Château Couhins 2021

The 2021 Couhins is a dark, somber wine. Black cherry, leather, licorice, mocha and grilled herbs all convey the savory character of a Cabernet Sauvignon-driven wine from a cold site in a cold year. There's good depth and overall intensity, although some angular contours remain.

Blackberries, plums, tobacco and smoke are what you initially notice before moving on to the soft, dark, spiced, round, chalky, red, pit-fruit filled palate. Drink from 2023-2033. 89-91

Dark ruby garnet colour with a deep core, purple reflections, delicate brightening on the rim. Ripe plums, a hint of figs, dark wild berries, a touch of orange zest, inviting, well-developed bouquet. Juicy dark cherries, tightly woven, firm tannins, some nougat, mineral on the finish, accessible, with certain ageing potential, still needs time.

Attractive bright fruit on the nose, with high floral notes that lend an appealing aromatic curl on the opening, but marked by acidity, with redcurrant, elderflower and tight slate-like tannins through the mid-palate. Didier Forget director, Stéphane Derenoncourt consultant.

The nose offers fine concentration, precision, and subtle power. It reveals notes of pulpy wild blackcurrant, pulpy/quite ripe cherry, and, more lightly, violet, joined by small touches of lily and pepper, discreet hints of fresh tobacco, a delicate iodized note, and a subtle hint of peony. The palate is fruity and delivers juiciness, freshness, and a lovely brightness/pulpiness/generosity of fruit. On the palate, this wine expresses notes of pulpy/juicy cherry and fresh/pulpy blueberry, and, more lightly, bright small red berries, combined with touches of racy gravel and graphite, as well as fine hints of pepper, fresh flowers, chocolate/cocoa, licorice (zan), and a varietal nuance in the background.

Beautiful deep, sustained red. Intense nose with ripe fruit. Precise on the attack, savory mid-palate; the wine develops pleasantly and gently, a little discreet on the finish. Medium length. Blend: 49% cabernet sauvignon, 44% merlot, 7% petit verdot.

Opening initially on a few empyreumatic notes, a concentrated fruit rises from the glass with aeration, recalling macerated red berries and blackcurrant jam. There is even a sanguine edge. The tannins, slightly drying on the finish, are crafted with great finesse. All this well‑managed density gives the wine a beautiful sculpted profile.

Bright and fragrant on the nose. Bright strawberries straight away, though salty tannins come in quite quickly and give a powdery sensation on the palate, curbing some of the fruity enjoyment. This needs a bit more time to settle, but it’s unfussy and gently presented. Acidity is on the high side and that’s exposing some gaps in weight right now, leaving it a bit austere and severe.

Produced at the estate owned by the French government agriculture research institute, this wine shows the enormous improvement of this vineyard. It has juicy black fruits and ripe tannins. It is a very young wine, its spice and structure still prominent. Drink from 2027.