Les Champs Libres (by Lafleur) 2021

All Sauvignon Blanc, the 2021 Les Champs Libres Blanc is another sensational wine from this team, which is just about unrivaled in Bordeaux. Ripe melon, honeyed flowers, lime zest, and a liquid rock-like minerality all define this beauty, and it's medium-bodied, with flawlessly integrated acidity, beautiful mid-palate depth, and a great finish. Give it a few years.

The 2021 Les Champs Libres, from white clay soils, has a less yeasty nose than I noticed from barrel, gaining more refinement as I suspected. Scents of dried white flowers and candle wax are well defined, developing crushed limestone notes with aeration. The palate is very well-balanced with orange pith, citrus peel, hints of white peach and mango toward the finish. There’s a lovely underlying tropical element here with a hint of lemongrass on the aftertaste. Excellent.

100% Sauvignon Blanc, harvested between 9th and 11th September that remains on the lees to build structure and potential. Very pale straw colour. Very fine with a unique nose of gun flint, musky citrus fruit, white flowers and a light lemon curd. The palate is very high energy, a streak of mouthwatering acidity creating real tension and salinity. Cool citrus fruit builds with a light textural creaminess, but this is all about drive and vibrancy. Loire-like balance comes with an underlying extra ripeness, moving into stone fruit and redolent fruit blossom. This is fine and very tight for now, with full elevage it should be another delicious Champs Libres that harnesses the best of this vintage.