2021 Château Haut Bages Monpelou

The 2021 Haut-Bages Monpelou has a bright nose with vibrant, simple red berry fruit commingling with briar and light cedar aromas. The palate is medium-bodied with fine-grained tannins, more cohesive than it showed out of barrel with more weight on the finish. As such, I feel this deserves a slightly higher score than before. It will offer wine lovers a decade's drinking pleasure at a very decent price. (11/2023)

A medium-bodied, firm yet suave red with very finely textured and caressing tannins. Pleasing mid-palate. Classic Pauillac nose of blackberries, gravel and some ash. Persistent, too. 71% cabernet sauvignon, 27% merlot, 2% cabernet franc. (06/2022)

The 2021 Haut-Bages Monpelou is a blend of 71% Cabernet Sauvignon, 27% Merlot, and 2% Cabernet Franc. Medium to deep garnet-purple colored, it rolls out with black plums and blackcurrant pastilles scents plus suggestions of dried Mediterranean herbs, tree bark, and olives. Light to medium-bodied, the palate has chewy tannins and herb-laced black fruits, finishing a little hard and green. (05/2022)

The 2021 Haut-Bages Monpelou exhibits aroma of blackberries, pencil shavings, pipe tobacco, loamy soil and new oak, followed by a medium-bodied, lively palate that's classically proportioned, concluding with creditable length. The blend is based on fully 71% Cabernet Sauvignon this year.

- William Kelley (04/2022)