Château Clos de Sarpe 2021

More fruit-driven than many wines from 2021, showing blackberry and dark chocolate. On the palate, dark fruit, ripe tannins, powerful, long-lasting, with cassis on the aftertaste. Tuscan style.

Creamy vanilla, strawberry and black cherry notes on the nose with hints of toast and black chocolate. Bright and high toned, juicy with a kick of high acidity that lifts the palate and gives a tingling sensation rather than being overly mouthwatering as the tannin structure is relatively full for the vintage giving a wide frame. The fruit is certainly more plush than some of the wines, and the 14.5% alcohol just makes an appearance towards the end with a flash of heat, cinnamon and clove spice, but this keeps focus and direction too. Still needs a bit more time to harmonise the fresh, lean acidity with the tannins and fruit but this will be an enjoyable, if atypical bottle.

Black cherries, crushed stone and floral notes show with ease on the nose. On the palate, the wine delivers its red fruits with a salty edge that comes from its deep limestone terroir. Drink from 2026–2045.

Deep garnet, purple rim. Plum fruit, dark cherries, a touch of nougat and figs, candied orange zest. Juicy, elegant, fine acidity, red cherries, silky tannins, well-structured, good length; elegant food companion.

I continue to absolutely love what this château does, and the wines have never been better. The 2021 Château Clos De Sarpe comes from a single 3.7-hectare vineyard on the eastern portion of the appellation and is 85% Merlot and 15% Cabernet Franc from tiny yields of 25 hectoliters per hectare, with a long 42-day maceration followed by aging in 70% new barrels. Sensational notes of pure crème de cassis and black raspberry fruit, crushed stone, spring flowers, and graphite, as well as a chalky, crushed stone-like minerality, all emerge from the glass, and this beauty hits the palate with medium to full-bodied richness, a deep, layered mid-palate, fine tannins, and nicely integrated background oak. It hit 14.5% alcohol and brings more depth, richness, and texture than most in the vintage. I would be thrilled to have bottles in the cellar, and it will ideally be given 4-6 years of bottle age and will evolve gracefully over the following two decades. Hats off to Jean-Guy Beyney and his niece Maylis Marcenat for another brilliant wine. This château deserves more attention in the market today, as they're producing some of the greatest wines from the Right Bank.

One of the darker wines in the Saint‑Émilion 2021 lineup, with a deep purple colour. It shows the earthy tomato‑leaf edge so typical of the vintage, combined with a core of red fruits, chalky tannins, good grip across the palate, and an attractive white‑pepper spice on the finish. Certified organic. Beyney family since 1923. A one‑point upscore.

The 2021 Clos de Sarpe is organic. It has a medium to deep garnet-purple color and it prances out with showy notes of stewed cherries and raspberry preserves, followed by suggestions of potpourri, violets, and menthol. The medium-bodied palate is vivacious and perfumed, with satiny tannins and a racy backbone, finishing with impressive length.

Right from the start, the bouquet shows maturity, even richness, in a context focused on freshness and tension, very much 2021 in style. Inviting notes of cocoa and peonies are complemented by a hint of elderberry. On the palate, the wine combines charm and freshness. It is linear, muscular, yet also suave. The terroir in all its splendor, supported by the ambitious Maylis Marcenat.