2021 Lilian Ladouys (St-Estephe)

The 2021 Lilian Ladouys needs a little coaxing from the glass, eventually revealing black fruit, briar, cedar and tobacco scents, perhaps just a little rustic compared to other vintages. The palate is medium-bodied with slightly dry tannins, a little austere compared to its barrel sample, and it just attenuates toward the finish. This is not a bad Saint-Estèphe by any means, though it’s not the best in recent years. A second bottle feels disjointed compared to the first. 88 points