Château Beauregard 2021

A little toasted and spicy on the nose with dark bramble fruit aromas. Fresh and sappy but tight and coiled too, there's tension here and a sense of strictness in terms of texture and width of the palate. Fruit and acidity is there, but feels like the oak is on show a little and the tannins need more time to settle and expand. Good acidity underneath so give this time.

70% Merlot, 30% Cabernet Franc. Intense bouquet, ripe wild strawberry, delicate roasted notes, Moroccan mint and light tobacco. On the complex palate with a silky texture, ripe extract, supporting freshness, ripe tannin framework and a straightforward body. In the focused, very long finish, red and blue berries, cardamom paired with an enticing milk-chocolate note. Overall, a refined seducer.

Spiced turmeric, cloves, blueberry, cassis, dark chocolate and cigar box. There is evident oak smoke, and this has charm and body through the mid-palate. Good for early to mid-term drinking, should comfortably age for 10 to 15 years.

The 2021 Clos Beauregard has a medium to deep garnet-purple color. It delivers pure notes of ripe black plums and fresh blackberries, followed by hints of cracked black pepper, cardamom, and fertile loam. The medium-bodied palate is lively, with a chewy texture and just enough expressive fruit, finishing with an herbal lift.

We must applaud the fine success of this 2021. You plunge into a soup of dark fruits, combined with sweet spices and papier d’Arménie. The palate shows just the right extraction, with precise tannins, a smooth, sapid flow, and thirst‑quenching freshness.

Next door, but separate from Château Beauregard, the clos is planted exclusively with Merlot. The wine is dense with its black-cherry aromas and jammy fruit. It is a dense wine, needing to age further. Drink from 2026.