The 2021 Franc de Pied is mellow and supple yet precise, with its line of 2021 vintage acidity piercing its core and pulling it tight. Savory and herbal, it shows aromas reminiscent of fennel, wormwood, black olives and violets. It has a floaty-light, gentle nature, a sense of roundness and notable purity of fruit, which all elevate it above the crowd. The delicate extraction of fine tannins is commendable. While the 2021 is neither as long as in the previous vintage nor as deep, it is still in the upper echelon of what could be produced in 2021. -- Rebecca Gibb MW