Château de La Dauphine 2021

Dark and red berry fruit with a mineral backbone, violet, smoky notes. Dense, elegant palate with fine-grained tannins, lively and energetic impression, finishing chalky. Bravo!

Beautifully lifted and aromatic nose, smells wonderful with such clarity. Juicy and succulent, lovely energy straight away, the fruit is bright but not sour with a soft hint of both sweetness and cooling freshness. Layers of minerality and wet stones offset the fruit, and the well-integrated tannins provide structure. Not lean but not massy, a lovely balance for a finessed, delicate wine in 2021. Finishes a touch light, but give this time.

Flowers and espresso show, along with ripe plums and crushed rocks on the nose. The palate is even better with its sweet, ripe, salty-edged plums, cherries, and spice. Medium-bodied with loads of lift, the vibrant finish is clean and fresh, with ample red fruits and a light touch of cocoa on the back end. Drink from 2024–2036.

Dark ruby core, purple reflections, subtle brightening on the rim. Ripe blackberries, plums and delicate liquorice notes with fine savoury tobacco notes and a floral touch. Juicy, fine fruit sweetness, ripe berries, integrated tannins with mineral notes and a generous finish. Has good ageing potential.

Inky dark purple core and hue. Fragrant nose offering cassis and wild berries with mild oak and some chalky notes. The palate is polished and supple with a good degree of freshness, medium weight with elegant dark fruit, balanced oak and a pure long finish.

A carefully worked, enjoyable Fronsac with balance, a little less dense than in recent vintages, with focus on blueberry, rose stem and raspberry leaf, baking spice and fresh acidities that give lift on the finish. Enjoyable, early to medium drinking. 42 hl/ha yield, harvest October 1 to 13, 30% new oak. Consultant Julien Viaud, certified organic, Director Stéphanie Barousse.

The 2021 de la Dauphine is organic and has a medium garnet-purple color. It is a little broody to start, offering notes of dried sage, crushed rocks, and fertile loam, over an emerging core of redcurrants and black cherries. Medium-bodied, the palate has crunchy red and black fruit, with a refreshing line and soft tannins, finishing with a skip in its step.

Dark fruits take the lead, gently accompanied by sweet spices and more elevated notes of blackcurrant. The palate is pure and clean, smooth and even seductive.

La Dauphine does not fail to reveal the freshness of its terroirs, with chalky nuances complemented by inviting notes of cherries. The freshness is also present on the palate, where the wine shows compact, velvety tannins. They provide some breadth and body and offer good ageing potential, together with the acidic structure that brings freshness to the finish. A convincing and promising wine to follow as it evolves.

Lovely, fruit-driven nose with a racy edge. It reveals notes of ripe/juicy blackcurrant, bright small fruits and, more subtly, violet, joined by a touch of bigarreau cherry and fine hints of star anise, infusion and tobacco. The palate is fruity and offers juiciness, freshness, acidity, a tangy backbone, a certain purity and a subtle electric vibrancy. On the palate, this wine shows notes of juicy/fleshy blackberry, juicy/fleshy blackcurrant and, more lightly, juicy/fleshy raspberry, combined with touches of cornflower and cardamom, as well as hints of camphor, roast and toast. Good length. Fresh and precise.

Beautiful deep red. Intense nose with pure fruit. Very fruity, pleasant palate with medium body and length.

Another impressive Fronsac in the vintage, the 2021 Château La Dauphine has ripe black cherry and blackberry-like fruit as well as some spicy, dried herb, and chocolaty notes to go with a medium-bodied, supple, elegant profile on the palate. It's nicely balanced, has ripe tannins, and a great finish. It needs a year or two to integrate some oak, but this is well done. Drink bottles through 2031.