SEE ALL THE WINES
Here you will find all the wines recommended by our buyer, David Roberts MW, and the Goedhuis tasting team. You can view Goedhuis tasting notes and scores for all wines, alongside critics' notes and scores as they are published. The price and status of each wine will update as it is released.
WHAT THE CRITICS THINK
"anyone who enjoys the great benchmark Bordeaux wines of the 1980s and 1990s should seriously reflect on what the 2021s may have to offer in 10 to 15 years’ time. It’s a style of wine that could come from nowhere else. Indeed, I suspect that the best 2021s are destined to be described as “better than expected” for most of their lives—except that the writing is, in fact, already on the wall. And if the 2021s’ balance is reminiscent of a vintage from yesteryear, the best wines benefit from all the precision of modern winemaking, displaying beautifully refined, polished tannins." William Kelley, The Wine Advocate
"In many cases, they can rightly say that they triumphed over Mother Nature thanks to their tenacity, experience and tireless work ethic, and the finest wines are singular in their purity, freshness and uncommon resonance... If a château has noble terroir, an entirely dedicated team, state-of-the-art technology (to sort out the clean, pure, ripe fruit from the weaker berries) and a slice of luck, then there is no excuse for not making fabulous wine... this is a classic example of a vintage where every single wine must be tasted individually... Suffice to say that I found some exquisite wines in 2021, and they are all pure, long, refreshing, pristinely elegant and refined, and the epitome of the plots of vines from which they were harvested." Matthew Jukes
"The 2021 Bordeaux have turned out to be such a surprise. Weather conditions were challenging, and yet the top properties turned out gorgeous, classically built wines that will absolutely thrill readers who appreciate freshness and energy. Restrained alcohols and mid-weight structures will remind readers of Bordeaux pre-2000s. The best wines offer a striking combination of old-school classicism with modern-day precision. Quality is inconsistent though, so choosing carefully is essential. Even so, there is much to like in the 2021s." Antonio Galloni, Vinous
"There are wines that will offer drinking pleasure and wines whose evolution in bottle will be fascinating to monitor. It’s a frustrating and complex growing season with the potential to become, at least at its best, the most intellectually-stimulating to drink despite the absence of undisputable masterpieces. The 2021 vintage is enticingly fallible in nature." Neal Martin, Vinous
vintage report
Our MW David Roberts has returned from yet another intense week of tasting and discussion in Bordeaux with renewed excitement for the 2021 vintage. There are many excellent wines to be found, full of classic finesse and more approachable alcohol than in recent vintages. Here he tells how human intervention, microclimate and a dose of luck has blessed the best wines of the vintage in their battle against Mother Nature.
WHAT THE CHATEAUX THINK
“Our biggest challenge was needing to work on the weekend, it’s funny because it’s true, but it made all the difference, especially with the mildew pressure in June and July. The same was true with the harvest.“ Hervé Gouin, Commercial Director, Mouton Rothschild & Clerc Milon
“You needed three things this year. The first is the soil. If you have good terroir, you have a chance to make great wine. The second is a good team, you need to have people by your side to help with the frost and the mildew and with green harvest. The third is luck, forecast for rain but multiple times, it was never as bad and warmer than expected. Chances were taken, but they paid off.” Marielle Cazaux, MD & Winemaker, Conseillante
"How would I describe the vintage? It is Academique - for me the wines have rigidity, in a good way. The tannins are ripe, but just ripe - almost al dente. Actually it was (oenologist) Thomas Duclos who described it best, classical but also contemporary…Contemporary Classic” Pierre Olivier Clouet, Technical Director, Cheval Blanc
“2021 is not below ‘18 or ‘19 in terms of quality, it is a terroir vintage” Jean-Basile, Commercial Director, Chanel Group
“If you had a good team and good terroir, you could make some good wine” Yann Laudheo, Cellar Master, Smith Haut Lafitte
“The vintage of the vigneron; we had to be extra close to nature and listen to what she had to say” Stephanie Libreau, Commercial Director, Calon Segur
our blogs
"2021 was a year which tested the skills of Bordeaux’s best. As Jean-Sebastien Philippe at Ch Lafite-Rothschild described, “a vintage of decisions”. Made correctly, the results exceed all expectations. It is clear there are so many positives about the 2021s, with fully mature tannins and pleasingly low alcohols around 13%, although sadly volumes are substantially down in comparison to the 2020 vintage."
