Château Berliquet, Grand Cru Classé, St Emilion, 2021
Since coming under the Chanel umbrella, Berliquet has been transformed by Nicolas Audebert and team. Gone are the monolithic rather cumbersome wines of yesteryear and in their place we have bright, vital bittersweet fruit wrapped in refined tannins. Initially floral and bright with hints of plums and cherries. Much more finesse than usual. There's a juicy core with lots of energy and an almost sumptuous texture and no hint of rusticity. Not complex, but there's lovely freshness and luminosity here. This should drink very well given a few years.
critic reviews
The 2021 Berliquet has a deep garnet-purple color. It prances out with showy notes of black and red cherries, juicy plums, and crushed violets, leading to hints of cinnamon stick and Sichuan pepper. The medium-bodied palate is plush and lively, with bags of expressive cherry flavors and a perfumed finish.
Softly spoken, carefully extracted, well-layered raspberry, damson and red cherry fruits, a subtle complexity that grows through the palate, with clear finesse, smoked earth and grilled cedar on the finish. First year of organic conversion, with certification expected 2024. 44% new oak, plus four amphora for ageing. 30hl/h yield, 3.41ph. Thomas Duclos consultant.
The 2021 Berliquet has a very attractive nose: a mélange of red and black fruit, cedar, clementine and light crushed stone scents that coheres nicely in the glass. The palate is medium-bodied with fine tannins and very well-judged acidity, building gently in the mouth toward an elegant finish that does not overstay its welcome. This is a case of a wine proving that less is indeed more. Drink the 2021 over the next 15 years.
The 2021 Berliquet is showing very well in bottle, wafting from the glass with notes of sweet wild berries, plums and rose petals, framed by subtle hints of licorice and vanilla pod. Medium to full-bodied, fleshy and seamless, it's suave and sensual, with a fleshy core of fruit, ultra-refined tannins and a pure, perfumed, mineral finish. This seamless, charming Saint-Emilion will offer a broad drinking window.