Château Monbousquet 2021

This shows good energy from the start, with a chalky edge nicely inlaid into a core of black cherry and boysenberry compote notes. Singed apple wood and violet accents emerge through the finish, with the minerality lingering at the very end. Merlot, Cabernet Franc and Cabernet Sauvignon. Best from 2025 through 2037.

Smoky and slightly spicy on the nose, chocolate and cherries with soft floral scents. Tight and nicely constructed, still lean – the tannins have a salty grip on the tongue, but there’s good depth of dark fruit with just a chalky, powdery feel on the finish. Really dark fruit. Nice acidity, not plump, more straight, with lashings of liquorice and bitter tones on the finish.

Blueberry and lavender aromas with hints of chocolate follow through to a medium body, with round tannins that are lightly firm and deliver lovely flavors. Shows balance and harmony. Drink or hold.

70% Merlot, 15% Cabernet Franc, 15% Cabernet Sauvignon. 18.55 hl/ha. Cask sample. Lifted and fruity at first, but there’s a hole on the mid-palate. Measured extraction, yet rather hard and dry on the finish. (JL)

The 2021 Monbousquet has a dense, oaky nose, quite backward with underlying floral scents—a touch of violet. The palate is medium-bodied with grainy tannins, still demonstrating the hardness and obduracy I picked up upon at en primeur. Touches of mocha show on the finish. This is a rather unyielding Saint-Émilion, and the question is whether there is sufficient fruit to support it when the tannins eventually soften.

Black cherries, flowers and licorice carry the perfume. The palate is even better with its creamy-textured plums, cherries and salty, dark chocolate character. This is going to drink well on release and for at least 12 years. Close to 50% of the crop was lost to the frost. The wine blends 70% Merlot, 15% Cabernet Franc and 15% Cabernet Sauvignon. Drink from 2024-2037.

Deep ruby core, purple reflections, broad bright rim. Spicy aromas with blackberries and delicate animalistic nuances and hints of tobacco. Medium-bodied, delicate cherry fruit, loosely knit, vivid tannins, leafy finish and a subtle length.

Coming from a minuscule 18 hectoliters per hectare, the 2021 Château Monbousquet is a stunning effort from this team that has real depth and richness while still playing in the fresher, elegant style of the vintage. Cassis, black raspberries, spice, wood, and tobacco notes all give way to a medium-bodied, ripe, vibrant Monbousquet that has fine tannins, perfectly integrated oak, and a great finish. A blend of 70% Merlot and 15% each of Cabernet Franc and Cabernet Sauvignon, raised in 50% new oak, it’s going to drink nicely for 10-15 years. This hit 13.67% alcohol and pH of 3.67.

(70% Merlot, 15% Cabernet Franc, 15% Cabernet Sauvignon, 18.55 hl/ha, 13.67% vol. alcohol) Deep, closed, velvety bouquet, blackberries, Amarena cherries, licorice, smoke. Concentrated, broad palate with good sweet fruit, finely sandy tannins, muscular structure, bitter finish. 17/20 2028 - 2040

Goes long on raspberry and loganberry fruits, touches of floral aromatics; this has brightness, with attractive acidity and spice. More austere than in many vintages of Monbousquet, with less weight through the mid-palate, which is a plus for me in a wine I often find too heavy. 50% new oak. Last year for technical director Raphael Maurin (who was only here for two vintages), now Laurent Lussau in charge. Harvest from September 29 to October 6, small yield of 18.55 hl/ha.

The 2021 Monbousquet has a deep garnet-purple color. It offers forthcoming scents of juicy black and red plums, boysenberries, and cracked black pepper, with underlying wafts of garrigue and crushed rocks. The medium-bodied palate delivers a compelling burst of red and black fruits, with plush tannins and seamless freshness, finishing with an earthy lift.

Pure and sparkling on the nose, with notes of plum, macerated strawberry and raspberry coulis. The palate shows serious oak that brings a reassuring structure, with supple, gourmet tannins.

Enticing with subtle oak and nuances of ripe black berries, Monbousquet 2021 promises elegance. Slightly suave on the attack, the wine is creamy, harmonious, and endowed with velvety tannins, yet shows a hint of bitterness on the finish. The latter seems persistent to me, but the substance present should be able to absorb it. A wine with chew, power, and charm.

Dark, intense color. Moderately aromatic nose with ripe fruit. Fruity, smooth palate with medium body and length.

Kunz barrel sample 2022: (70% Merlot, 15% Cabernet Franc, 15% Cabernet Sauvignon, 18.55 hl/ha, 13.67% vol. alcohol) Deep, closed, velvety bouquet, blackberry, Amarena cherry, licorice, smoke. Concentrated, broad palate with good sweet fruit, finely sandy tannins, muscular structure, austere finish.