Château Les Grandes Murailles 2021

Ripe-fruited, earthy, nutty notes, tobacco, tea; soft palate, polished tannins, very good balance, harmonious, with freshness, spice and a long, red-fruited finish. Built for mid-term maturity.

What turned out to be the last vintage produced from this two-hectare parcel just outside the village of Saint-Émilion, which has now been incorporated into Clos Fourtet, the 2021 Grandes Murailles exhibits aromas of cherries, minty red berries, spices and pencil shavings, followed by a medium to full-bodied, ample and fleshy palate built around powdery tannins and tangy acids.

Soft and gentle in feel, with cassis and cherry notes lightly gilded with floral and apple-wood hints. Direct finish. Drink now through 2026. Tasted twice, with consistent notes. 500 cases made.

Almost sweet strawberry and vanilla cream on the nose, with some green peppercorns and dried herbs. Juicy and fresh acidities give way to a salty mid palate with gently textured tannins. Nice and easy, nothing harsh here, the fruit could be a bit more persistent, but this is easy and likeable.

Aromas of currants, blackberries, dark chocolate and black truffles. Medium-bodied, firm and chewy with plenty of tannin backbone. Spice, pepper and hints of black tobacco. Solid finish. Needs three or four years to soften. Best after 2025.

Tasted blind. Juicy, relatively simple, sweet fruit. Clean and fresh. With some drive. But drying on the end. (JR)

The 2021 Les Grandes Murailles has an intriguing and complex bouquet, slightly feral in style compared to its peers, revealing baked cherries, loam and meat juices—almost Rhône-like! The palate is medium-bodied with a pliant entry, again, a more fleshy Saint-Émilion compared to others, with fine acidity and a dash of white pepper and clove toward the finish. This is thoroughly enjoyable and should give wine lovers 15-20 years of drinking pleasure.

Wild cherries, black raspberries, flowers, licorice, and mint leaf with a hit of espresso form the core of this silky, fresh, creamy wine. The sweetness in the cherries on the backend is quite nice. This is the final vintage of Les Grandes Murailles, as subsequent vintages will be blended into Clos Fourtet. As the vineyards were adjacent, with the same terroir, this bodes well for future vintages of Clos Fourtet. Drink from 2024-2037.

Dark garnet, opaque core brightening to purple at the narrow rim. Subtle noble wood spices, red cherries, savory tobacco. Juicy, cherry, silky texture, fine tannins, a little loosely knit, delicate freshness on the finish, leafy aftertaste.

Kunz barrel sample 2022: spicy, herbal bouquet, cherries, wood, tobacco. A well-structured, medium-bodied palate with light fruit, muscular structure, subtle aromatics, fine-sandy tannins, and a medium, herb-tinged finish.

Spicy, herbal bouquet, cherries, wood, tobacco. A well-core, medium-bodied palate with light fruit, muscular structure, subtle aromatics, finely sandy tannins, medium, slightly bitter finish. 16/20 2027 - 2040

Majoring on raspberry and wild strawberry fruits, clear limestone signature, sappy and with lift through the finish, a little soft through the mid palate but totally charming with a grilled dried herb and fennel finish. As of 2022, this wine is to be included within Clos Fourtet, giving it an interest for collectors. Not tasted En Primeur.

Les Grandes Murailles 2021 is 100% Merlot, grown on limestone. This is the last vintage of this wine—it will from here on be included in Clos Fourtet. It has a deep garnet-purple color and storms out of the glass with up-front scents of plum preserves and blueberry pie, giving way to suggestions of fallen leaves, black olives, and wet slate. The medium-bodied palate is tightly knit, with a lively line and fine-grained tannins supporting the bright, pure black fruits, finishing with a minty lift.

Quivering aromas of fully ripe red fruits tease the nose. Harmonious on the palate, it unfurls like a red velvet carpet across the mouth, right through to a mocha finish. A simple wine.

What definition and depth in the bouquet of Grandes Murailles! Beyond the chalky nuances, it reveals notes of roasting and black berries. With good density, the wine is precise and elegant. A true work of craftsmanship, a hymn to finesse and detail. This is truly great!

The nose is aromatic, spicy, and offers a touch of concentration as well as intensity. It reveals notes of wild blackberry and violet, with lighter hints of cherry blossom, combined with touches of black pepper and fine nuances of graphite and clove. The palate is beautifully juicy and fruity, with brightness, precision, silkiness, tension, a certain straightness, and shine. On the palate, this wine delivers notes of juicy/fleshy blackberry and bright blackcurrant, with subtler crushed red berries, complemented by touches of star anise, violet, toasted notes, as well as fine hints of chocolate, sweet blond tobacco, and a subtle touch of cornflower in the background. Fine chew and deliciousness.

Dark, intense, purple color. Highly aromatic nose: delicate, fruity, pure, ripe, and subtle. Delicious, melting palate with meticulous texture. It develops superb charm, with blackberry flavor returning on the long finish, all wrapped in a finely judged touch of toasted oak. Superb! 100% Merlot. Alcohol: 13.5% – pH: 3.6. Yield: 35 hl/ha. Saignée wine at 20%. The estate did not experience frost.