Château La Garde Rouge

Très beau nez de fruits noirs, de cassis, de violette, de mure et une légère pointe fumée. Bouche charnue, une belle charge tannique avec une finale aérienne et longue. Un très beau Ch. La Garde qui devrait être parfaitement maitrisé pendant les élevageset pourrrait se révéler encore plus élégant. Belle bouteille en perspective. 

Erster Jahrgang im neuen Keller, der 63 Tanks verfügt, die auf die Parzellen abgestimmt sind. Dunkle Farbe. Feine Nase, duftig, kühl, leicht rauchig, dunkle Frucht, Brombeeren. Im Gaumen zugänglich und weich, keine Überextraktion, feinkörniges Tannin, die Frucht ist knackig und harmoniert mit der Struktur, im Abgang frisch, Rasse und guter Länge. Sehr gelungen. 2027-2043 

The 2021 La Garde offers an attractive mix of dark red cherry, gravel, spice, licorice and dried herbs. This mid-weight, expressive Graves packs quite the punch. Grippy tannins need a bit of time to soften, but behind them lies a wine of character.

Supple texture, deep red and black fruit flavours, clear tannic heft with bitter chocolate shavings and grilled almond on the finish, enjoyable and with balance. New cellar with the first vintage in 2021, smaller vats, that range from 60-100hl, helpful for precision in 2021.

A red with blackberry, blueberry and walnut character. Medium body, integrated tannins and a delicious finish. Well done for the vintage. From organically grown grapes.

The aromas are ripe. And based on that I assume the winery adopted a late-harvest solution. Aromas of soft and glutinous berry fruits, delicate clove and licorice, and unique pencil lead dominate. It is neat, pristine, and chaste on the palate, with good balance. Both the smooth tannins and crispy acidity are presented marvelously. You can tell that the winemaking team must have put a lot of effort into fruit selection, recognition well-deserved.

The 2021 Château La Garde is now vinified in smaller inverted truncated vats and aged in one-third new oak. This has a vibrant bouquet, a mixture of red and black fruit, hints of violet coming through with aeration. The palate is medium-bodied with a velvety smooth entry and moderate depth. Quite compact at first, but there is fine delineation on the finish. It will require 4–6 years in bottle. Given keen market prices, this is one to watch.

Intensives Bouquet, edle Cassiswürze, verführerischer Iris-Duft, Heidelbeergelee und schwarzer Pfeffer. Am strukturierten Gaumen mit seidiger Textur, engmaschigem Tanninkorsett und durchtrainiertem Körper. Im konzentrierten Finale Wildkirsche, dunkles Edelholz, Graphit und fein körnige Adstringenz. Überzeugt durch eine grandiose Präzision, kann noch zulegen.

Dark garnet, narrow purple rim. Delicate red wild berries, floral touch, hints of black cherry, subtle herbal savouriness. Lean, fresh, notes of strawberry and cherry fruit, discreet tannins, lively; a versatile food companion.

Winemaker Frederic Bonnaffous explained that the largest cuve’s dimensions in his new chai are the same as the smallest size in the old one!  This attention to detail across the Dourthe portfolio has heightened the purity and dynamism of the wines.  This is the perfect vintage to showcase this new cellar because it elevates the fruit quality when it is needed most.  This is a decent wine with purple fruit and a silky feel topped with crunchy tannins.

A nose of sweet blackcurrants and black cherry here, with a light perfume of violets, dark chocolate and soot. The palate is fresh, modestly polished, with a little cottony texture to it, prior to a softly polished midpalate filled with crushed cherries and more dark chocolate, all underpinned by a fine grain of tannins and fresh acidity. In a difficult vintage, this is a strong effort from this Dourthe estate.

Highly concentrated, rich and dark nose, full of blackcurrant and black cherry and dark chocolate aromas. Darkly charming on the palate, the cool blue fruit is mouthwatering at first then the chalky but finely chewy tannins come to the fore, coating the mouth with touches of dark cocoa powder, liquorice, clove and cinnamon giving the fruit and savouriness. I love the detail on show, all the elements are in high definition, you really can taste each aspect. Enjoyable and captivating. First vintage with the new cellar using 63 tanks ranging in size helping with precise plot vinification in 2021. An excellent effort! Minus 20% of production this vintage.

Dark purple colour with violet hue and black core. Expressive nose with aroma reminiscent of blackberries, elderberries and blackcurrants, discreet spiciness, hints of pencil shavings. On the palate well balanced with juicy fruit, elegant firm tannins, mild acidity, discreet minerality and very good length. A fine wine.

Kräftig und kernig, Tannin mit Ecken und Kanten; robuster, aber ehrlicher Wein, der etwas reifen kann.

Bouquet élégant aux nuances de cerises et mûres suivies d'une filigrane touche d'élevage. En bouche le vin est subtil, fin et doté de tannins précis, parfaitement intégrés, en phase avec la fraîcheur de la structure. Une belle réussite de plus pour cette pépite de Pessac-Léognan. 

The 2021 Château La Garde does well, and in general, the Pessac region produced ripe, textured wines that offer lots of pleasure. Cassis, currants, tobacco, and earthy nuances give way to a medium-bodied, ripe, charming, forward 2021 with plenty of mid-palate depth and outstanding length.

Le nez est fruité, élégant et offre une petite concentration, une très fine intensité et un côté finement serré. On y retrouve des notes de cassis, de violette et plus légèrement de petits fruits noirs assez mûrs associées à des touches de zan, de vanille, à une pointe de chocolat. La bouche est fruitée, racée, minérale, équilibrée et offre de la jutosité, une bonne définition, une certaine gourmandise, une jolie finesse dans sa définition, le cabernet prend toute sa place. En bouche ce vin exprime des notes de cassis juteux/pulpeux, de violette et plus légèrement de prune violette associées à des touches de petits fruits rouges écrasés/juteux ainsi qu’à des pointes d’amande, de badiane, à une discrète pointe de vanille. Bonne longueur.

Ziemlich tiefe Dunkelfrucht, sehr samtige Noten, rauchig, dicht, beachtliche Konzentration, puristische Beerenfrucht, Veilchen; griffig, knackig, supersaftig, beachtliche Frucht, kraftvoll, athletisch, glockenklar, klirrend frisch.