Like all of 2021 Bordeaux, 2021 Pomerol was not an easy vintage. In fact, growers were not sure what they were going to come up with until later in the growing season. That being said, while 2021 Pomerol is heterogenous, some of the most compelling wines of the vintage came from Pomerol!
2021 Pomerol, the vintage, growing season and harvest.
The growing season started off fine with mild, winter conditions that jump-started an early budbreak at the end of March. While many precocious vintages produce great wine, what happened with 2021 Pomerol is, that the dangers of spring frosts became all too real when two nights of below-freezing temperatures struck the appellation, April 7 and 8, with temperatures that dropped to -4 Celsius!
Flowering took place at the end of May. But June, July, and much of August were cool, rainy, and sunless. By this time, growers were thinking that 2021 Pomerol did not have much of a future.
Things turned around promptly at the end of August due to the warm, sunny, and breezy conditions that continued through the harvest. You can say that 2021 Pomerol was saved by the combination of Indian Summer conditions, and a lot of hard work by vignerons throughout the year. When it came time to harvest, growers picked from late September through early to mid-October in favorable weather, allowing the grapes to reach better than previously anticipated maturities.
2021 Pomerol Wine Characteristics
2021 Pomerol wines are a return to classic Bordeaux. The wines are more on the red-fruit side of the style range with strong aromatic profiles. The wines are not as concentrated or dense, or as sweet as the three preceding vintages. They are also not as alcoholic as alcohol levels are often 1% – 2% less than we have seen in recent vintages. That being said, at their best, 2021 Pomerol displays a bit of the flamboyance you expect from a top flight Pomerol.
2021 Pomerol wines are silky, bright, fresh, and vibrant with a mildly racy edge and a strong sense of purity to the berries. The best wines come from the top of the plateau, with soils able to handle the excess rains accumulated during the growing season. Also, wines with Cabernet Franc and Cabernet Sauvignon in the blends produced the best results.
With 2021 Pomerol, the picking dates were important, as growers needed to wait for the right levels of maturity. However, equally important was how to handle the vinifications and selection. Selection was paramount, in the vineyards and in the cellars. A light, gentle touch during the extractions really mattered here.
All of the following 2021 Pomerol wines were tasted in my home office in non-blind tasting conditions.
2021 Beauregard – Pomerol – Flowers, red with black cherries, cloves, and licorice create the nose. Medium-bodied, soft, forward, fresh, and already charming, with its black cherry, plum and spicy, chocolate characteristics on full display. The wine blends 75% Merlot with 25% Cabernet Franc. Drink from 2024-2037. 92 Pts
2021 Beauregard Benjamin de Beauregard – Pomerol – Medium-bodied, forward early-drinking, charmer with touches of chocolate and plums on the mid-palate and in the finish. This is best enjoyed over the next few years. Drink from 2024-2029. 87 Pts
2021 Bon Pasteur – Pomerol – Flowers, black cherries, espresso, licorice, mint, and red plums create the perfume. The medium-bodied palate is even better with its freshness, purity, and elegance that is perfect for the wines cherry, plum, chocolate, mint and raspberry profile. Scoring at the top of my range, this is quite successful for the vintage. Drink from 2024-2040. 93 Pts
2021 Bonalgue – Pomerol – Leafy cherries, espresso, chocolate, spice and licorice define the nose. On the palate, the wine is brisk, spicy and a bit oaky, with a dusty, cherry, red plum, and black raspberry dusty finish, topped off with a bit of chocolate. You can enjoy this on release and for at least a dozen years after that. Drink from 2024-2036. 90 Pts
2021 Bourgneuf – Pomerol – Flowers, chocolate, black raspberries, strawberries. and red cherries are over the place in the perfume, as well as in the core of the medium-bodied, soft, silky, and fresh, elegant palate. The wine finishes with soft, silky, sweet, creamy, fresh red fruits. Drink from 2024-2040. 92 Pts
2021 Certan de May – Pomerol – Cherries, plums, mint leaf, flowers, and a hint of cocoa show up easily in the nose. On the palate, the medium-bodied wine is soft, fresh, refined, and with a strong, dark chocolate mint note that accompanies the plums in the chalky finish. Drink from 2024-2042. 92 Pts
2021 Clinet – Pomerol – One of the wines of the appellation offers depth of color before you get to the tobacco leaves, espresso, truffle, mint, cedar, flowers, black cherries, incense, and chocolatey plums. Plush, supple, and with ample fruit showing sweet, and tart characteristics. The wine provides lift, energy, polish, length, and an edgy finish. The wine blends 75% Merlot, and 25% Cabernet Sauvignon. Drink from 2025-2045. 94 Pts
2021 Clos 56 – Pomerol – Orange rind, flowers and cherries pop with little effort in the perfume. The palate is medium-bodied, fresh, soft and silky, with good energy to the red fruits in the already accessible mid-palate and finish, that comes along with a refreshing touch of mint and chocolate on the backend. The wine is made from 100% old vine Merlot. Drink from 2024-2035. 91 Pts
2021 Clos Beausejour – Pomerol – Soft, fresh and vibrant, the wine is medium-bodied, elegant, but on the lighter side of the style range with a finish that offers its red fruits easily. This will be fun to enjoy on release. Drink from 2024-2031. 89 Pts
2021 Clos Bel Air – Pomerol – Forward, medium-bodied, with a core of spicy plums, espresso, licorice and citrus in the nose and on the palate, the wine is ready-to-go on release. Round, plummy, floral, soft-textured, black cherry filled wine with silky-tannins and loads of freshness that comes in on the palate, continuing though to the spicy, cherry-tinted finish. Drink from 2024-2034. 88 Pts
2021 Clos LEglise – Pomerol – Vibrant, elegant, round, and supple, the wine is loaded with red and black plums, cherries, chocolate, spice, licorice. and a dash of citrus. There is ample richness, depth, and energy here coupled with sensuous textures, and vibrancy, that while able to be enjoyed with just a modicum of aging, it has the ability to age and develop for up to two decades. The wine blends 80% Merlot with 20% Cabernet Franc. Drink from 2026-2045. 94 Pts
2021 Clos Rene – Pomerol – Dried flowers, dried cherries and raspberries pop in the nose with little effort. On the palate, the wine is light, soft, fresh, vibrant and refined with sweetness to the red fruits that carries all the way through to the finish. This is a fine, well-priced, early drinking charmer. Drink from 2024-2032. 90 Pts
2021 Clos du Clocher – Pomerol – Cherries, flowers, chocolate, licorice, and smoky plum notes are the key to the wines aromas. On the palate, the wine is supple, fresh, and vibrant with a light, savory, herbal touch to the sweet, peppery, red berries in the mid-palate that carry through to the finish. The addition of more Cabernet Franc in the blend this year added a lot to the wine with a blend of 70% Merlot, and 30% Cabernet Franc. Drink from 2024-2040. 93 Pts
2021 Clos-de-la-Vieille-Eglise Pomerol – Pomerol – Round, plummy, floral, soft-textured, black cherry filled wine with silky-tannins and loads of freshness that comes in on the palate, continuing though to the spicy, cherry-tinted finish. Drink from 2024-2034. 90 Pts
2021 Clos-du-Beau-Pere – Pomerol – Showing much better from the bottle than it did from the barrel, now you find a perfume packed with espresso, flowers, cherries, chocolate and incense. The palate is even better with its creamy red fruits, sweet, black cherries and dark chocolate mid-palate and finish. Drink from 2025-2038. 91 Pts
2021 Compostelle – Pomerol – Light on the palate, and in the nose, the wine opens with scents of flowers, cocoa and red fruits. Forward, soft-textured, uncomplicated, but certainly pleasant, this will perfect to drink on release and over the near term. Drink from 2024-2032. 89 Pts
2021 De Sales – Pomerol – On the light side, but there is freshness, elegance, sweet fruits and a savory-edged, bight, crisp, mildly spicy, cherry oriented finish. Drink from 2024-2031. 89 Pts
2021 Domaine-de-LEglise – Pomerol – Black cherries, plums, strawberries, chocolate, and plums form the core of the wine in the nose, and on the palate. Medium-bodied, fresh, soft, round, and fruity, there is a dusty, chalky edge in the finish. It is interesting to note that with the 2021, the wine is produced from 100% Merlot. Drink from 2024-2038. 92 Pts
2021 Enclos Tourmaline – Pomerol – Black cherries, flowers, black raspberries, and cocoa nuances are easy to find in the nose. On the palate, the wine is medium-bodied, silky, polished, vibrant, and earthy, with a savory-edge to its sweet, red plum, cherry, herb-tinged finish. The production is quite small with about 175 cases produced this year. The wine is made from 100% Merlot. Drink from 2024-2040. 93 Pts
2021 Gazin – Pomerol – Chocolate covered cherries, and flowers create the aromatic profile here. Made using 100% Merlot, the wine is fresh, soft, supple, vibrant, and fresh. There is a mildly, divergent green olive note at the end that distracts just a bit from the otherwise, classic cherry and cocoa characteristics. Yields were quite low this year at only 18 hectoliters per hectare, which is less than half the normal production. Drink from 2025-2042. 92 Pts
2021 Grange-Neuve – Pomerol – Soft, elegant, medium-bodied, forward and fresh, this is all about is supple, almost red polished red fruits with their chocolate edge on the palate. You can definitely enjoy this with ease on release. Drink from 2024-2034 90 Pts
2021 Guillot Clauzel – Pomerol – This up and coming star of Pomerol delivers the goods in 2021. The wine is loaded with all of the black cherries, chocolate, plums, black raspberries, espresso, and floral accents you could ask for in Pomerol. The palate is even better with its display of vibrant, sweet, polished, creamy, dark red fruits, finishing with finesse and freshness and a refreshing sprig of mint that shows up in the backend. The wine blends 80% Merlot with 20% Cabernet Franc. Guillaume Thienpont of VCC is in charge here. Drink from 2026-2045. 94 Pts
2021 Haut-Maillet – Pomerol – Incense, plums, cherries and licorice form the perfume. On the palate, the wine is medium-bodied, fresh, energetic and soft, with a slight, earthy, herbal, peppery touch to the cherries in the abbreviated finish. Drink from 2024-2031. 89 Pts
2021 Hosanna – Pomerol – Spicy black plums, chocolate, licorice, espresso, chocolate, and cherry blossoms create the perfume. On the palate, the wine is equally creamy, and fresh, allowing allowing its display of chocolate-covered black cherries, espresso beans, black plums, blackberries, spices and mint shine. The long, supple, concentrated, creamy finish hits the spot. Yields were low this year at only 28 hectoliters per hectare. Drink from 2026-2050. 94 Pts
2021 LEgliseClinet – Pomerol – Elegance, freshness, refinement, and concentrated, layers of plums, black cherries, chocolate, flowers, wet earth, along with a hint of espresso come together in the nose, and on the palate. There is ample depth, vibrancy, freshness, and complexity with a chalky edge to the finish that wraps everything up perfectly. The wine blends 85% Merlot, and 15% Cabernet Franc. It is great to see continuing strong wines from the Durantou family. This gem is one of the wines of the vintage, and not much was produced. If this is your thing, grab it now! Drink from 2026-2055. 96 Pts
2021 LEglise Clinet La Petite Eglise – Pomerol – Fresh, sweet cherries, licorice, chocolate-coated strawberries, and flowers shoot directly into the perfume. On the palate, the wine exudes soft, elegant, medium-bodied, red cherries with a minty edge, along with a hint of cocoa that shows through in the backend of the finish. Enjoy this while waiting for the Grand Vin to develop. The wine blends 90% Merlot with 10% Cabernet Franc. Drink from 2024-2036. 92 Pts
2021 La Cabanne – Pomerol – Flowers, cocoa, spice, black raspberries and cherries form the nose. The palate is medium-bodied, vibrant, elegant and fresh with lift, energy and sweetness to the fruits from the mid-palate through to the plummy, chocolatey finish. Drink from 2024-2036. 91 Pts
2021 La Clemence – Pomerol – Red fruits, espresso, licorice and spice form the core of this round, polished, plummy wine. There is a nice hint of orange, cocoa and espresso on the backend that gives the wine freshness, and vitality. This will be tasty on release and over the next decade or so. Drink from 2024.2034. 89 Pts
2021 La Commanderie Pomerol – Pomerol – Cherries, plums, and wet earth with a dab of peppery spice around the edges in this medium-bodied, soft-textured, fruit-forward, cherry-tinged wine. You can enjoy this elegantly-textured wine on release. Drink from 2024-2036. 90 Pts
2021 La Conseillante – Pomerol – One of the few wines showing better in the bottle than it did from the barrel kicks off with a gorgeous display of flowers, plums, cherries, incense, black raspberries. mint, and truffles in the perfume. The medium-bodied palate is focused on its elegant, vibrant, sensuous, silky character, which is the perfect backdrop for its display of sweet, cherries, kirsch, plums, chocolate, mint, and espresso. The harvest finished October 10, making this the latest vintage in the history of the estate. The wine blends 85% Merlot with 15% Cabernet Franc. Drink from 2025-2055. 96 Pts
2021 La Croix St. Georges – Pomerol – Already delicious in your glass, the wine is loaded with creamy cherries, licorice, chocolate, and black raspberries. Soft, supple, medium-bodied, and slightly dusty in the finish, this is good to go on release. Drink from 2024-2036. 91 Pts
2021 La Croix de Gay – Pomerol – Cherries, flowers, spice and herbs crowd into the perfume. The palate is light, vibrant and soft, finishing with high-toned, cherries, raspberries and strawberries. Not a lot of depth, but I like the charm here. Drink from 2024-2032. 89 Pts
2021 La Fleur de Gay – Pomerol – Medium-bodied, forward, soft, elegant, and fresh, the wine focuses on its refined, supple, sweet, cherries strawberries, raspberries, and touch of chocolate in the nose, and on the palate. This is not built around power, instead, the wine correctly focuses on its sweet, ripe, red fruits and silkiness. You can enjoy this on release. Drink from 2024-2038. 91 Pts
2021 La Grave Pomerol – Pomerol – Quite floral in nature, you also find black raspberries, cherries, licorice and plums with just a hint of chocolate. The medium-bodied wine is soft, supple, forward, fresh and frankly, charming, leaving you with loads of sweet, ripe, fresh, minty plums and chocolate. Drink from 2024-2037. 92 Pts
2021 La Patache – Pomerol – Cocoa, flowers and plums and a touch of espresso create the core of this wine. The medium-bodied palate is centered on its silky, fresh, core of red plums and cherries. You can enjoy this on release and over the near future. Drink from 2024-2034. 90 Pts
2021 La Pointe – Pomerol – The wine opens with espresso cocoa, spice and plummy notes in the perfume. The palate is vibrant, medium-bodied, and vibrant, leaving you with a blend of red cherries, plums, chocolate, licorice and oranges. Drink from 2024-2039. 92 Pts
2021 La Violette – Pomerol – Flowers. espresso, roasted plums, incense, chocolate-coated black cherries, and smoke create the attention-seeking perfume. On the palate, the wine packed with rich, spicy, black raspberries, plums, and black cherries, with nuances of dark chocolate, licorice, espresso and spice, with a dash of salt that comes in at the end of the finish. The yields were low at 20 hectoliters hectare, about half of the normal production, so this is going to be very hard, if not impossible to find after release. This is a very strong wine for the vintage. Drink from 2025-2045. 95 Pts
2021 La-FleurPetrus – Pomerol – Medium-bodied, earthy, vibrant, and focused on its core of flowers, espresso, chocolate-covered plums, black raspberries, and a sprig of mint, the wine lacks the intensity, and concentration found in the more recent, exalted vintages. Still, there is a lot to love here with its regal airs, silky-tannins, and lush, supple, polished, vibrant, creamy-textured finish. This is really quite strong, especially when you consider the difficulties in the vintage. Drink from 2025-2050. 94 Pts
2021 Le Caillou – Pomerol – Flowers, black and red cherries and the right touch of chocolate add to this medium-bodied, soft, supple, forward, early-drinking charmer. Drink from 2024-2032. 89 Pts
2021 Le Gay – Pomerol – Black cherries, plums, chocolate, espresso, and flowers pop in the nose. The palate is equal to the perfume with all of its plums, black cherries, creamy tannins, and chocolate notes, along with toasty oak, licorice, spice, and a refreshing sprig of mint in the finish. Chateau Le Gay is normally a wine requiring quite a bit of aging before it begins to show its best. But, with the 2021 vintage, you can enjoy this with pleasure after just a year or two of aging. The wine blends 90% Merlot with 10% Cabernet Franc, and is 100% entirely vinified in new, French oak barrels. Drink from 2025-2045. 92 Pts
2021 Le Gay Manoir de Gay – Pomerol – Forward and accessible, the wine is medium-bodied, chalky, and focused on its sweet, ripe, black raspberries, cherries, and light touch of cocoa powder in the mid-palate and finish. This will be best in its youth. Drink from 2024-2030 88 Pts
2021 Lecuyer – Pomerol – Flowers, plums, spice, and a background note of cocoa opens the nose. On the palate, the wine is medium-bodied, fresh, vibrant and crisp with strawberries and red cherries in the lifted, minty, drying finish. You might not be familiar with Lecuyer, but you will. The vineyard was recently purchased by Ronan Laborde of Chateau Clinet, who is making all the right moves to turn this into a gem. You heard it here first, this is a wine to watch out for. Drink from 2024-2034. 89 Pts
2021 Maillet – Pomerol – Espresso, chocolate, licorice, smoke, and black cherry aromas define the perfume, as well as the character. Round, and creamy, with an oaky edge that will hopefully better integrate, the finish is all about its chocolate-espresso edged, polished finish. Drink from 2024-2038. 91 Pts
2021 Monregard La Croix – Pomerol – Flowers, espresso, and plums are all over the place here, on the nose, and on the soft-textured, fresh forward, medium-bodied, still, slightly, oaky, dusty palate. Drink from 2024-2032. 90 Pts
2021 Montviel – Pomerol – Medium-bodied, soft, elegant, forward and charming, this is effortless to drink with all of its soft, silky, ripe, sweet red fruits. This is pretty Pomerol that will be at its best in its youth, for all of its fruits and freshness. Drink from 2024-2031. 90 Pts
2021 Moulinet – Pomerol – Light cocoa and espresso notes merge with the core of savory plums and earth here. The is wine medium-bodied, soft, elegant and forward, with a chocolate and cherry, dusty, creamy finish that is made better with the touch of mint that comes in at the back of the finish. Drink from Drink from 2024-2032. 90 Pts
2021 Petit Village – Pomerol – Flowers, black cherries, chocolate, espresso, licorice, and black raspberries form the perfume. On the palate, the wine is elegant, silky, refined, and fresh, with lift, energy, and a hint of spice in the mint-accented finish. This is already delicious in your glass. Drink from 2024-2042. 93 Pts
2021 Petit Village Le Petit – Pomerol – Cherries, flowers and a touch of cocoa shine through in the nose and on the medium-bodied, soft, refined, plummy palate. This is perfect for early drinking pleasure. Drink from 2024-2030. 90 Pts
2021 Pierhem – Pomerol – Flowers, herbs, coffee bean, and earthy cherries create the core here. The wine is medium-bodied, forward, chewy and spicy, with black raspberries that come through in the chalky finish. Drink from 2024-2032. 88 Pts
2021 Plincette – Pomerol – Chocolate-coated plums, Indian spices, espresso and vanilla cream form the aromatic profile. On the palate, the wine is soft, fresh, polished and easy-to-like with its chalky-tannins, sweet, black cherries and dark chocolate profile. Drink from 2025-2037. 90 Pts
2021 Porte Chic – Pomerol – Espresso, cocoa, cherries and red fruits define the nose and the core of this wine on its soft, fresh, early-drinking, palate. The wine is forward making this a nice Pomerol to enjoy on release. Drink from 2024-2032. 89 Pts
2021 Rouget – Pomerol – Flowers, chocolate, truffles, and cherries come together in the bouquet. Medium-bodied, vibrant, supple and fresh, there is a lot of lift with energy in th, juicy, red and black plummy finish. The wine blends 80% Merlot and 20% Cabernet Franc. Drink from 2024-2038. 92 Pts
2021 Sacre Coeur – Pomerol – Produced from 100% Merlot, the wine serves up its blend of flowers, orange rind, earth, and espresso easily. On the palate, there is ample, sweet, ripe, red fruits, touches of spice, chocolate and plums. This should be ready to drink shortly after release. Drink from 2025-2037. 90 Pts
2021 Saint-Pierre-Pomerol – Pomerol – Flowers, cocoa, licorice and black cherries get the perfume moving. On the palate, the wine is soft, ripe, elegant and fresh with a lingering note of chocolate-covered cherries in the chalky finish. Drink from 2024-2039. 91 Pts
2021 Taillefer – Pomerol – Flowers and cherries pop in the nose with its initial swirl. The medium-bodied, soft, fresh,, vibrant palate offers its plums, cherries, savory herbs, spice and cocoa effortlessly. This is a pop, pour and enjoy Pomerol. Drink from 2024-2032. 89 Pts
2021 Tour Maillet – Pomerol – Medium-bodied, with a central core of flowers, black raspberries, cherries and licorice in the nose and on the soft, vibrant, red berry oriented palate. This is perfect for near-term enjoyment and will be quite nice on release. Drink from 2024-2034. 90 Pts
2021 Trotanoy – Pomerol – Chocolate-covered plums, black cherries, flowers, espresso, spice, and licorice create the intense perfume. The palate offers an elegant, firm, classy profile, which is the perfect backdrop for all the ripe, dark, red pit fruits, cocoa, and salty chocolate. There is intensity. vibrancy, and a regal, structure with a long, complex finish here that really works. As I wrote in my barrel tastings, in some ways, this reminds me of the best attributes from previous classic vintages that are now aged into maturity. Drink from 2027-2060. 96 Pts
2021 Vieux Chateau Certan – Pomerol – In contention for wine of the vintage, and even better in the bottle than it was in the barrel, this gem pops with its display of flowers, spices, truffles, tobacco leaves, cherries, plums, and chocolate. The palate is influenced by its wealth of Cabernet Franc, and Cabernet Sauvignon in the blend. This is a wine of finesse, freshness, refinement, elegance, and vibrancy, leaving you with lift, and energetic, red fruits with tension, precision, complexity, and length that builds during the finish. The wine blends 77% Merlot, 20% Cabernet Franc and 3% Cabernet Sauvignon. Drink from 2026-2055. 97 Pts
2021 Vieux Chateau Certan La Gravette de Certan – Pomerol – Flowers, cherries, red plums, and black raspberries, with a touch of green herbs are a pleasure in the nose. The wine is forward, fresh, soft, elegant, and combines its red berries with herbs, and a light touch of green olives in the finish. Drink from 2024-2035. 91 Pts
2021 Vieux Maillet – Pomerol – Bright, crisp, forward and fresh, the red fruits are light in weight, accessible, savory-edged and lifted, with the theme of earthy herbal and savory touched fruits on the mid-palate that carry through to the finish. Drink from 2024-2032. 89 Pts
2021 Vieux-Taillefer – Pomerol – Flowers, cocoa, cherries, licorice and a touch of herbs show in the nose. On the palate, the wine is soft, sweet and fresh with a creamy-textured, cherry and chalk endnote. Drink from 2024-2032. 90 Pts
2021 Vray Croix de Gay – Pomerol – Medium-bodied, bright, fresh, elegant, and accessible, what the wine lacks in depth, it makes up for with its refined character, silky tannins, and bright, vibrant, almost, crisp, red fruits on the mid-palate, and in the finish. This should be good to go on release. The wine blends 80% Merlot with 20% Cabernet Franc. Drink from 2024-2040. 92 Pts
For an overview of the 2021 Bordeaux vintage with links to all of our appellation reports 2021 Bordeaux In Bottle Report for the Best 750 Wines of the vintage We are continuing our reports on all of the best wines tasted in bottle from the 2021 Bordeaux vintage. Up next, we return continue with reports on all the best 2021 Right Bank wines with a focus on close to 150 of the best 2021 St. Emilion wines, starting with 2021 St. Emilion Pt 1 Wines A-F before moving on to the Left Bank with daily reports on all the best 2021 Bordeaux wines from St. Estephe, Pauillac, St. Julien, and the Margaux appellations.
