France - All Red Wines
France stands as the epitome of excellence when it comes to crafting red wines that showcase the diversity of terroirs, grape varieties, and winemaking traditions.
In Bordeaux, the renowned Left Bank vineyards of Château Lafite Rothschild, Château Margaux, Château Latour, and Château Haut-Brion epitomize the artistry of winemaking. These prestigious estates craft red wines that blend Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Cabernet Franc, Petit Verdot, and Malbec, resulting in wines of depth, structure, and complexity. The wines from the Right Bank, such as those from Pétrus, Château Ausone, and Château Cheval Blanc, offer elegance, refinement, and a focus on Merlot as the dominant grape variety.
In Burgundy, the Côte de Nuits and Côte de Beaune regions are home to iconic vineyards like Domaine de la Romanée-Conti, Domaine Leroy, and Domaine Armand Rousseau. These vineyards produce world-renowned Pinot Noir wines that showcase finesse, complexity, and a captivating expression of their unique terroirs.
The Rhône Valley boasts appellations such as Hermitage, Côte-Rôtie, and Châteauneuf-du-Pape. In Hermitage, producers like Jean-Louis Chave and Domaine Jean-Louis Grippat craft powerful and age-worthy Syrah-based wines with immense structure and complexity. Côte-Rôtie is known for its elegant and perfumed Syrah wines, while Châteauneuf-du-Pape combines a blend of Grenache, Syrah, and Mourvèdre to create bold and full-bodied wines.
Moving to the Loire Valley, the vineyards of Chinon and Saumur-Champigny shine with exceptional Cabernet Franc wines. Producers such as Charles Joguet and Domaine Guiberteau showcase the region's ability to craft wines of finesse, with notes of red fruits, spice, and a characteristic herbal undertone.
Finally, in the south, the Languedoc-Roussillon region is celebrated for its bold and robust red wines. Vineyards like Mas de Daumas Gassac and Domaine Gauby produce powerful and expressive wines that highlight the region's warm climate and diverse terroirs.
France - All Red Wines
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Vinous (96-98)
The 2018 Gevrey-Chambertin Clos Saint-Jacques 1er Cru has an exquisite bouquet that offers transparent red fruit, fine mineralité, sous-bois, and a sense of vivacity and focus that this vineyard has above all over premier crus. The harmonious palate is medium-bodied with supple tannins, orange peel and a velvety-smooth finish. Superb.Inc. GSTSG$2,342.31 -
Burghound (96)
(Outstanding) Here too there is just enough wood to warrant mentioning framing the exceptionally spicy red berry fruit and floral-suffused aromas. There is fine density to the sleekly muscular and intense flavors that are blessed with fine mid-palate concentration on the tightly wound and sneaky long finish that is both balanced and notably firm, and which should enable this to evolve and improve for at least two decades. There is a hint of warmth but it's not enough to really detract from the overall sense of harmony. In a word, impressive.Inc. GSTSG$3,209.58 -
Vinous (96-98)
The 2020 Gevrey-Chambertin Clos Saint-Jacques 1er Cru has a spellbinding bouquet, very complex, a nose that you cannot drag your nose away from. Precocious red berry fruit intermixed by crushed stone and sous-bois. The palate is sensual on the entry, quite lush red fruit, filigree tannins, perfectly balanced and poised on the finish that lingers longer than forever. Stunning.Inc. GSTSG$2,712.91 -
Jasper Morris Inside Burgundy (93-96)
Fine mid purple colour. Already the oak (80% new wood) adds an extra level of intensity but clearly there is a wealth of fruit too. A burst of divine sweet fruit greets the back of the palate, long and lovely. Drink from 2028-2036.Inc. GSTSG$2,049.09 -
Vinous (87-89)
Good red-ruby. Wilder aromas of red and black fruits and coffee. Juicy and tightly wound, with good structure for the vintage. Lifted by a violet florality. Finishes fresh and firmly tannic.Inc. GSTSG$1,531.34 -
Vinous (92-94)
The 2018 Gevrey-Chambertin Lavaux Saint-Jacques 1er Cru has disarming purity and transparency on the nose, where pressed rose filters through the red fruit. The palate is medium-bodied with supple tannins and fine acidity. Fleshy and quite corpulent compared to other vintages, with a long spicy aftertaste. Excellent.Inc. GSTSG$1,290.46 -
Vinous (92-94)
The 2019 Gevrey-Chambertin Lavaux Saint-Jacques 1er Cru has wonderful transparency on the nose of red currant and wild strawberry, plus glimpses of orange blossom and rose petal. The palate is medium-bodied with sappy red fruit, lightly spiced and quite peppery in the mouth. Fine grip and length. This is a lovely Lavaux that will be difficult to resist in its youth.Inc. GSTSG$1,230.51 -
Vinous (90-92)
The 2020 Gevrey-Chambertin Lavaux Saint-Jacques 1er Cru has a mineral-driven bouquet with dark berry fruit, sous-bois and just a touch of dessicated orange peel. The palate is medium-bodied with supple tannins and fine acidity. Is it the most complex Lavaux? Maybe not, though it has an attractive juiciness mixed with sapidity that keeps you coming back for more.Inc. GSTSG$1,449.59 -
Inc. GSTSG$1,640.34
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Vinous (88-90)
Good deep red with ruby highlights. Dark raspberry and licorice on the nose, complicated by musky herbs, menthol, leather and game. Then less sweet and more medicinal in the mouth than the Lavaux, displaying distinctly darker flavors. In a more masculine style, finishing with tougher tannins. The vines here average 55 years of age, making them the oldest of the estate.Inc. GSTSG$2,042.56 -
Vinous (93-95)
The 2018 Gevrey-Chambertin Les Cazetiers 1er Cru has a very composed bouquet of darker fruit than the Lavaux Saint-Jacques; there are also hints of blood orange and tangerine here. The palate is medium-bodied with very fine tannins and superb acidity. Quite saline in the mouth, displaying real complexity and nuance toward the finish. Superb.Inc. GSTSG$1,770.06 -
Vinous (86-89)
Medium red. Aromatic nose combines red fruits, coffee and meat. Sweet and fine; offers lovely pinot noir tang and sap. High-quality village wine, atypically strong for this cuveeInc. GSTSG$1,431.80 -
Wine Advocate (91+)
Tasted from bottle, Rousseau's 2016 Gevrey-Chambertin Village opens in the glass with a youthfully reserved bouquet of wild berry fruit, plums, peonies and orange rind mingled with suggestions of forest floor and cedar. On the palate, the wine is medium to full-bodied, supple and sapid, with lively acids, good depth at the core and fine structuring tannins that subtly assert themselves on the finish. Even this communal bottling—which contains declassified premier cru fruit—is quite introverted at this stage, and readers with bottles in their cellars are advised to forget them for the better part of a decade.Inc. GSTSG$1,426.35 -
Vinous (89-91)
The 2020 Gevrey-Chambertin Village has a little more intensity and lifted compared to the Clos du Château, a touch more mineralité too. The palate is very well balanced, quite juicy and ripe but over excessively. Dark berry fruit laced with spice and it fans out wonderfully on the finish. Lovely.Inc. GSTSG$1,028.13 -
Vinous (85-87)
The 2019 Gevrey-Chambertin Clos du Château has a very perfumed bouquet of red cherry and strawberry fruit. The palate is tart on the entry with slightly rustic tannins and modest weight. Just a little attenuated on the finish.Inc. GSTSG$1,296.99 -
Vinous (90+)
Medium red. Red fruits and tobacco on the nose, with some funky hints of truffley evolution. Silky and fine-grained on entry, then classically dry but more harmonious in the middle palate than the nose suggests. Clamps down on the finish, showing a cool and slightly ungiving character and an edge of acidity. I expected a bit more expansiveness and sweetness but Cyrielle Rousseau noted that she and her father Eric find their 1999s rather ungiving so far. She told me that she opened this bottle about six hours before I tasted it and predicted that it would be better the next day. She also described this Mazy as a funny wine, like a clown.Inc. GSTSG$3,181.25 -
Wine Advocate (93-95)
The 2012 Mazis-Chambertin Grand Cru has a well-defined bouquet with lively red berry fruit mixed with bergamot and fresh strawberry. It does not quite have the presence of say Bernard Dugat’s example: more introverted and bashful. The palate is medium-bodied with candied red fruit on the opening, luscious red berries laced with orange zest and a hint of vanilla. The finish is nigh irresistible – full of vigor and tension with peach on the aftertaste. After a slow opening this finishes with grandeur and ambition.Inc. GSTSG$1,868.52 -
Wine Advocate (95-97)
The 2016 Mazy-Chambertin Grand Cru has a really beautiful bouquet with pure dark cherry and raspberry scents intermixed with orange blossom and apricot. This has wonderful delineation and focus. The palate is tighter and a little more structured than the Charmes-Chambertin, with a gentle grip in the mouth and a fine bead of acidity, segueing into darker fruit toward the finish, with just a hint of spice on the tender finish. This is a hauntingly beautiful Mazys in the making.Inc. GSTSG$1,786.41 -
Vinous (94-96)
The 2019 Mazy-Chambertin Grand Cru is clearly a step up from the Charmes-Chambertin, offering deeper and more intense red fruit, rose petal and undergrowth aromas. There is also a more tangible marine influence at play here. The palate is medium-bodied with very good structure. Elegant and poised toward the finish, which leaves hints of tobacco and truffle on the aftertaste. Superb. Quintessentially Rousseau.Inc. GSTSG$2,228.22 -
Inc. GSTSG$5,858.64
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Vinous (90)
Fresher, deeper red. Much more complex aromas of black cherry, raspberry, leather, game, herbs and spices. Suave, silky and concentrated; fresher than the Clos de la Roche thanks to harmonious acids. Really seamless texture. Finishes with well-buffered tannins, very good grip and strong fruit.Inc. GSTSG$3,722.24 -
Vinous - Stephen Tanzer (90-92)
Medium red-ruby. Superripe, liqueur-like aromas of red berries, spices and minerals. Dense, silky and sweet; a bit more harmonious, complex and perfumed at this early stage than the Clos de la Roche. Finishes with ripe tannins, plenty of verve and sneaky persistence.Inc. GSTSG$3,230.66 -
Vinous (90)
Medium cherry-red. Deep, complex, expressive aromas of red fruits, smoke, earth and underbrush. Sweet, fat and smooth but with a medicinal reserve to its black cherry and mineral flavors. Conveys a strong impression of saline soil tones. The Clos de la Roche seems riper but this is more minerally and taut.Inc. GSTSG$2,304.16 -
Jancis Robinson (18++)
Very intense purple fruits with a hint of black pepper and then very luscious fruit. Gorgeous already and quite sinewy. Really racy and pure.Inc. GSTSG$1,688.31 -
Vinous (92-94)
(30% new oak): Good medium red. Pure, restrained aromas and flavors of black cherry, licorice and minerals. Silky and fine-grained on entry, then juicy and tighter in the middle, showing strong calcaire energy as the mother rock here isn't much more than a foot below the surface. This rich, firmly tannic wine boasts a long, rising finish featuring black fruits and violet. Impeccably balanced from the start, but this youthfully austere wine will need time in the cellar. The estate is slowly replanting this vineyard, so this 2016 is a mix of old and young vines.Inc. GSTSG$2,026.21 -
Vinous (94-96)
The 2017 Ruchottes-Chambertin Clos des Ruchottes Grand Cru has a pixelated bouquet that really expresses the limestone soils of this vineyard: subtle pressed iris scents infuse the red berry fruit, all with brilliant delineation. The palate is medium-bodied with supple tannin. There is a fine bead of acidity here, again, a little spicy (the leitmotif throughout the Rousseau range) with impressive grip and persistence on the finish. Excellent.Inc. GSTSG$2,118.86 -
Jancis Robinson (19)
Going into the darker fruit spectrum here but with a cool elegance in the aroma. Dark and ripe yet the ripeness is somehow savoury not sweet. Like roasted veg. Elegance and restrained, super-fine tannins. A dark, refined beauty with paper-like tannins in layers.Inc. GSTSG$1,601.11 -
Vinous (96-98)
The 2019 Ruchottes-Chambertin Clos des Ruchottes Grand Cru has a thrilling bouquet struck through with mineral-rich red berry fruit that teasingly takes time to unfurl in the glass; you can sense the limestone, and hints of graphite emerge later. The palate is medium-bodied with fine-grained tannins, quite piquant in style, leading to an edgy, slightly chalky finish that bristles with energy. This has great potential as a poised Ruchottes.Inc. GSTSG$2,424.42 -
Vinous (96-98)
The 2020 Ruchottes-Chambertin Clos des Ruchottes Grand Cru has a beautifully defined bouquet, very floral, exquisite focus and control with a surfeit of mineralité. Real intensity and grace. The palate is wonderfully balanced with supple tannins, fine acidity, impressive density with a voluminous black cherry and wild strawberry finish with just a tang of brine on the aftertaste. Perhaps the finest Ruchottes in '20.Inc. GSTSG$1,907.39 -
Vinous (91-93)
The 2021 Ruchottes-Chambertin Clos des Ruchottes Grand Cru is much more introspective on the nose compared to the Clos de la Roche or Mazy, displaying dark berry fruit, loam and blackcurrant pastilles. Maybe not quite the mineralité of previous vintages? The palate is medium-bodied with orange rind and allspice on the entry. Showing fine weight, there's a little sinew within this cuvée and a tobacco-tinged finish. Quite a "serious" 2021 from Rousseau - I am fascinated to see how this will show once in bottle.Inc. GSTSG$1,640.34
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Vinous (96-98)
The 2018 Gevrey-Chambertin Clos Saint-Jacques 1er Cru has an exquisite bouquet that offers transparent red fruit, fine mineralité, sous-bois, and a sense of vivacity and focus that this vineyard has above all over premier crus. The harmonious palate is medium-bodied with supple tannins, orange peel and a velvety-smooth finish. Superb.In BondSG$2,140.00 -
Burghound (96)
(Outstanding) Here too there is just enough wood to warrant mentioning framing the exceptionally spicy red berry fruit and floral-suffused aromas. There is fine density to the sleekly muscular and intense flavors that are blessed with fine mid-palate concentration on the tightly wound and sneaky long finish that is both balanced and notably firm, and which should enable this to evolve and improve for at least two decades. There is a hint of warmth but it's not enough to really detract from the overall sense of harmony. In a word, impressive.In BondSG$2,935.00 -
Vinous (96-98)
The 2020 Gevrey-Chambertin Clos Saint-Jacques 1er Cru has a spellbinding bouquet, very complex, a nose that you cannot drag your nose away from. Precocious red berry fruit intermixed by crushed stone and sous-bois. The palate is sensual on the entry, quite lush red fruit, filigree tannins, perfectly balanced and poised on the finish that lingers longer than forever. Stunning.In BondSG$2,480.00 -
Jasper Morris Inside Burgundy (93-96)
Fine mid purple colour. Already the oak (80% new wood) adds an extra level of intensity but clearly there is a wealth of fruit too. A burst of divine sweet fruit greets the back of the palate, long and lovely. Drink from 2028-2036.In BondSG$1,870.00 -
Vinous (87-89)
Good red-ruby. Wilder aromas of red and black fruits and coffee. Juicy and tightly wound, with good structure for the vintage. Lifted by a violet florality. Finishes fresh and firmly tannic.In BondSG$1,395.00 -
Vinous (92-94)
The 2018 Gevrey-Chambertin Lavaux Saint-Jacques 1er Cru has disarming purity and transparency on the nose, where pressed rose filters through the red fruit. The palate is medium-bodied with supple tannins and fine acidity. Fleshy and quite corpulent compared to other vintages, with a long spicy aftertaste. Excellent.In BondSG$1,175.00 -
Vinous (92-94)
The 2019 Gevrey-Chambertin Lavaux Saint-Jacques 1er Cru has wonderful transparency on the nose of red currant and wild strawberry, plus glimpses of orange blossom and rose petal. The palate is medium-bodied with sappy red fruit, lightly spiced and quite peppery in the mouth. Fine grip and length. This is a lovely Lavaux that will be difficult to resist in its youth.In BondSG$1,120.00 -
Vinous (90-92)
The 2020 Gevrey-Chambertin Lavaux Saint-Jacques 1er Cru has a mineral-driven bouquet with dark berry fruit, sous-bois and just a touch of dessicated orange peel. The palate is medium-bodied with supple tannins and fine acidity. Is it the most complex Lavaux? Maybe not, though it has an attractive juiciness mixed with sapidity that keeps you coming back for more.In BondSG$1,320.00 -
In BondSG$1,495.00
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Vinous (88-90)
Good deep red with ruby highlights. Dark raspberry and licorice on the nose, complicated by musky herbs, menthol, leather and game. Then less sweet and more medicinal in the mouth than the Lavaux, displaying distinctly darker flavors. In a more masculine style, finishing with tougher tannins. The vines here average 55 years of age, making them the oldest of the estate.In BondSG$1,865.00 -
Vinous (93-95)
The 2018 Gevrey-Chambertin Les Cazetiers 1er Cru has a very composed bouquet of darker fruit than the Lavaux Saint-Jacques; there are also hints of blood orange and tangerine here. The palate is medium-bodied with very fine tannins and superb acidity. Quite saline in the mouth, displaying real complexity and nuance toward the finish. Superb.In BondSG$1,615.00 -
Vinous (86-89)
Medium red. Aromatic nose combines red fruits, coffee and meat. Sweet and fine; offers lovely pinot noir tang and sap. High-quality village wine, atypically strong for this cuveeIn BondSG$1,305.00 -
Wine Advocate (91+)
Tasted from bottle, Rousseau's 2016 Gevrey-Chambertin Village opens in the glass with a youthfully reserved bouquet of wild berry fruit, plums, peonies and orange rind mingled with suggestions of forest floor and cedar. On the palate, the wine is medium to full-bodied, supple and sapid, with lively acids, good depth at the core and fine structuring tannins that subtly assert themselves on the finish. Even this communal bottling—which contains declassified premier cru fruit—is quite introverted at this stage, and readers with bottles in their cellars are advised to forget them for the better part of a decade.In BondSG$1,300.00 -
Vinous (89-91)
The 2020 Gevrey-Chambertin Village has a little more intensity and lifted compared to the Clos du Château, a touch more mineralité too. The palate is very well balanced, quite juicy and ripe but over excessively. Dark berry fruit laced with spice and it fans out wonderfully on the finish. Lovely.In BondSG$934.00 -
Vinous (85-87)
The 2019 Gevrey-Chambertin Clos du Château has a very perfumed bouquet of red cherry and strawberry fruit. The palate is tart on the entry with slightly rustic tannins and modest weight. Just a little attenuated on the finish.In BondSG$1,180.00 -
Vinous (90+)
Medium red. Red fruits and tobacco on the nose, with some funky hints of truffley evolution. Silky and fine-grained on entry, then classically dry but more harmonious in the middle palate than the nose suggests. Clamps down on the finish, showing a cool and slightly ungiving character and an edge of acidity. I expected a bit more expansiveness and sweetness but Cyrielle Rousseau noted that she and her father Eric find their 1999s rather ungiving so far. She told me that she opened this bottle about six hours before I tasted it and predicted that it would be better the next day. She also described this Mazy as a funny wine, like a clown.In BondSG$2,910.00 -
Wine Advocate (93-95)
The 2012 Mazis-Chambertin Grand Cru has a well-defined bouquet with lively red berry fruit mixed with bergamot and fresh strawberry. It does not quite have the presence of say Bernard Dugat’s example: more introverted and bashful. The palate is medium-bodied with candied red fruit on the opening, luscious red berries laced with orange zest and a hint of vanilla. The finish is nigh irresistible – full of vigor and tension with peach on the aftertaste. After a slow opening this finishes with grandeur and ambition.In BondSG$1,705.00 -
Wine Advocate (95-97)
The 2016 Mazy-Chambertin Grand Cru has a really beautiful bouquet with pure dark cherry and raspberry scents intermixed with orange blossom and apricot. This has wonderful delineation and focus. The palate is tighter and a little more structured than the Charmes-Chambertin, with a gentle grip in the mouth and a fine bead of acidity, segueing into darker fruit toward the finish, with just a hint of spice on the tender finish. This is a hauntingly beautiful Mazys in the making.In BondSG$1,630.00 -
Vinous (94-96)
The 2019 Mazy-Chambertin Grand Cru is clearly a step up from the Charmes-Chambertin, offering deeper and more intense red fruit, rose petal and undergrowth aromas. There is also a more tangible marine influence at play here. The palate is medium-bodied with very good structure. Elegant and poised toward the finish, which leaves hints of tobacco and truffle on the aftertaste. Superb. Quintessentially Rousseau.In BondSG$2,035.00 -
In BondSG$5,365.00
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Vinous (90)
Fresher, deeper red. Much more complex aromas of black cherry, raspberry, leather, game, herbs and spices. Suave, silky and concentrated; fresher than the Clos de la Roche thanks to harmonious acids. Really seamless texture. Finishes with well-buffered tannins, very good grip and strong fruit.In BondSG$3,405.00 -
Vinous - Stephen Tanzer (90-92)
Medium red-ruby. Superripe, liqueur-like aromas of red berries, spices and minerals. Dense, silky and sweet; a bit more harmonious, complex and perfumed at this early stage than the Clos de la Roche. Finishes with ripe tannins, plenty of verve and sneaky persistence.In BondSG$2,955.00 -
Vinous (90)
Medium cherry-red. Deep, complex, expressive aromas of red fruits, smoke, earth and underbrush. Sweet, fat and smooth but with a medicinal reserve to its black cherry and mineral flavors. Conveys a strong impression of saline soil tones. The Clos de la Roche seems riper but this is more minerally and taut.In BondSG$2,105.00 -
Jancis Robinson (18++)
Very intense purple fruits with a hint of black pepper and then very luscious fruit. Gorgeous already and quite sinewy. Really racy and pure.In BondSG$1,540.00 -
Vinous (92-94)
(30% new oak): Good medium red. Pure, restrained aromas and flavors of black cherry, licorice and minerals. Silky and fine-grained on entry, then juicy and tighter in the middle, showing strong calcaire energy as the mother rock here isn't much more than a foot below the surface. This rich, firmly tannic wine boasts a long, rising finish featuring black fruits and violet. Impeccably balanced from the start, but this youthfully austere wine will need time in the cellar. The estate is slowly replanting this vineyard, so this 2016 is a mix of old and young vines.In BondSG$1,850.00 -
Vinous (94-96)
The 2017 Ruchottes-Chambertin Clos des Ruchottes Grand Cru has a pixelated bouquet that really expresses the limestone soils of this vineyard: subtle pressed iris scents infuse the red berry fruit, all with brilliant delineation. The palate is medium-bodied with supple tannin. There is a fine bead of acidity here, again, a little spicy (the leitmotif throughout the Rousseau range) with impressive grip and persistence on the finish. Excellent.In BondSG$1,935.00 -
Jancis Robinson (19)
Going into the darker fruit spectrum here but with a cool elegance in the aroma. Dark and ripe yet the ripeness is somehow savoury not sweet. Like roasted veg. Elegance and restrained, super-fine tannins. A dark, refined beauty with paper-like tannins in layers.In BondSG$1,460.00 -
Vinous (96-98)
The 2019 Ruchottes-Chambertin Clos des Ruchottes Grand Cru has a thrilling bouquet struck through with mineral-rich red berry fruit that teasingly takes time to unfurl in the glass; you can sense the limestone, and hints of graphite emerge later. The palate is medium-bodied with fine-grained tannins, quite piquant in style, leading to an edgy, slightly chalky finish that bristles with energy. This has great potential as a poised Ruchottes.In BondSG$2,215.00 -
Vinous (96-98)
The 2020 Ruchottes-Chambertin Clos des Ruchottes Grand Cru has a beautifully defined bouquet, very floral, exquisite focus and control with a surfeit of mineralité. Real intensity and grace. The palate is wonderfully balanced with supple tannins, fine acidity, impressive density with a voluminous black cherry and wild strawberry finish with just a tang of brine on the aftertaste. Perhaps the finest Ruchottes in '20.In BondSG$1,740.00 -
Vinous (91-93)
The 2021 Ruchottes-Chambertin Clos des Ruchottes Grand Cru is much more introspective on the nose compared to the Clos de la Roche or Mazy, displaying dark berry fruit, loam and blackcurrant pastilles. Maybe not quite the mineralité of previous vintages? The palate is medium-bodied with orange rind and allspice on the entry. Showing fine weight, there's a little sinew within this cuvée and a tobacco-tinged finish. Quite a "serious" 2021 from Rousseau - I am fascinated to see how this will show once in bottle.In BondSG$1,495.00