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Chateau Grand Village 2021 Bordeaux Superieur
£22.90
In stock
SKU
FRBORGVBS21B
- Buy 6 for £21.76 each and save 5%
- Buy 12 for £21.07 each and save 8%
Regular readers of these pages will know our admiration of this wine. The Guinaudeau family of Château Lafleur in Pomerol owns this little estate in Moulliac just outside the appellation of Fronsac. The vineyards are planted with Merlot and Bouchet (a Cabernet Franc biotype) grown from Château Lafleur cuttings. Since 2018, the wine has improved out of sight, so much so that we reckon this is one of the greatest value wines produced in Bordeaux.
With 2021, we see a slight shift in the wine's composition, with Bouchet making up a larger portion than in the previous three years, now at 25%, alongside the dominant Merlot. While it may not match the intensity of the 2020 vintage, the 2021 offers a unique richness and fragrance. The nose is filled with the delicate scents of lavender and rose, with a hint of black cherry. The palate, while still dark and inky, is slightly more approachable than its predecessor. The ABV is much more digestible, 13.5% (2020 is 15%).
The 2021 has spent 12 months in barrel; 30% are new, 40% are 2nd passage, and 30% are 3rd passage. Bottled in April 2023.
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The Region
Bordeaux
Bordeaux is the region of France, along with Burgundy, that most fine wine drinkers gravitate towards. The reds are almost always a blend of anything up to 6 black varieties: Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc, Malbec, Petit Verdot and Carmenere. Depending on what part of Bordeaux you are in determines which of these varieties dominates, but largely speaking, Merlot is generally the number one.
The heartland of the Cabernets is the Medoc, the left bank of the Gironde Estuary, which is sub-divided into communes and AOCs, the most famous of which are (north to south) St Estephe, Pauillac, St Julien and Margaux. Among these 4 communes are where the Grands Crus of the Medoc 1855 Classification are to be found, but there are other AOCs where you can find less expensive wines such as Haut Medoc, Listrac-Medoc and Moulis.
To the south of the city of Bordeaux you can find the Graves, Pessac-Leognan and Sauternes AOCs, the latter of which is for sweet white wines whilst the former two are known for both reds and dry whites, normally from a blend of Sauvignon Blanc and Semillon with a smattering of other minor varieties.
The right bank of the estuary is Merlot territory. This is where you will find St Emilion, with all its satellite villages, and Pomerol, the latter being the centre of gravity for Merlot-based wines. However, the most important vineyard of all is the Entré deux Mers - between the seas, or rivers in this case - where the bulk of Bordeaux's wines hail from, many of which are simply labelled as Bordeaux or Bordeaux Superieur, and Bordeaux Blanc Sec or Entré deux Mers for its whites
The Producer
Baptiste Guinaudeau, Chateau Grand Village, Chateau Lafleur
The Guinaudeau family are owners of the prestigious Chateau Lafleur in Pomerol, one of Bordeaux's greatest wines, known for its long-lived and powerful wines. The family also owns Chateau Grand Village, a Bordeaux Superieur located just beyond the border of Fronsac where they make sublime wines at incredible value for money. Mostly Merlot with some Cabernet Franc which is from cuttings from Lafleur itself and the resulting wine shows the same DNA of richness and power. The same vineyard team from Lafleur also tends the vines at Grand Village, with the same expertise and dedication to making exceptional wines
The Chateau also makes some very accomplished white wines, but we are great admirers of their red, and plan to take on more of their wines in time.