2021 – THE VIGNERONS VINTAGE The 2021 vintage will always be seen in the afterglow of the brilliant 2018, 2019 and 2020 vintages. After a rare trifecta, such extraordinary luck was bound to run out. Wine business during the pandemic has never been so good for many, but reflecting the stock markets around the world, Bordeaux is about to expect a correction of sorts. But rather than a nasty shock, the 2021 vintage should represent a soft landing. Although it will always be overshadowed by greater vintages, the wines are much better than anyone was prepared to predict. Having tasted through many important châteaux, the quality is generally excellent. If framed against the traditional Bordeaux vintages of the 1970s, 1980s and even the 1990s, the wine styles and sub-regional characters of the 2021 are both recognisable and impactful. With another year of oak maturation, many of the wines will develop into beautiful and classic clarets. The story of the growing season inevitably underpins the reputation of every vintage. The worst frosts in a century, combined with cool, wet conditions and outbreaks of mildew, set a dramatic scene. But there were periods of warm sunshine and dry weather, particularly in autumn, leading up to vintage. Vineyard site characteristics, vine age and management techniques also contributed to the quality of the 2021 vintage. Technology, timing, wisdom and empathy profoundly determined outcomes. This was an important year for Bordeaux, because adversity was a shared experience. It was a COVID-forced stay-at-home growing season where vignerons and their workers interacted in a more intimate way. Many château owners and negociants described 2021 as “The Year of the Vigneron.” But the vineyard and winery workers were the true heroes. Although 2021 can never be described as a great year in the true sense, the quality of the wines is often excellent, reflecting care, attention to detail and teamwork. This is very much a retro-modern vintage, where a cool growing season, technology and relentlessly hard and meticulous work resulted in something special. Nonetheless, I doubt whether the 2021 Bordeaux will be much of an investment year, and anyone participating in the forthcoming en primeur campaign should be aware that this type of vintage will not really appeal to investor types. But I would imagine many wine collectors will dip their toes in. The
Château Latour, Bordeaux
Bordeaux 2022
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