BORDEAUX SUPPLEMENT

REDBORDEAUX

CHÂTEAUHAUT-BAILLY, CRUCLASSÉ 65% Cabernet sauvignon, 22% Merlot, 10% Petit verdot, 3% Cabernet franc. 50% new oak. A pretty, dark ruby colour. The nose is a little restrained but with an attractive floral lift. The palate is full of juicy fruit, loganberry, raspberry, blackcurrant. The fine tannins give good structure, and the freshness is definitely here. All in good balance. Good concentration. The finish is long and ends on the fruit, the oak iswellmeasuredhereandgives aclassicpencil shaving note. A serious wine well made and not over-done. One of CHÂTEAUSMITH-HAUT-LAFITTE, CRUCLASSÉ 63% Cabernet sauvignon, 33% Merlot, 3% Cabernet franc, 1% Petit verdot. An attractive crunchy nose thanks to more cabernet in the blend this year (usually around 58%). They worked on very gentle extraction this vintage, with a very small amount of pumping over,much less thanmost years giving elegant dark fruit, bramble and hints of blueberry. A good gravelly note. The palate is generous in serious fruit with some savoury umami notes, the tannin is very fine and the finish is fresh and long, with dark smoke and gentle herbal notes from the Cabernets. A crunchy modern style. The oak is well measured to make it just serious enough. DRINK: 2028 - 2046 £525 - £625 / 6BOTTLES WA93-95 CHÂTEAULECLARENCEHAUT-BRION 70.4%Merlot, 18.2 Cabernet sauvignon, 11.4 Cabernet franc. 28% newoak. Quite a classicmutednose,witha cool coreof dark fruit and pencil shavings. Some bright red fruit peeping through. The palate is fleshy and more on the red fruit but still with some cassis, cedar and a chalky minerality. Here the tannin is very fine and the freshness makes for a mouth-watering finish. A cool classic. DRINK: 2028 - 2042 £660 - £750 / 6BOTTLES WA91-93 The 2021 Le Clarence is “one of the finest second wines in this vintage...does bear more than a passing resemblance to the grand vin.” -WILLIAMKELLEY,WINEADVOCATE our favourites this year. DRINK: 2030 - 2048 £525 - £625 / 6BOTTLES WA94-95+

CHÂTEAULAMISSIONHAUT-BRION, CRUCLASSÉ 47.9% Merlot, 45.8% Cabernet sauvignon, 6.3% Cabernet franc. 73% new oak. Flashy bright blackberry fruit, graphite, woodsmoke and a hint of spice on the slightlymuted nose. A slow burner, the palate slowly reveals more dark fruit, the fruit character is very pure. The palate is quite savoury, but then moves to fine tannins which provide a decent grip. The finish has plenty of freshness lifting up the fruit but then moves to the tannin and new oak. Quite a bit of chew on the finish. Ambitious but should keep well. DRINK: 2030 - 2046 £1,395 - £1,695 / 6BOTTLES WA94-96 CHÂTEAUHAUT-BRION, 1ERCRU 50.3% Merlot, 38% Cabernet sauvignon, 11.7% Cabernet franc. 73% new oak. A dark core of fruit pokes its head out of the glass. This comes across as very classy with the bramble, dark berries, some cherry and new oak spice with cedar and liquorice. Warm and inviting. There is a fine mineral noteaswell asahintofhedgerow.Thepalate is surprisingly fleshy, the tannins here are fine but still provide a decent grip. Thefinishmoves to the regional styleof red fruitwith lots of oak, tobacco and spice and the freshness is there at the end with gentle mineral notes. Ambitious, well-made and very classy. Our favourite of the 1st Growths! DRINK: 2032 - 2052 £2,350 - £2,825 / 6BOTTLES WA96-98 The 2021 Haut-Brion is “a candidate for the title of wine of the vintage ... this is one of the real high points of 2021” - WILLIAM KELLEY,WINEADVOCATE

17

Farthinghoe Fine Wine Ltd FARTHINGHOEFINEWINE.COM