Clear spices and cloves in bottle as during En Primeur - expect a pretty concentrated delivery on the opening notes. It's good quality, well balanced and structured, with pomegrante, red cherry, smoked earth and mandarin peel. Axel Marchal consultant here, with owners Philippe and Pauline Bich-Chandon-Moët. Harvest stretched from late September through to October 19.

Espresso, cocoa, flowers and red fruits are easy to spot in the wines aromatic profile. The palate is soft, fresh and energetic with its layers of sweet, ripe, pure, raspberries, red plums and hints of strawberries, with just a squeeze of orange rind at the backend of the finish. Drink from 2024-2036.

Grippy and textured from the get go, with mouthwatering acidity. The focus here is on sleek but crushed-velvety textured tannins with the blackcurrant pastille, black cherry and raspberry fruit taking a beat and settling in the background. Minerality is on show in the slate and crushed stone flavours with some caramel and toast notes on the finish. Good potential here.

The 2021 Château de Ferrand has a lifted bouquet of redcurrant and wild strawberry fruit, dried rose petals, red plum and pain d’épices. The palate is medium-bodied with a firm structure and fine tannins. Quite fresh thanks to the acidity, the 2021 has a harmonious, almost Left Bank finish. This is a well-crafted Saint-Émilion that knows it would have been unwise to push too hard. -- Neal Martin