Lacoste Borie 2021

Perfumed and nicely polished second wine of Grand-Puy-Lacoste with pretty sandalwood, blackberry and currant notes. Some fresh herbs and mocha, too. Nicely framed with fleshy tannins. 56% cabernet sauvignon, 36% merlot and 8% cabernet franc.

Lovely strong concentrated nose, full of Cabernet menthol and blackcurrant markers. Concentrated and so lively and juicy, really lifted with bright acidity, almost tart, but then pulled back by the salty, gravel minerality. Long with bite and a sense of power. A really nice, shining, tangy example. Not so tannic, they're super fine, but this has plenty of flavour and sense of excitement. I like it with its strong mentholated finish alongside clove, liquorice and tobacco.

The 2021 Lacoste-Borie is lovely, bursting with aromas of plums and cassis mingled with hints of orange zest, spices and espresso roast. Medium-bodied, ample and fleshy, with a charming core of fruit, supple tannins and a succulent, giving profile, it's already hard to resist. Readers looking for near-term, pleasure-bent drinking will find that this is one of the sleepers of the vintage.