As the 2021 Bordeaux wines start hitting cellars, I wanted to visit two top Margaux wines and see how they are showing in this nascent stage.

I tasted both Chateau Giscours and Chateau Brane-Cantenac over the weekend and evaluated them in three different stages. Impressions below will be broken down by the following stages: “Pop and Pour”, 2 hour decant, and 24 hours after opening.

A brief comment about the 2021 vintage; The vintage is marked by a cool and damp growing season resulting in a change of pace from the recent string of warmer solar vintages, producing wines with softer fruit, elevated freshness, and comparatively restrained alcohol levels in 2021.   

Chateau Giscours 2021

65% Cabernet Sauvignon, 32% Merlot and 3% Petit Verdot

Pop and Pour – moderate + aromatic intensity of toasted cedar, light menthol, tart black fruit and sour plum. On the palate the wine is medium bodied, with high lively acidity, moderate alcohol (13.5%), high firm tannins with a flavor profile of fresh black fruit, earth, and overpowering toasted cedar oak flavors. At this stage the oak totally dominates the fruit, and the wine is left with an unpleasant astringent note on the finish. Not a great first impression and a tinge of buyer’s remorse is starting to kick in!

2 hour decant – Dark black fruit starts to emerge and is more noticeable on the palate. Oak seems less overpowering, and an intense burst of menthol becomes the focus. Astringent note on the finish is still present.

24 hours after opening – The wine is balanced with the oak showing better integration with the fruit. Purity of black fruit is enhanced, and the menthol note while still present is lighter in intensity and adds to the wine’s complexity in a positive manner. There is still a very slight astringent note on the tail end of the finish but overall the wine shows immensely better 24 hours later. I am content at this stage.

Chateau Brane-Cantenac  2021

74% Cabernet Sauvignon, 22% Merlot, 2% Cabernet Franc, 1% Petit Verdot and 1% Carmenere.

Pop and Pour – Pronounced aromatic intensity of bright black fruit, fresh violets, and slight sweet new oak. On the palate the wine is medium + bodied, with high fresh acidity, moderate alcohol (13%), and high-fine grained tannins with a flavor profile of layered black fruit (great ripeness given the vintage), violets, slight pyrazine streak, sandalwood, and earth. This wine has a long persistent finish and in comparison to Giscours, is showing more ripeness, balance, tannin structure, length and complexity of flavors at this stage.

2 hour decant – The wine is still showing beautifully, with a noticeable emergence of spice, and slight herbal notes.

24 hours after opening – Not too much development in flavors at this stage. The big takeaway was the wine retained its poise and continued to fire on all cylinders.  This wine was rocking since Pop and Pour and is an outstanding effort from this vintage.