Earlier this week I popped along to the Bordeaux Grand Crus Classes tasting 2018 to 2021. 

General impression was the 2019 and 2020 are both very good vintages, 21 a bit pale in comparison and 2018 forward and inviting, perhaps a bit ‘big’ in the right bank merlot based wines. 

The wines of Comtes von Neipperg were great as usual and I particularly liked the 2019s across the range.  La Mondotte is astonishingly good but eye wateringly expensive however I also loved the 2019 Chateau d’Aiguihle a Cote Castillon at the other end of his range.  

The 2019 has ripe dark fruit, coffee, coco powder and smoke but more tension and longer finish than the 2018. Drink dates are 2023 – 39 according to wine searcher but I thought it (along with a lot of the 18 & 19 wines) was quite approachable already if given a good decant.

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