Château Grand-Puy Ducasse 2021

Restrained nose, cherry, pomegranate, roasted notes. Slim palate, well balanced, less drive than before, austere, characterful, red-fruited finish. An elegant Grand-Puy Ducasse.

The samples I tasted of the 2021 Grand-Puy-Ducasse were impressive en primeur, but unfortunately, my expectations haven't been realized in bottle. Offering up aromas of baked red berries and creamy new oak, followed by a medium-bodied, tart and astringent palate, it concludes with a somewhat metallic finish. Can this bottle have been representative?

Taut, but more sleek than trim, with a bright iron spine and good damson plum and black cherry notes that race along, while light savory and tobacco accents flitter in the background. A solid, understated effort. Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot. Drink now through 2035. Tasted twice, with consistent notes. 8,000 cases made, 500 cases imported.

Lighter, skinnier, perhaps representative of 2021 but, even taking the vintage into account, it lacks the expected power and concentration. A leafy edge to the tannins, not much fun to drink at the moment. There is good purity to the fruit but the blend needs more substance. Oak is subtle and doesn’t overpower.

Smoke, espresso, cocoa, licorice, menthol and black currant aromatics open the wine. On the palate, the fruits are lively, chewy and fresh. There is sweetness, roundness, structure and a refreshing mint note that adds to the fruit-oriented, chewy finish. This is quite strong for the vintage. Drink from 2026-2045.

Dark ruby garnet colour with purple reflections, subtle brightening on the rim. Floral, light notes of raspberry pulp and cassis, fresh mandarin zest, rather exotic bouquet. Medium body, red berries, firm tannins, salty, very fresh, somewhat demanding style, needs time.

Deep ruby/purple-hued, the 2021 Château Grand-Puy Ducasse is based on 62% Cabernet Sauvignon and 38% Merlot that spent 18 months in just 30% new oak. It's an outstanding effort that has the more medium-bodied, firmer style of the vintage as well as solid red and black fruits supported by cedary herbs, graphite, and tobacco that develop with time in the glass. I like its mid-palate depth, it has beautiful purity and enough tannins to warrant 2-4 years of bottle age, and it should evolve gracefully over the following decade.

At two tastings in Zurich and Bordeaux, the 2021 Grand Puy Ducasse proved its outstanding class. Full, sweet and forward, it still shows plenty of oak on the youthful nose and a generous body. A powerful Pauillac on the palate, with forceful, broadly arranged tannins. Enormously dense and long, super fresh and broadly structured, penetrating and intense. This will be a textbook Pauillac with epic aromatics. A grand character wine, endlessly long. 13.5% vol. Caution: great value!

Kunz barrel sample 2022: (62% Cabernet Sauvignon, 38% Merlot, 31 hl/ha, 12.8% alc. vol.) Sweet, spicy, powerful, mineral bouquet, cassis, licorice, smoke, slate. Velvety, medium‑bodied palate with sweet fruit, fine sandy tannins, velvety structure, powerful dark aromatics, full finish.

(62% Cabernet Sauvignon, 38% Merlot, 31 hl/ha, 12.8% vol. alcohol) Sweet, spicy, powerful, mineral bouquet, cassis, licorice, smoke, slate. Velvety, medium-bodied palate with sweet fruit, finely sandy tannins, velvety structure, powerful dark aromatics, full finish. 17/20 2028 - 2042

Savoury, sleek bilberry and black cherry fruit, fine but confident tannins, with a kick of spice and the savoury cassis bud character of the year. Austere but well balanced. A reliable 40ha estate owned by CA Grands Cru, with a low yield of 31hl/ha.

The 2021 Grand-Puy Ducasse is deep garnet-purple in color. It pops from the glass with evocative notes of cassis and black raspberries, followed by hints of crushed rocks, cedar, and clove oil. The medium-bodied palate is lightly chewy and lively, with some dried berry notes and a slightly rugged finish.

From the very first nose, its generous character comes through, with inviting notes of dark fruit. A wine of lovely roundness, suave, with a broad palate and structured tannins carrying the finish, accented by a touch of spice. Already very seductive.

A sophisticated, very refined nose of cedar and blueberry, then on the palate an elegant, balanced, muscular wine.

Dark, deep colour. Intense nose with ripe fruit. Delicately smooth palate, developing with savoury appeal on a slender frame, leading to a somewhat discreet finish. Medium length.

This estate, whose chateau is on the Gironde estuary front in Pauillac, is a solid, tannic wine. Its Cabernet Sauvignon brings out black-currant fruits and shows fine potential. It is a wine for aging, drink from 2027.