Château Poujeaux 2021

Refined nose of cassis, blackberries, and green bell pepper. Creamy attack, gripping tannins, delicate fruit, crisp, with verve and a slightly bitter finish on blood orange.

Shows cassis and bitter plum notes laced with cedar and earth hints, turning a touch trim on the finish and revealing a nice smoky hint throughout. Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot and Petit Verdot. Drink now through 2028. 20,000 cases made.

Nice fragrance on the nose, perfumed and vibrant with red and black fruits. Smooth and round, but straight too, nice definition, a shot of bright acidity with slightly tangy blackberry fruit, mineral sides and just gripping salty, stony tannins. Good balance and weight on the palate, not light or too austere, but mouthwatering with character and length. Not shouting but quite complete.

Pretty spice, dried mushroom, lavender, violet and subtle currant aromas and flavors. Medium body, fine tannins and delicious freshness. Nicely done for the vintage. Drinkable now but can improve for three to six years.

The 2021 Poujeaux showed well from barrel. Now in bottle, it has a clean, well-defined nose with slightly more fruit concentration than its peers: black cherries, raspberry, sea spray and light estuarine notes. The palate is medium-bodied with granular tannins. This is a slightly austere Poujeaux, yet it remains balanced and offers more complexity than others, lightly spiced toward the finish with decent length. Drink over the next 15 years.

Dried flowers, spice, licorice, and plums with savory herbs start off the wine. On the palate, you find freshness, energy, and sweetness in its core of cherries, currants, and strawberries, with a touch of peppery spice and chocolate that comes in at the end of the finish. You can enjoy this with pleasure on release. The wine blends 55% Cabernet Sauvignon, 40% Merlot, and 5% Petit Verdot, 13% ABV. Drink from 2024–2036.

Dark ruby with an almost opaque core, purple reflections, subtle brightening at the rim. Delicate herbal savoriness, fine cassis, blueberries and plums, nuances of spice. Juicy, red berries and fresh, finely woven tannins. Has the potential to age and will be great with food.

The 2021 Château Poujeaux is rock-solid, with plenty of darker fruit as well as some classic Bordeaux cedary herbs and spicy, earthy nuances. It's balanced, medium-bodied, has good mid-palate depth, and ripe tannins. It's going to keep for 8–10 years.

Kunz barrel sample 2022: (55% Cabernet Sauvignon, 40% Merlot, 5% Petit Verdot, 30 hl/ha, 13% vol. alcohol, production 240,000 bottles) Silky, delicate, elegant bouquet, blue and black berries, cassis, cedar. Fine, fresh palate with fragrant fruit, lots of fine tannins, dense structure, powerful aromatics, long, refined finish.

(55% Cabernet Sauvignon, 40% Merlot, 5% Petit Verdot, 30 hl/ha, 13% vol. alcohol, production 240,000 bottles) Silky, delicate, elegant bouquet, blue and black berries, cassis, cedar. Fine, fresh palate with fragrant fruit, plenty of fine tannins, dense structure, powerful aromatics, long, delicate finish. 17/20 2028 - 2040

Fresh acidities but well-expressed fruit, led by blueberry and cassis, with an appealing sense of engagement and momentum. Hard to find a creamy mid-palate in 2021, but the oak has integrated over ageing, and there is charm here. Mathieu and Philippe Cuvelier owners, Christophe Labenne director, consultant Stéphane Derenoncourt. Tasted twice.

A blend of 55% Cabernet Sauvignon, 40% Merlot, and 5% Petit Verdot, the 2021 Poujeaux has a medium to deep garnet-purple color. Vibrant notions of redcurrant jelly, raspberry pie, and kirsch jump from the glass, leading to hints of camphor, pencil lead, and underbrush. The light to medium-bodied palate is soft and lively and fresh, finishing with a skip in its step.

True to its style, Poujeaux continues a fine run of vintages in the elegant profile for which it is known. 2021 is poised, supple, and carried by lovely fruit. A wine with fine, well-integrated tannins that will be perfect in two to three years.

An aquiline nose with notes of aromatic herbs, iris and lilac, set against a backdrop of dark fruits. The palate is taut and sinuous, with notes of fresh blackcurrant and a subtle touch of Chinese lacquer. Fruit shows on the upper palate, lifted by the acidity.

The bouquet of Poujeaux 2021 reveals roasted nuances and notes of ivy. It needs a bit of air to finally display aromas of black berries and hints of licorice. On the palate, the wine takes the path of finesse, which is not necessarily its usual style, but this choice proves wise in 2021. The wine is supported by velvety tannins that have its back, working hand in hand with the acid structure. A Poujeaux that can certainly be enjoyed sooner than usual. A good omen, as it will help you wait for the 2020 and 2022!

Deep, intense color. Moderately aromatic nose with bright fruity nuances. Hints of citrus. Juicy palate with a supple, fruity body. Medium length. A rather anachronistic showing considering my En Primeur score. To be reassessed.

A very Médoc-style profile is emerging, one that should appeal to aficionados of the genre. “A noble rusticity.” Very graphite, very cedar, rather than focused on fruit, the juice flows straightforwardly over tannins with real grip. This is an architect’s wine, rooted in its terroir, distinctive and uncompromising, even if it isn’t exuberant today.