A refined nose of blackberries, dark cherries, dried herbs, earth and black pepper with a touch of cedar, too. It’s medium- to full-bodied with fine, firm tannins. Well-structured with a harmonious core of berries and spices at the center. Well-framed and focused with texture and a long finish. Try after 2025.
TWI
94pts
The Wine Independent
Medium garnet-purple in color, the 2021 Domaine de Baronarques Rouge is a blend of 64% Merlot, 13% Cabernet Franc, 13% Malbec, 8% Syrah, and 2% Cabernet Sauvignon. Evocative notes of black and red cherries, warm redcurrants, and juicy plums waft from the glass, giving way to hints of cardamom and fragrant earth. The medium-bodied palate is plush and soft-spoken, with fragrant black fruits and a spicy lift on the finish.
Limestone driven, cool-weather red blends have their place: This vintage captures that style and is a thing of beauty. The wine opens with red plum, pencil shavings, forest floor and fresh blackberry. Round on the attack, a concentrated midpalate of dried red cherry, strawberry and tart cranberry sit above a mineral-driven core punctuated by pockets of field herbs. (Editors’ Choice)
The 2021 Limoux, a blend of Merlot (64%), Cabernet Franc, Syrah, Malbec and Cabernet Sauvignon, reveals a deep, complex bouquet with aromas of spices, licorice, pepper and dark berries, intertwined with vanilla-inflected notes. Medium to full-bodied, dense and concentrated, it's firm on the mid-palate with structuring tannins and finishes long and penetrating. This estate is owned by the Rothschild family (Mouton branch), and the 2021 will be released via the Place de Bordeaux for the first time this fall.
Pronounced aromas of blackberry, blackcurrant leaf, bramble and plum are peppered with spice and leafy characters. The palate is structured, with great depth of cassis fruit, energising notes of tomato leaf and cinnamon spice. The tannins are a touch dusty, drying, forming a tight fist that may take some time to relax.
The 2021 Limoux is based on Merlot (64%), Cabernet Franc, and Cabernet Sauvignon raised in a mix of new and used French oak. It has a saturated red hue as well as attractive aromatics of peppery herbs, ripe black cherries, leather, and damp earth. I always find a certain Right Bank Bordeaux character in this cuvée, and the 2021 is no exception. Medium-bodied, juicy, fresh, and elegant on the palate, with present tannins, it's not going to make you forget the 2020, but it’s a solid, layered, complex red to enjoy over the coming 5-7 years or so. As with everything here, it's impeccably made.
A ripe red highlighted by high-toned wild cherry and lavender notes underpinned by graphite shaving, anise and dried herb accents. Medium-bodied and silky in feel from the svelte tannins, with a burst of freshness on the finish, thanks to the cool leafy character. Merlot, Cabernet Franc, Malbec, Syrah and Cabernet Sauvignon. Drink now through 2028. 6,000 cases made, 400 cases imported.
Winery Notes
An attractive, dark and deep garnet red, the wine has an intense and precise nose that opens on delicate aromas of spices, roses and plums macerated in spirits. Some roasted, toasted notes appear with airing. From a supple and highly refined attack, the mid-palate rapidly emerges on smooth, patrician tannins enhanced by a youthful freshness. The fruit, already there in the background, comes into its own, giving a harmonious, long and opulent finish.