Cote De Baleau 2021 (750ML)

90-91 JS / 90 DE / 90-92 JD / 87-90 WA / 88-90 VM / 

Plenty of blueberry and black cherry with some walnut and spice undertones. Medium body. Creamy, medium tannins. -James Suckling.

Gorgeous dark scented nose with dark chocolate and herbal tones. Quite textured and chalky straight away, the crushed stone and graphite elements coming through strongly alongside the fruit with dense chewy tannins. It's a little serious right now but this has an appealing mouth-coating aspect to it with the bitter chocolate and bramble fruit edges coming back in on the finish. I like the identity of this! Tasted three times. 3.45pH. A yield of 20hl/ha. -Geogina Hindle, Decanter.

The 2021 Château Côte de Baleau, which comes from a northern facing hillside vineyard next to Fonroque, is impressive and certainly worth your time and money. A blend of 90% Merlot and 10% Cabernet Franc from 35-year-old vines, it offers a great bouquet of ripe blackcurrants, tobacco, loamy earth, and spicy oak. Medium-bodied yet concentrated on the palate, I like its tannins, it's balanced, and it has a great finish. -Jeb Dunnuck.

The 2021 Côte de Baleau is one of the richer, chunkier wines in the Cuvelier family's portfolio this year. Offering up aromas of sweet cherries and berries framed by creamy new oak, it's medium to full-bodied, fleshy and textural, with powdery structuring tannins that assert themselves on the gently chewy finish. -William Kelley, The Wine Advocate.

The 2021 Côte de Baleau was hit hard by frost and so yields were just 20hL/ha. This has a very high-toned bouquet of copious blueberry and cassis fruit. The palate is ripe on the entry with sweet chewy black fruit and a smooth texture, though it’s missing just a little complexity. But it feels long and should cohere during its barrel maturation. (13.8% alcohol) -Neal Martin, Vinous Media.