The Château Naudin-Larchey of Pessac-Léognan of Bordeaux

My book The Complete Bordeaux, which has been revised every five years, is soon to be published in its fourth edition. This may seem like excessive haste, given the scope of the book, but it is astonishing how rapidly changes can take place in the region. Burgundy, in contrast, is relatively stable, since most properties are family-owned and tend to stay that way. But not so in Bordeaux, where there are ample opportunities for newcomers to acquire established properties, as they have been doing ...

There’s no doubt that 2021 was a challenging vintage. Most explanatory statements or technical sheets handed out over the past few weeks have mentioned the unfavourable, oft disastrous weather conditions, the sometimes very low and disheartening yields and the slightly varied or unusual blends on offer in 2021. Difficulties faced by vignerons both inside and outside of the cellar have been explained in detail as has the raft of highly important decisions needed be made throughout the year, ...

Haut-Brion 2021 released en primeur Château Haut-Brion 2021 was released en primeur at the same price as fellow First Growths Mouton Rothschild and Margaux – €420 per bottle ex-Bordeaux, down 2.8% on last year’s release, according to Liv-ex, a global marketplace for the trade. With an offer price of £5,100 (12x75cl in bond), data from both Liv-ex and analyst group Wine Lister suggested the new release was broadly in-line or slightly under current market prices for several recent vintages. Châtea ...