Best for your budget: Bordeaux 2021 whites at five different price points

Despite the challenges brought throughout the growing season of the 2021 vintage, Bordeaux’s dry whites shone in terms of quality. To guide those still considering their 2021 Bordeaux en primeur purchases, Wine Lister presents some of the best choices in Bordeaux whites from the vintage, at five different price points. (All prices are quoted in-bond per bottle when purchasing by the case).

Under £25 – Olivier Blanc

The 2021 vintage from Château Oliver’s white was described by Jancis Robinson as “Racy and lively” with a “good balance of interesting fruit and zest”. Ella Lister (for Le Figaro) gave Olivier 2021 a score of 92-93, praising its balance and describing it as an “ethereal and harmonious blend of Sauvignon and Sémillon”. Olivier 2021 can be purchased from Millésima for £22.70.

Under £40 – Malartic-Lagravière Blanc

Awarding 90-92 points, Antonio Galloni (Vinous) describes the latest vintage of Malartic-Lagravière as “Bright and sculpted”, with “plenty to offer”. Jancis Robinson deems it “Already attractive” and “Impressively persistent”. Malartic-Lagravière Blanc appears on Wine Lister’s list of value picks in Part II of our 2022 Bordeaux Study, indicating a strong quality-to-price ratio. Elsewhere in the study, Wine Lister found that Malartic-Lagravière is enjoying a robust short-term (six-month) price performance of just under 14% – placing it in the top 15 short-term price performances. Malartic-Lagravière 2021 can be bought from Justerini & Brooks for £39.42.

Under £75 – Domaine de Chevalier Blanc

The 2021 vintage from Domaine de Chevalier has received acclaim from the critics, with Neal Martin (Vinous) awarding its white 95-97 points and declaring it “one of the best Domaine de Chevalier whites that [he has] tasted in 20-plus years”. Jancis Robinson confers a score of 17+ and writes that it “should be a real long-distance runner”. Domaine de Chevalier Blanc 2021 can be bought from Farr Vintners for £72.17.

Under £110 – Cos d’Estournel Blanc

The only wine among the five selected here not to hail from Pessac-Léognan, Cos d’Estournel’s Blanc 2021 receives its joint-highest Wine Lister score in over 15 years. Indeed, Antonio awards it 93-95 points, above last year’s vintage (91-93), and writes that it is “one of the finest vintages I can remember tasting”. He praises its “sheer palate presence”, a sentiment Ella echoes as she describes Cos d’Estournel Blanc 2021 as “delectable, lingering in the mouth”. Cos d’Estournel Blanc 2021 can be purchased from Berry Bros. & Rudd for £105.

Under £650 – Haut-Brion Blanc

One of the most noteworthy releases of the 2021 Bordeaux en primeur campaign is the latest white from Haut-Brion. In such a challenging vintage, Haut-Brion Blanc 2021 seriously impresses as it sees the greatest increase in Quality from 2020 to 2021 – as explored in Part II of Wine Lister’s 2022 Bordeaux Study. The 2021 vintage also achieves the wine’s highest ever potential en primeur score from Vinous as Neal awards it 96-98 points. Haut-Brion Blanc 2021 can be purchased from Cru World Wine for £640.


On the money: Bordeaux 2021 reds at five different price points

Bordeaux en primeur 2021 had its share of surprises – and challenges – when it came to pricing. Wine Lister examines some of the best offerings from the 2021 vintage at five different price points, to inform those still considering their en primeur purchases this year. (All prices are quoted in-bond per bottle when purchasing by the case).

Under £15 – Mauvesin Barton

Owned by the Barton family – whose portfolio also includes Léoville Barton and Langoa Barton – the 2021 vintage from the Mauvesin Barton estate has been described as “well-balanced and surfeit with freshness” by Neal Martin (Vinous). To compensate for the extensive frosts of 2021, the vintage’s blend contains more Cabernet than usual. It is the first vintage to be made in Mauvesin Barton’s new winery, which is equipped with smaller vats for greater precision, and it shows.  This offering from Moulis-en-Médoc can be purchased for £10.92 per bottle from Justerini & Brooks.

Under £50 – La Gaffelière

One of the star releases of the 2021 en primeur campaign, La Gaffelière is on a continuous upward trajectory. The 2021 vintage received the Saint-Émilion estate’s joint-highest ever Wine Lister score, and a score of 95-97 from Antonio Galloni (Vinous). This is a very strong showing from the estate, which features in Part II of Wine Lister’s 2022 Bordeaux Study as a quality outperformer – meaning that its 2021 vintage has outpaced its average quality. La Gaffelière 2021 can be purchased from Millésima for £48 per bottle.

Under £75 – Rauzan-Ségla

Nicolas Audebert, Managing Director at Rauzan-Ségla and Canon, told the Wine Lister team that 2021 was “the most stressful and exhausting vintage ever”. Strong praise from critics is a testament to the hard work carried out by the estate’s team – including the highest amount of intra-parcel zoning ever done in the vineyard, identifying the best lots. Antonio and Neal rated it 94-97 and 94-96 respectively, while James Lawther (for JancisRobinson.com) describes it as “Very well-judged and very Margaux”. Rauzan-Ségla 2021 can be bought from Farr Vintners for £60 per bottle.

Under £125 – Montrose

Montrose 2021 marks the first year of organic conversion at the estate. In such a challenging vintage, the Saint-Estèphe estate’s Technical Director, Vincent Decup, told Wine Lister, “We have never done so much [in the vineyard]”. It receives a score of 94-96 from Ella Lister (for Le Figaro Vin), who notes its “very long and increasingly delicate finish”. Montrose 2021 can be purchased from Berry Bros. & Rudd for £113.50 per bottle.

Under £400 – Cheval Blanc

Following last year’s en primeur success, Cheval Blanc is once again a standout release in 2021. The estate’s Technical Director, Pierre-Olivier Clouet, remarked to the Wine Lister team that “the 2021 vintage was like cooking at low temperature after six years of cooking on a high heat”, and “given the choice, every Cheval Blanc team member would choose a case of 2021 for their cellars over 2020”. Indeed, the 2021 vintage received even more resoundingly positive reviews from critics than last year. Antonio awards it his joint-top score in 2021 (96-98) and proclaims it “one of the wines of the vintage… Stunning”. The Saint-Émilion star is available from IG Wines for £395 per bottle.


Solidarity with Ukraine: Wine Lister and Le Figaro Vin band together

In light of the relentless atrocities taking place in Ukraine, the Wine Lister team joined forces with its parent company, Le Figaro, on May 6th for a fundraising initiative for those impacted by the war.

As we enter the sixth month of conflict, the war in Ukraine remains particularly personal for the Wine Lister team, with our lead developer, Sasha, currently based in Western Ukraine having left his home in Kyiv. Sasha is part of the estimated 7.13 million people (approximately one-third of Ukraine’s population) who have been displaced in Ukraine, while a further 6.98 million people have fled to neighbouring countries.

In a bid to support those forced to reach safety and get access to medical care, we have come together to raise funds for Sasha’s chosen charity, Ukraine Charity. This London-based organisation was established with the goal of supporting various charitable causes in Ukraine, turning its attention this year to providing humanitarian aid across the country, including the provision of life-saving emergency medical equipment to those affected.

We have embarked on the challenge of collectively covering the distance between Wine Lister’s London office and the Ukrainian border (1,882km) by Friday 15th July, with the hope of raising £10,000 for Ukraine Charity. This distance represents the journey that thousands of Ukrainian refugees have been forced to make to reach safety in the United Kingdom, and one that Sasha could previously make with ease to join us in London.

The team’s incredible effort to cover the distance from Wine Lister’s London office to the city of Lviv, close to the Ukrainian border

Across both Wine Lister and Le Figaro Vin, 12 team members have been running, cycling, swimming, walking, and even sailing at every available opportunity since starting the challenge in May, logging our routes on Strava and tracking our miles on our JustGiving page. Despite a slow start coinciding with the Bordeaux en primeur campaign, we picked up the pace in June and redoubled our efforts for this extremely worthy cause.

We are now proud to have achieved our target distance ahead of our deadline.

We have so far raised £2,107 of our fundraising goal of £10,000. With just two weeks until we donate the final amount, we would be incredibly grateful for any further donations to support the life-changing services and vital aid provided by Ukraine Charity.

Click here to donate and to find out more about the fundraising initiative.