Château Chauvin 2021

Critic scores

• Wine Enthusiast93
• James Suckling92
• Vinous91
• Jeb Dunnuck90

The 2021 vintage in Saint-Émilion

Vintage benchmark: 85/100 (appellation benchmark, not a score for this wine)

Vintage character: Frost followed by a cool summer brought back classic wines, lighter and more taut, to be drunk in their youth.

Overall reading of the year’s season across Saint-Émilion. An estate can depart from it sharply, in frost or hail years, where two neighbours did not make the same vintage. What this particular wine actually gave is on its technical sheet and in the scores above.

Tasting

Generous nose with notes of small red fruits dominated by blackcurrant and cherry. On the palate, elegant tannins which underline this aromatic expression with great finesse. A beautiful balance and length supported by a lovely freshness and tangy notes.

Blend of the 2021 vintage

Figures from the 2021 sheet

• 28 yrsVine age

Winemaking

Cold pre-fermentation maceration for 2 to 5 days around 8°C Alcoholic fermentation in thermoregulated stainless steel vats Malolactic fermentation in barrels Vatting for 20 to 30 days - gentle and slow extraction

Ageing

In French oak barrels 50% new barrels

Terroir

Château Chauvin lies in the north-west of the commune of Saint-Émilion, halfway between Cheval-Blanc and the Butte de Rol, close to the Pomerol appellation. Chauvin's terroir is of a clay-sand type; it benefits from the presence of pseudogley and of a crasse de fer (iron-rich hardpan) similar to that found in certain Pomerol terroirs. Thanks to its low water-retention capacity, the soil comes under water stress quickly, allowing the grapes to ripen faster. Effective drainage across the whole vineyard also ensures very good run-off during the wettest periods. The vineyard forms a single block around the property, which facilitates the meticulous vineyard work carried out by the château's teams throughout the growing season.