2021 Cuve 8a
2021 Cuve 8a
Thierry Garnaud, winemaker at Cheval Blanc for 38 vintages, wanted to try his hand at something different. A pure expression of a unique terroir, but more modern, without oak, and available as an everyday drinker, without breaking the bank.
A fascinating, cooler vintage. After '18, '19 & '20, we thought that 21 would be a similar story, that global warming had meant that fully ripe ‘millesimes d’exception’ were in fact the new normal. Which was of course, totally wrong. Extremely difficult growing conditions then, this for our first full year in charge. First the spring frost, whereby we lost around 20%, which weakened the vines. Then, the wettest June in a long time meant we had a single day to treat the vines and one tractor to get it done.. and thus in came the mildew. So tragic to witness 50% of our grapes just wither away. It was worse elsewhere, some people not even managing a harvest. July & August weren’t particularly hot, September quite warm, and we achieved good maturity on remaining fruit. We picked late. The wines are so interesting. We kept things simple, I heard a lot of people had very long macerations and extractions, but I was delighted to be able to make something softer, finer, lower in alchol & less concentrated.
We didn’t renew the wood this year, opting to keep on with the one year old barrels, but 100% of the Canon Chaigneau will be aged in those, and we’ll again make our Cuve 8a (though it may end up as 15b because of the quantity!). This again, is not a second wine, as we sell our lesser lots elsewhere, and we have a pretty homogenous terroir. It’s a version vinified and aged in cement, something that the non Bordeaux market appreciates, and in this vintage it’s a particularly interesting. The wines have quite a Burgundian feel to them, soft, approachable, but with a nice bead of acidity and a good concentration of fruit.. and a real ferrous complexity coming through from our terroir, on the finish. We used around 5% press in both cuvées, which was delicious this year, we pressed it extremely gently. If anything, our terroir comes through more than in 19 & 20, where the concentration and maturity are what strikes first.
Drink now and for 15 years.
‘8a’ is the identity in our chai of the cuve in which this wine is lovingly crafted. Made from specific parcels of slightly younger vines, it’s vinified & matured solely in concrete, and can be enjoyed sooner than it’s ‘grand vin’ sibling. Not a second wine, but very much a different cuvée.
- The 2022 Cuve 8a sees no wood, unusual in Bordeaux, though it pays dividends, and represents one of my favorite wines
from Lalande-de-Pomerol. It has a fresh bouquet with blackberry, raspberry, light floral and orange blossom scents. The palate is well-balanced and lightly spiced, with good definition, grainy tannins and a very elegant and persistent finish. I look forward to tasting this from bottle - great potential.‘
Neal Martin, 91-93
- ‘The Cuvée 8a by Canon Chaigneau is characterized by fresh, floral nuances. The bouquet reveals delicate notes of
peonies and the refreshing scent of raspberries. The fruit intensity can also be found in the beginning. The wine is of good density, tasty and is supported
by tannins that are still somewhat firm, but harmonizing with the acid structure. I think time will round off the rough edges a bit, but actually you have to praise the energy, the dynamics and the ambitions that are in this wine.’
Yves Beck, 92-93
- 'Notes of blue fruit and violets with spices and wet stones. Medium-bodied, toned and crunchy with fine-grained,
silky tannins. Fresh finish.'
James Suckling, 91-92
- 21 ha wine estate owned by Romik Arconian located on the top of the Néac plateau on good quality clay-limestone soils.
This is the unoaked cuvée, which can be a little austere in most vintages, but in the rich exuberance of 2022, it works. Remains a little tart in its acidity but there is great depth and intent to the black fruits, and momentum through the palate..'
Jane Anson, 90
"Dive into Lalande-de-Pomerol’s exceptional 2021 vintage with our Cuve 8a. Made with younger vineyards and no oak, it’s a pure expression of the fruit and balance of a wonderful year."
A Unique Terroir
The Néac plateau. One of the finest wines of the appellation, and one of the best value wines in France - medium bodied, not over extracted, complex, suave & extremely drinkable, typically with notes of truffle, black fruits, spice and cacao.
A Legendary Winemaker
Thierry Garnaud was maître de chai at Cheval Blanc from 1988 – 2018, responsible for such 100 Point Legends as the 1990, '98, 2000, '03, '05, '06, '08, '10, '15 & 2016.
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