On Sept. 28, select B.C. Liquor Stores will be releasing the 2021 vintage of Bordeaux wines.
The 2021 vintage in Bordeaux was marked by several challenges: a wet winter followed by frost in April and more rain throughout the growing season leading to mildew concerns. Cooler conditions led to lower sugar and alcohol levels in the development of the wines but with global warming, these conditions still allowed Bordeaux wineries to produce classic Bordeaux wines that will be approachable much earlier for consumption compared to recent vintages.
This is a drinker’s vintage as most wines will be ready to drink either right away or within the next few years. B.C. Liquor Stores has also stocked many relatively affordable Bordeaux wines. Here are some of my recommendations:
Chateau d’Aiguilhe ($50) – this is one of my perennial favourite value Bordeaux wines. It is produced by the von Neipperg family (who also owns La Mondotte, a top shelf winery in St. Emilion). This is a blend of 90-per-cent Merlot and 10-per-cent Cabernet Franc and the wine is aged in oak barrels (30 per cent new) for 15 months. This wine will have lots of dark berries, licorice and flowers and will drink well right away and for another five years. It is a 90 point Wine Spectator rating.
Chateau Canon la Gaffeliere ($180) – this is another winery that almost never produces an under performing wine and ages gracefully with age. This is a Grand Cru winery from the Right Bank region of St. Emilion. This wine is a blend of 45-per-cent Cabernet Franc, 35-per-cent Merlot and 20-per-cent Cabernet Sauvignon and has a 13.5 per cent alcohol content. You will get raspberry and strawberry flavours with a mineral & earthy aftertaste. It is a 92 point Wine Spectator rating and this will only get better with 10 years of age.
Chateau Ferran ($45) – this winery comes from the Pessac Leognan region, which some people believe produced some of the best 2021 Bordeaux wines. The price of the wine is affordable enough that you can take a chance on this wine. It is a blend of Merlot, Petit Verdot and Cabernet Sauvignon. It is a medium bodied wine with black plums and good acidity. You can just open and enjoy the wine right away.
Chateau Ferriere ($100) – this is an overlooked and undervalued third-growth winery from the Margaux region. For many of the great vintages in the past, most of the grapes from this winery were used to produce another second-growth winery, Chateau Lascombes. Now this winery is beginning to gain some notoriety as a great wine itself. You will get nutmeg and floral aromas with a core dark fruit on the palate. This is a blend of 81-per-cent Cabernet Sauvignon, 13-per-cent Merlot, five-per-cent Petit Verdot and one-per-cent Cabernet Franc and it will drink well for the next five to eight years.
Chateau D’Issan ($150) – I have the good fortune of tasting this wine recently and despite its price, I think it still provides value. It has a very smooth and silky texture, floral aromas and an intense core of dark fruit on the palate.
Chateau Margaux ($1500) – I know the price is astronomical but for those who have the means, the 2021 Chateau Margaux is among the best wines produced in Bordeaux in 2021. I recently tasted this wine and everyone at the tasting thought this wine was a standout. The wine is so balanced with both dark and red fruit, good acidity and firm tannins. There is a hint of toasted oak on the aftertaste. Simply an incredible wine.
It was a smaller crop than usual in 2021 and B.C. Liquor Stores have less Bordeaux 2021 wines available for purchase compared to last year. So the list of white wines and Sauternes offered is quite small. Unless you only drink white wine or Sauternes, this may be a year to focus on value red Bordeaux wines that can be consumed right away. For more of my recommendations, see my video here.
Until next time, happy drinking!
Tony Kwan is a Richmond News columnist. Lawyer by day, and a food and wine lover by night. Kwan is an epicurean who writes about wine, food and enjoying all that life has to offer.
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