Critics publish their Bordeaux 2021 En Primeurs scores

The key fine wine critics are publishing their scores for the Bordeaux 2021 vintage as the first en primeur releases hit the market? Should you invest?

Headlines from the key critics:

• 2021 Bordeaux wines ‘stand as a testament to the effort and skill of winemakers and vineyard teams’ – Neal Martin
• The new Bordeaux vintage threw ‘just about every calamity imaginable’ at the Chateaux which produced wines which are bright with fresh acidity – James Suckling
• Pricing the 2021s will have to factor in rising inflation, the costs of managing the production of this lower-yield vintage and exchange rates – Antonio Galloni

One of the most challenging vintages for wine makers in the 21st Century, with lower supply a factor, what do the critics and wine trade think of Bordeaux 2021? The in-barrel tastings of the latest vintage from the most bountiful region for investment wines returned to the great Bordeaux chateaux, finally, after the pandemic closed the doors for the 2019 and 2020 tastings. The critics are now publishing their views on quality.

Which fine wine critics should investors follow?

Neal Martin’s (Vinous.com) opinion is still viewed by the fine wine trade as the most influential when it comes to rating Bordeaux En Primeur wines. But investors should take a broader view and we consider Antonio Galloni (also Vinous.com), The Wine Advocate’s William Kennedy, Jancis Robinson MW (Purple Pages (team)), James Suckling, Lisa Perotti-Brown MW (The Wine Independent) and Jeb Dunnuck as important sources of critical evaluation on Bordeaux’s newest vintage to hit the market.

Each critic has published a full report which covers hundreds of tastings across Bordeaux, but a very high-level view on the vintage and their highest scored wines follows. So far there have been no out-right 100-point scores awarded by our key critics, with just a couple of 2021 wines so far rated as having the potential to evolve to become a perfect wine.

Neal Martin on Bordeaux 2021

The critic nominated by Robert Parker Jnr has his natural successor, and whose opinion on Bordeaux En Primeurs is most followed by the fine wine trade, Neal Martin describes this vintage as ‘enticingly fallible’.  Overall, Martin’s view is that 2021 is not one of the great Bordeaux vintages, but some wines will experience an ‘evolution in bottle that will be fascinating to monitor’.

In fact, his overall view on Bordeaux 2021 represents an opportunity for investors, as Off and Mid vintages generally allow investors to acquire highly scored individual wines, of the same quality rating of a prime vintage, without the price premium. The 2021 vintage also provides perspective to the great trilogy of 2018, 2019 and 2020.

Neal Martin's view on pricing, ahead of any published release prices, are that they are likely to reflect rising overheads and shareholder pressure, leaving the Chateaux with little room to lower 2021 release prices, which are expected to be in line with 2020.

Neal Martin’s top Bordeaux 2021 En Primeur scored wines:

Source: See Vinous.com for full details

The Wine Advocate on Bordeaux 2021

William Kennedy has taken on the role of critiquing the Bordeaux En Primeurs for The Wine Advocate from Lisa Perotti-Brown MW. The former editor of Robert Parker’s Wine Advocate left in December 2021 to set up The Wine Independent.

Kennedy has scored the only wine rated as approaching perfection at this stage to Chateau Ausone with 97-100 points, which in his view has the potential to evolve to become a perfect wine.

The Wine Advocate – top 2021 En Primeur scores:

Source: See Robertparker.com for full details

James Suckling on Bordeaux 2021

US critic, James Suckling observes that 2021 is one of the most challenging vintages on record for winemakers. Despite that, in his view there are wines which are bright and offer fresh acidity with strikingly low alcohol levels. He sees Bordeaux’s sweet wines as the 2021 harvest miracle and rated Sauterne’s Chateau Lafaurie-Peyraguey 2021 his only near-perfect wine of the vintage, scoring it 99-100 points.

The appellation was decimated by challenges with frost, mildew and managing Botrytis, with many estates unable to produce a 2021 wine. There are a few that have created something outstanding, but beyond the great Yquem, the secondary market for dessert wines is very small and not that liquid.

James Suckling – top 2021 En Primeur scores:

Source: See jamessuckling.com for more details

Antonio Galloni on Bordeaux 2021

The founder of Vinous.com and former Wine Advocate editor observes that 2021 is a great vintage for Bordeaux dry whites but a radical change from the three previous outstanding years 2018 – 2020. He points to the quality inconsistency across the region but states that ‘top properties turned out gorgeous, classically built wines that will absolutely thrill readers who appreciate freshness and energy.’

On pricing, Galloni agrees with his Vinous colleague, Neal Martin, and also expects release prices to factor in rising inflation, exchange rates and the cost of managing the challenges of this lower-yield vintage.

Antonio Galloni -  top 2021 En Primeur scores:

Source: See Vinous.com for more details

2021 En Primeur first releases

Carruades de Lafite 2021, second wine to First Growth Chateau Lafite Rothschild, was first to release with Chateau Duhart-Milon 2021 on the 12th May 2022. Duhart-Milon has matched its 2020 vintage price with the 2021 En Primeur release, where Domaine Barons de Rothschild has issued its strong-performing second wine at a 5.9% discount to its 2020 release price. It’s just the beginning of the campaign releases so it will be fascinating to see how the pricing strategy for Bordeaux’s latest vintage unfolds.

See more information on investing in En Primeur wines and for information on the 2021 En Primeurs, contact our specialist team on 0203 384 2262.