Château Marquis d’Alesme-Becker 2021

A deep, rich, opulent nose giving that Margaux glamour straight out the gate. Heady, perfumed purple flowers on the nose. The aromas are really beguiling, you get the ripe Cabernet fruit which was such a success in 2021 – the green pepper, black pepper, blueberries and eucalyptus with hints from the Merlot – sharp, sweet and sour strawberries and red cherries with herbal notes of liquorice and cedar. It’s certainly fresh and you get a clarity on the palate, it’s not massively structured per se but offering lovely balance, freshness and precision of all the elements. There’s a vibrancy to this and a nice mouthfeel of gentle but grippy tannins – they’re fine but filling. Fruit and oak are well balanced with such persistence of gentle flavour. Lovely refinement and class with a lifted minty finish. I love it. 3% Cabernet Sauvignon completes the blend. 3.80pH. They lost around 25% of the yield in 2021, bringing in 32hL/ha compared to the usual 40-45hL/ha. Drinking Window: 2026-2040. Score – 92. (Georgina Hindle, decanter.com)