Château Marquis d'Alesme 2021

Aromas of dark berries, baked plums, licorice and pencil shavings introduce the 2021 Marquis d'Alesme, a medium- to full-bodied, fleshy and charming wine built around powdery tannins that assert themselves on the youthfully firm finish.

Green pepper, vanilla, toast, cola and blueberries — a sense of cool freshness from the start, with high acidity at first that then settles, allowing the chalky tannins to do most of the talking. The focus is on structure right now and, despite the bright sparkle, the fruit doesn’t quite carry through to the finish. However, I like the tannic expression; it’s full in the mouth, almost chewy, with no dryness or bitterness.

The 2021 Marquis d’Alesme is an elegant, polished wine for the year. Floral and spice notes open first. Dark cherry, plum, spice, menthol, dried herbs, leather and cedar emerge gradually, but it is the wine's balance that impresses most.

Violets, licorice, black cherries, chocolate, and plum aromas fill the perfume. The palate is balanced between supple textures, layers of fruit, and freshness. The finish offers an herbal, minty edge to its wealth of red fruits. Drink from 2025-2042.

Deep ruby garnet colour with purple reflections, subtle ochre rim. Delicate aromas of ripe plums, preserved cherries, candied orange zest. Medium complexity, fine fruitiness, ripe tannins, good freshness, red berries on the finish, a delicate salty touch, an invigorating food wine.

One of the most concentrated wines of the vintage, the 2021 Château Marquis D'Alesme still remains balanced and classy. Red and black fruits, graphite, smoked tobacco, and some cedar pencil notes define the aromatics, and it’s medium to full-bodied, with a layered, textured mid-palate, ripe tannins, and a great finish. Based on 51% Cabernet Sauvignon, 40% Merlot, with the rest Petit Verdot and Cabernet Franc, aged in 60% new barrels, give it a few years and enjoy over the following 10–12+.

Dark ruby in colour, this has been carefully handled, pushing a little further with the extraction than some, and the violet reflection around the edge of the glass suggests it has worked well. Vivid character to the blueberry and raspberry fruits, cola and cocoa bean. Doesn't have the succulence of some recent vintages of Marquis d'Alesme but beautiful spice and plenty of momentum. Good stuff, an upscore. 60% new oak for ageing, harvest September 30 to October 14, 32hl/ha yield.

The 2021 is all about freshness and suppleness, with beautifully managed, fine-grained tannins. A lovely classic of the appellation that showcases fruit, with a hint of vanilla. A wine that already has plenty of charm.

A haughty, intriguing nose with notes of varnish. On the palate, a parade of noble, refined fruit for a precise, well-built wine that finishes with a smooth, indulgent finale.

The 2021 Marquis d’Alesme has a medium to deep garnet-purple color. It soars from the glass with notes of candied violets and Morello cherries, followed by fresh blackcurrants, juicy blackberries, and fragrant earth. The medium-bodied palate is plush and juicy, with seamless freshness and a perfumed finish.