2021 Clos de la Roche
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Tasting notes
The 2021 Clos-de-la-Roche Grand Cru has a bright and lively bouquet, carefree and well defined, with effervescent Morello cherry and white-tipped strawberry aromas. The palate is framed by lithe tannins and a silver bead of acidity, balanced yet missing the x-factor shown by the best Clos de la Roche this vintage. Straightlaced on the finish, it does not stick in the memory as it should. Not bad by any means, but I think this just suffered from inadequate time to aerate. I am sure another bottle in a few years would tally with my barrel projection. Tasted blind at the Burgfest tasting.
Critic scores
Average Score
Neal Martin
Neal Martin
More reviews and scores
The 2021 Clos-de-la-Roche Grand Cru has a very focused, mineral-rich bouquet with intense red fruit laced with rose petal, blood oranges and graphite (though this ebbs with aeration). The palate is medium-bodied with fine, saturated tannins, impressive density, very minerally with superb transparency towards the linear finish. Wonderful.
A hint of crushed fennel sits atop the spice and floral-suffused nose of mostly red berries and a hint of smoke. There is again excellent intensity and delineation to the bigger-bodied and even more powerful larger-scaled flavors that are succulent and rich on the mid-palate that contrasts with the mouthcoating, firmly austere and built-to-age finale that exhibits first-rate length. Patience required.