (85% Merlot, 13% Cabernet Franc, 2% Cabernet Sauvignon, 38 hl/ha, 13.5% alc./vol.) Spicy, velvety, delicately bitter bouquet with blackberry, strawberry, wood, and toasted notes. Velvety, powerful, subtly opulent palate with intense fruit, good tannins, dense structure, pronounced aromatics, and a long, full, spicy finish. Has room to improve further.

(85% Merlot, 13% Cabernet Franc, 2% Cabernet Sauvignon, 38 hl/ha, 13.5% vol. alcohol) Spicy, velvety, subtly bitter bouquet, blackberry, strawberry, wood, toasted notes. Velvety, powerful, delicately opulent palate with intense fruit, good tannins, dense structure, pronounced aromatics, long, full, spicy finish. Still has room to improve. 17/20 2028 - 2050

Precise and perky, with blueberry and raspberry fruits, well balanced and topped with grilled peppercorn spice and liquorice root. Tasted twice, this is a sculpted and enjoyable 2021. 38 hl/ha yield, 50% new oak, 10% amphoras and wine globes. Yann Monties, technical director.

A blend of 85% Merlot, 13% Cabernet Franc, and 2% Cabernet Sauvignon, La Dominique 2021 has a deep garnet-purple color. It jumps from the glass with exuberant notes of baked plums and blackberry pie, followed by suggestions of cedar, cloves, and black truffles. The medium-bodied palate is lightly chewy, with a good core of black fruits and an earthy finish.

Slightly austere on the nose, it hints at notes of black fruit and black licorice before opening up and softening on the palate, revealing a fluid, vibrant character. With a beautiful texture, it finishes with a mouthwatering finale.

The nose is elegant, indulgent, racy, and harmonious. It reveals notes of liquorice, vibrant blackcurrant and, more subtly, bright cherry, combined with fine touches of juicy strawberry and blueberry, as well as delicate hints of plum blossom, sweet spices, and a subtle touch of pepper. The palate is fruity and offers freshness, juiciness, lovely definition, energy, a tangy backbone, a slight airy feel on the approach, and elegance. On the palate, this wine expresses notes of juicy/fresh cherry, blackcurrant, and, more delicately, vibrant raspberry, joined by small touches of juicy/fresh blackberry, lily, racy minerality, fine hints of star anise, and a discreet note of tonka bean and toasted almond. Good length. Savoury persistence. A hint of pleasant bitterness on the finish.

Dark, intense color. Moderately intense, fruity nose. A caressing, medium-bodied palate with good presence and a lovely ripe-fruit flavor all across the palate. Normal length.

There is a light touch to this wine, typical of 2021. From a 25-acre vineyard to the northwest of the Saint-Emilion core, it has ripe licorice and pepper aromas and jammy black-fruit flavors from the dominant Merlot. It is a fine wine, full of potential. Drink from 2027.