Please note, that with over 150 wines tasted and rated, our guide to the best 2021 St. Emilion wines has been published in 3 separate articles. This is Part 3. For the other articles as well as a detailed vintage report, which is included in Part 1 2021 St. Emilion Pt 1. Wines A-F — 2021 St. Emilion Pt 2. Wines G-M
All of the following 2021 Saint Emilion wines were tasted in my home office in non-blind tasting conditions.
2021 Palatin – St. Émilion Grand Cru – Forward, open and accessible, the medium-bodied, soft-textured, cherry and red plum tones come with a touch of salt, ending with a refreshing, cool touch of mint in the finish. Drink from 2034-2035. 89 Pts
2021 Pas de l’Ane – St. Émilion Grand Cru – Medium-bodied, with a core of black cherries, spice, espresso orange rind in the nose. On the palate, the wine is soft, polished, sweet and fresh, with a black raspberry, cocoa, spearmint and fennel endnote that is quite charming. Drink from 2024-2036. 91 Pts
2021 Pavie – St. Émilion Grand Cru – The blend of dark, red cherries, salty crushed stones, flowers, licorice, chocolate, and espresso works to create the attention seeking perfume. Moderately less concentrated than recent vintages, but with more vibrancy, energy, and finesse, the wine delivers its salty, essence of red fruits, spice, and chocolate-mint with ease. There is tension and ample dark, red fruits that carry through to the endnote. The wine blends 52% Merlot, 30% Cabernet Franc, and 18% Cabernet Sauvignon. Drink from 2028-2060. 96 Pts
2021 Pavie Aromes de Pavie – St. Émilion Grand Cru – Quite floral from the initial sniff of the perfume, you also find notes of espresso, cherries and spice in the nose. Medium-bodied, fresh, vibrant, and chalky, there is a nice spicy quality to red fruits, with additional nuances of cocoa, and licorice in the finish that make this already quite nice to enjoy. Aromes de Pavie is no longer the second wine of Pavie. All of the fruit come from a specific 11 hectare parcel, so readers should consider this as a different expression of St. Emilion than Pavie. The wine blends 50% Merlot and 50% Cabernet Franc. Drink from 2024-2037. 90 Pts
2021 Pavie-Decesse – St. Émilion Grand Cru – Chocolate, black cherries, smoke, licorice, flowers and cinnamon nuances work together creating the perfume. On the palate, the wine is equally vibrant and creamy with a finish that leaves you with chalky-textures, peppery, black cherries, blackberries, espresso and dark chocolate with a salty aftertaste. Give this a year or two in the cellar before pulling a cork. The wine blends 88% Merlot and 12% Cabernet Franc. This is the final vintage for Pave-Decesse as the vines became part of Chateau Pavie the following year. Drink from 2025-2045. 93 Pts
2021 Pavie Macquin – St. Émilion Grand Cru – Blac and red fruits, with loads of spices and fresh flowers in the nose is a great introduction to the wine. On the palate, the wine is vibrant, polished, lively, and, which is the perfect backdrop for all of its sweet, red fruits. The finish is packed with a blend of crushed rocks and red fruits. The wine blends 79% Merlot, 19% Cabernet Franc and 2% Cabernet Sauvignon. Drink from 2026-2048. 93 Pts
2021 Peby Faugeres – St. Émilion Grand Cru – Espresso, black cherries, dark chocolate and licorice crowd into the perfume. Forward, opulent, fresh. and rich, the wine is packed with crushed stones, cherries, and dark cocoa, all wrapped up inside its lusciously-textured, polished finish. This is the first vintage produced in their new, show-piece cellars. The wine is produced from 100% old vine Merlot. Drink from 2025-2047. 94 Pts
2021 Peby Faugeres Le Merle de – St. Émilion Grand Cru – Chocolate, licorice, black cherries and a touch of oak blend perfectly to produce this medium-bodied, soft, creamy, early-drinking wine, that will be a beauty to enjoy on release. Drink from 2024-2033. 90 Pts
2021 Perle du Bergnet – St. Émilion Grand Cru – Spice, espresso, incense, stewed red fruits and savory herbs crowd into the perfume. On the palate the wine is soft, round and oaky, with the essence of red fruits with a peppery slant coming in at the backend of the finish. Drink from 2024-2030. 87 Pts
2021 Petit Faurie deSoutard – St. Émilion Grand Cru – Fresh, forward and fruity, with a focus on its core of licorice and cherries, the wine is elegant, soft, fresh and loaded with ripe cherries and spice, with a judicious touch of licorice on the palate. Drink from 2024-2036. 91 Pts
2021 Philippe Troussier Grain Bleu – St. Émilion Grand Cru – Espresso, cocoa, licorice, smoke and plums form the core of the character here. The wine is round, with an oaky edge to the polished fruits on the mid-palate and in the drying finish. Drink from 2024-2036. 87 Pts
2021 Pierre 1er – St. Émilion Grand Cru – Spicy dark red berries, chocolate, espresso, licorice and flowers kick off the perfume. On the palate, the wine shows off all of its sweet and savory red fruits topped with chocolate, silky tannins, and touch of crushed rocks, and stones on the backend with ease. Drink from 2024-2035. 91 Pts
2021 Poesia – St. Émilion Grand Cru – Fresh, bright, red, and dark red berries with floral, and mint accents are already on display in the perfume. On the palate, the wine is medium-bodied, with a savory edge to the fresh, vibrant red fruits. The wine is made from a blend of 70% Merlot and 30% Cabernet Franc. Drink from 2024-2040. 93 Pts
2021 Pressac – St. Émilion Grand Cru – Espresso, spice, and savory red berries fill the nose. The wine is medium-bodied, soft, polished, silky and fresh, with sweetness to the creamy, red fruits on the palate and in the finish. Drink from 2024-2036. 92 Pts
2021 Pressac Tour de Pressac – St. Émilion Grand Cru – A touch of espresso and red plums share the nose. The palate is light, fresh and bright, with ample, crisp, red fruits, making this easy for early-drinking consumption. Drink from 2024-2029. 85 Pts
2021 Quinault LEnclos – St. Émilion Grand Cru – Dried flowers, licorice, cocoa and black cherries define the perfume. The palate, with its creamy profile, supple-textured fruits and plums is sweet, vibrant and chocolatey in the finish. Yields were only 20 hectoliters per hectare, making the wine difficult to find as the production was cut almost in half. The wine blends 59% Merlot, 23% Cabernet Franc, and 18% Cabernet Sauvignon. Drink from 2024-2038. 92 Pts
2021 Ripeau – St. Émilion Grand Cru – Chocolate mint chips, licorice, espresso, spice, flowers and black cherries pop in the nose. The palate, is loaded with creamy black plums, cherries and dark chocolate with a hint of spice and espresso at the end of the finish. Drink from 2024-2037. 92 Pts
2021 Rochebelle – St. Émilion Grand Cru – Flowers, red plums, licorice, and cherries pop in the nose and on the soft, elegant, medium-bodied palate. The finish adds with its sweetness, plums and hint of spice with salt at the end. Drink from 2024-2036. 91 Pts
2021 Rocheyron – St. Émilion Grand Cru – An array of red and white flowers, cherries, plums, black raspberries and strawberries pop in the perfume, as soon as the wine is poured. On the palate, the wine is vibrant, elegant, long, fresh and supple. The fruit has a mild olive note in the chalky backend, but there is so much, sweet, ripe and fresh, red berries with dark chocolate and salty chalk before that, you almost do not notice it. The wine blends 60% Merlot with 40% Cabernet Franc. Drink from 2025-2045. 93 Pts
2021 Rol Valentin – St. Émilion Grand Cru – Flowers, toasty oak and red berries with touches of dusty cocoa in the perfume. The palate is all about its elegance, freshness and soft-polished tannins, which allow the sweet plums and chocolate to shine. Drink from 2024-2038. 90 Pts
2021 Rolland-Maillet – St. Émilion Grand Cru – Easy-to-like, round, soft, forward, fruity, plummy wine with a strong oak accent on the palate that if it integrates with time in thee bottle will be an even better wine. Drink from 2024-2035. 90 Pts
2021 Roylland – St. Émilion Grand Cru – Black cherries, flowers and plums shine in the perfume. The wine is soft, vibrant, fresh and already a delicious pleasure in your glass, finishing with cocoa-infused black plums with a touch of salt that adds length and energy to the finish. Drink from 2024-2037. 91 Pts
2021 Saint Pey – St. Émilion Grand Cru – Black cherries, espresso and chocolate blend together to form the perfume. On the palate, the wine is soft, fruity and fresh, delivering sweetness and lift to the mid-palate all the way through to the finish. Drink from 2024-2037. 90 Pts
2021 Saintayme – St. Émilion Grand Cru – Medium-bodied with a focus on its sweetness, elegance and freshness. The wine quickly focuses you on its cherry profile with an edge of chocolate, touch of spice and a glimpse of licorice on the backend. The wine is made from 100% Merlot. Drink from 2024-2035. 91 Pts
2021 Sanctus – St. Émilion Grand Cru – Black cherries and even blacker plums with salty chocolate blend aromatically. On the palate, the wine is supple, creamy and fresh, with sweetness and lift to fruits on the palate and in the finish. Drink from 2024-2038. 92 Pts
2021 Sansonnet – St. Émilion Grand Cru – Chocolate-coated cherries, licorice and espresso aromas come to the surface effortlessly. On the palate, the wine is supple. creamy and loaded with ripe, black cherries, black raspberries and chocolate that carries from the mid-palate through to the finish. Drink from 2025-2040. 93 Pts
2021 Sol Beni – St. Émilion Grand Cru – Round, supple and forward, with a lot of oak surrounding the black cherries and herbs, the wine finishes with a creamy-edge to its red fruits and herbs. If the ok integrates, it could be a better wine. Drink from 2024-2033. 88 Pts
2021 Soutard – St. Émilion Grand Cru – Red and black plums, spice, smoke, licorice, espresso and flowers produce an engaging perfume. The palate, with its layers of red fruits, soft, refined, creamy textures and cherries tastes and feels great. The wine is a blend of 70% Merlot, 18% Cabernet Franc, 7% Cabernet Sauvignon and 3% Malbec. Drink from 2024-2038. 93 Pts
2021 SoutardCadet – St. Émilion Grand Cru – Chocolate covered cherries, espresso, licorice, and cinnamon nuances come through in the perfume. On the palate, the wine is supple, polished, sweet, and fresh with ample layers of black cherries, and espresso, with a spicy, peppery edge in the chalky finish. The wine will be easy to enjoy with just a year or two after release. Drink from 2025-2040. 93 Pts
2021 Tauzinat L’Hermitage – St. Émilion Grand Cru – Spicy red cherries, licorice and floral nuances open the nose. The palate is even better with its soft, elegantly-textured layers of sweet red cherries and plums. You can enjoy this on release for at least a decade. Drink from 2024-2035. 90 Pts
2021 Teyssier – St. Émilion Grand Cru – Medium-bodied, forward, with a bit of oak to resolve, licorice, red fruits and mint in the nose, the wine is forward, soft and approachable, with a strawberry, coffee bean, herb, and plum finish. Drink from 2024-2032. 88 Pts
2021 Tour Baladoz – St. Émilion Grand Cru – Dried flowers and cherries blend nicely in the nose. On the palate, the wine is round, polished sweet and energetic, with a touch of savory herbs and spearmint in the finish. Drink from 2024-2035.= 91 Pts
2021 Tour Saint Christophe – St. Émilion Grand Cru – Flowers, cherries, chocolate, black raspberries, plums, blueberries and a background note of citrus open the perfume. On the palate, the wine is soft, polished, sweet and creamy with layers of cherries, and chocolate-coated, salty plums. Drink from 2024-2039. 93 Pts
2021 Tour Saint Christophe Angela – Bordeaux – I like the myriad of yellow and orange citrus fruits, honeysuckle, and white flowers in the perfume. The palate is even better with its layers of sweet, creamy fruits, freshness, length and energy. Produced from 100% Sauvignon Blanc, this is fun wine to taste that I do not see often enough. With only 175 cases produced per vintage, it is not easy to find, but it is worth the effort. Drink from 2024-2030. 92 Pts
2021 Tour Saint Pierre – St. Émilion Grand Cru – Light, fresh, early-drinking, soft-textured charmer with a simple, but tasty, plum, and herb focused palate. This will be best in its youth. Drink from 2024-2030. 87 Pts
2021 Tour de Capet – St. Émilion Grand Cru – Produced from 100% Merlot, the wine is soft, medium-bodied, easy-drinking and ready to deliver its sweet, plums with a dash of cocoa as soon as the wine hits the stores. Drink from 2024-2031. 89 Pts
2021 Trapaud – St. Émilion Grand Cru – Mint, pepper, flowers, and black raspberries form the complex aromatic profile. On the palate, the wine is vibrant, fresh and plummy, with a side of crisp red cherries and peppery spices to match. Trapaud has one of the highest percentages of Cabernet Franc planted in Saint Emilion today at close to 70’%. This is quite successful for the vintage. Drink from 2024-2037. 91 Pts
2021 Trianon – St. Émilion Grand Cru – Spicy, fresh, vibrant, red berries, espresso and licorice are what you initially discover with the perfume. But, it is on the palate, that the wine is best, due to its sweet, silky, red fruits and hints of cocoa. You can drink this on the young side quite easily. Drink from 2024-2036. 90 Pts
2021 Troplong Mondot – St. Émilion Grand Cru – Medium-bodied, vibrant, crisp, and focused on its mineral essences, the wine is upbeat with freshness, energy, lift, and precision. The red fruits are expressive, clean, and salty with accents of smoke, mint, spice, flowers, and espresso. This is a finesse driven wine that is going to show well on release. The wine blends 85% Merlot, 13% Cabernet Franc, and 2% Cabernet Sauvignon. Drink from 2025-2050. 95 Pts
2021 Trotte Vieille – St. Émilion Grand Cru – Quite floral in nature, with nuances of espresso, cherries, 5 spice and tobacco leaves. The palate is soft, silky, and fresh, with layers of elegant, sweet, cherries, red plums, and supple black raspberries with nuances of espresso, dark chocolate, and salt that lingers. This is quite successful for the vintage. The wine blends 54% Cabernet Franc, 45% Merlot, and 1% Cabernet Sauvignon. The debut vintage made in the new cellars allows for parcel by parcel vinification. Drink from 2025-2055. 95 Pts
2021 Valandraud – St. Émilion Grand Cru – One of the top wines of the appellation offers an intense nose of flowers, licorice, chocolate-coated black cherries, smoke, cedar and mint in the perfume. With a dark garnet color, the wine is plush, polished, silky and loaded with sweet, dark, ripe, deliciously-expressive fruits. The wine blends 85% Merlot, 9% Cabernet Franc, and 6% Cabernet Sauvignon. Drink from 2025-2048. 95 Pts
2021 Valandraud Blanc de Valandraud – Bordeaux – Honeysuckle, white flowers, green apples, lemon peel and pomelo notes are all over the place here in the nose and on the palate. Vibrant, energetic and lush, the finish lingers with its crisp citrus flavors and flamboyant nature. The wine blends 50% Sauvignon Gris, 35% Sauvignon Blanc and 15% Semillon. A year f aging has added a lot to this wine. Drink from 2024-2035. 95 Pts
2021 Valandraud 3 de Valandraud – St. Émilion Grand Cru – Forward, fresh and already quite charming with its sweet, cherry and red plum profile, this is perfect for near-term-drinking. Drink from 2024-2031. 89 Pts
2021 Valandraud Virginie de Valandraud – St. Émilion Grand Cru – A bit oaky at the moment, the wine needs some time to better integrate allowing you to get all the sweet, ripe, dark cherries, plums, flowers, licorice and chocolate in the nose and palate that the wine offers. The finish is all about its lush, creamy, essences of black cherries and plums. Drink from 2024-2033. 93 Pts
2021 Vieux Chateau Mazerat – St. Émilion Grand Cru – Espresso, cherries, chocolate, licorice and orange rind blend together to produce the perfume. The palate is fresh, lush and packed with black plums, chocolate and coffee beans and a refreshing touch of mint that sneaks into the back of the finish. Drink from 2025-2039. 93 Pts
2021 Villemaurine – St. Émilion Grand Cru – Flowers, orange rind, smoke, licorice, spice and plums pop in the nose while on the palate, the wine is soft, fresh and creamy, allowing the silky, fresh, plums to shine. The oak has completely integrated. Drink from 2024-2038. 92 Pts
2021 YonFigeac – St. Émilion Grand Cru – Light, bright and floral with a strong, savory and spearmint edge to the red fruits in the nose and on the medium-bodied palate. Drink from 2024-2030. 86 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. This is our final report the Right Bank. Up next, we cover all the best 2021 White Bordeaux Wine Dry and Sweet before returning to the Left Bank with daily reports on all the best 2021 Bordeaux wines from Pessac Leognan, St. Estephe, Pauillac, St. Julien, and the Margaux appellations.
