Chateau Kirwan 2021

Blond tobacco, licorice, cherry and blackcurrant. Soft attack, creamy texture, then taut, lively acidity, red-fruited finish. Vinified with a deft touch.

The 2021 Kirwan has, unfortunately, lived up to my expectations. Offering up notes of minty berries and pipe tobacco, it's medium-bodied, angular and astringent.

Curry leaf on the nose, strong aromatics with ripe black fruit too. Tangy and sharp, a nice buzz of energy and lovely acidity starts the wine before calming with slightly herbal, medicinal Cabernet touches and minty freshness on the finish. Feels well worked. Calm, elegant, not trying too hard. All in balance, nothing harsh, a direct frame and sense of straightness but with precise fruit, clarity and finesse. A really nice wine with a salty, cola finish. Great effort and totally easy to drink.

73% Cabernet Sauvignon, 13% Merlot, 8% Cabernet Franc, 6% Petit Verdot. Cask sample. Deep crimson. Very sweet nose – an oak thing? Round and fleshy on entry and then the acidity creeps in. Is there the odd green note, perhaps from the Petit Verdot? Certainly a perfectly respectable, refreshing, medium-bodied claret. Less ripe than the Giscours 2021 tasted alongside. (JR)

The 2021 Kirwan has a mixture of red and black fruit with touches of beetroot on the nose, cohesive and quite Saint-Julien in style. The palate is medium-bodied with a pliant entry. Nicely balanced with moderate weight, it’s quite sweet toward the finish compared to its peers. The 2021 is not bad, but I have definitely tasted better in other vintages.

Soft, supple, round, forward, medium-bodied, and floral, you also find with little effort sweet red cherries, espresso, and a delicate hint of spice on the nose and on the rounded, lighter-styled, fresh palate. You can enjoy this almost on release. Drink from 2025–2040.

Dark ruby garnet colour with purple reflections, subtle ochre rim. Delicate dried fruits, candied orange zest, dark cherries, subtle herbal savouriness. Medium body, fresh cherries, lively acidity, fine sweetness on the finish, lingers long, an elegant food wine with good ageing potential.

Spiced red and blue fruits, tobacco, cedary herbs, and some background spicy oak all emerge from the 2021 Château Kirwan, a medium-bodied, nicely balanced, elegant Margaux that has ripe tannins, good mid-palate depth, and outstanding length. It's going to pick up a tad more finesse and elegance with 2-4 years in the cellar and drink beautifully over the following decade or thereabouts.

Kunz barrel sample 2022: (73% Cabernet Sauvignon, 13% Merlot, 8% Cabernet Franc, 6% Petit Verdot, 33 hl/ha, 13% alc./vol., production 100,000 bottles) Slender, sharp, red-berried bouquet, currants, nail polish remover, wood. Slim, firm palate with light, sweet fruit, sandy tannins, bony structure, light aromatics, sweet finish.

(73% Cabernet Sauvignon, 13% Merlot, 8% Cabernet Franc, 6% Petit Verdot, 33 hl/ha, 13% abv, production 100,000 bottles) Slim, pointed, red-berried bouquet, currants, nail polish remover, wood. Slim, firm palate with a touch of sweet fruit, sandy tannins, bony structure, light aromatics, sweet finish. 16/20 2027 - 2030

Finessed, with a focus on floral peony aromatics, with raspberry and redcurrant fruits, along with a gentle campfire toast. Retasting the 2021s is always interesting, and there is charm here, but the acidity is more evident than in other vintages. Well handled, deft. 50% new oak for ageing, 33hl/ha yield after frost. Eric Boissenot consultant, Philippe Delfaut director.

The 2021 Kirwan is deep garnet-purple in color. It gives up scents of fresh blackberries and black raspberries, plus wafts of dried Provence herbs, lavender and cardamom. The medium-bodied palate is soft and intense, with vibrant red and black berry flavors and a minerally lift on the finish.

The cru is on form and delivers a 2021 of very fine definition, with very juicy fruit, chew, and above all finesse on the finish, with polished tannins and a mouthwatering saline touch. A wine to watch closely.

A nose of blue fruits, as invigorating as a breath of fresh air, with notes of rose petals, cedar, and mint. On the palate, fine, caressing, satiny tannins wrap around a delicious juiciness on a finish you never tire of, with exceptional aromatic concentration.

The bouquet of Kirwan 2021 emerges with delicacy and subtlety. It shows freshness through notes of red berries complemented by spicy nuances and licorice wood. On the palate, the wine is defined by its precision and energetic character. It has body and fine-grained tannins, along with a refreshing, mouthwatering tension. A sleek, precise wine, perfectly balanced, with tension and freshness as the common thread.

Dark, deep purple color. Very aromatic nose, fruity and delicate. Subtle on entry and immediately offering a suave, ripe, fruit-driven core, the wine gains body as it glides across the palate, juicy, leading to a somewhat understated finish, yet with no tannic edges. Blend: 73% cabernet sauvignon, 13% merlot, 8% cabernet franc, 6% petit verdot. Yield: 33 hl/ha.

Aromatic intensity, a kind of fruity density adorned with zesty aromas that accompany the blackcurrant. There is chew, a very striking profile, a core of perfectly timed juice, well-shaped tannins, and a crunchy acidity. A beautifully balanced wine.

This red’s lightly mulled red currant and black cherry fruit flavors still have some subtle energy, while hints of cedar and black tea weave through the finish, where the vintage’s grain peeks in. Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Cabernet Franc and Petit Verdot. Drink now through 2028. 7,500 cases made, 700 cases imported.

94–96. Barrel Sample. At 73% the Cabernet Sauvignon dominates this fine, smoky wine. Its juicy character reflects the freshness of the vintage while also giving structure. A precise, focused wine with tannins built for aging.