2021, Château Grand-Puy-Lacoste, PAUILLAC Grand Cru Classé

Bordeaux Blend: Cabernet Franc, Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot.

Xavier Borie and his daughter Emeline consistently make one of the finest and most classic of all Pauillacs here.

The 2021 Grand-Puy-Lacoste is a beauty, bursting with aromas of dark berries, plums, rose petals, violets, warm spices and cigar wrapper. Medium to full-bodied, supple and seamless, it's fleshy and enveloping, with melting tannins, succulent acids and a pleasure-bent, demonstrative personality. While it's clear that this is an irresistibly charming, satisfying Pauillac from the Borie family, it wouldn't surprise me to see it acquire additional depth, flesh and seriousness with further barrel maturation. 92-94+ William Kelley, Wine Advocate.

Very fine and polished tannins with lovely balance and beauty. Blackberries, blackcurrants and a creamy texture. Lovely finesse and focus. There’s delicacy and beauty to this. 85% cabernet sauvignon and 15% merlot. 94-95 James Suckling.

A superb GPL this year. Beautiful texture, silky smooth with fine tannins that are persistent and mouthfilling but very elegant too, they frame the ripe fruit and mineral flavours. This has a much more subtle power than many others - a tense core, tightly wrapped but presenting a lovely juicy fragrant cherry flavour with terroir markers in the liquorice and lick of wet stone and the gorgeous Cabernet eucalyptus on show. So much potential - this will be excellent. Once it comes around it will have a very long life indeed. 95 Georgina Hindle, Decanter Magazine.

There is quite a conspicuous gap between this and the Deuxième Vin this year, the Grand Vin delivering much more cohesion and fruit intensity: blackberry, tobacco, mahogany bureau and a touch of sage. The palate is medium-bodied with fine tannins, well balanced, and predictably unapologetically classic in style. If you love GPL, then you're going to appreciate this return to its quintessential style after three opulent vintages. 92-94 Neal Martin.

Traditional and classic Pauillac character, a little more old school than usual, certainly than the last few years. Plum, cassis, cocoa bean and liqourice keep things firm, with straight-laced tannins tight and pulled in. Will soften further over ageing, and no question that this is delivering appellation typicity. 93 Jane Anson.