2021 Le Dome
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Tasting notes
At Le Dôme, they held out longer than many of their neighbours in 2021, waiting to let the grapes develop more sugar and supple tannins, starting their harvest only on 6th October. The resulting wine is the first made at their shiny new winery (previously made at Maltus stable-mate Ch. Teyssier), with 13.5% natural alcohol. Deep garnet in colour, it has complex aromas of red cherry and cassis that open up immediately in the glass. The palate is medium-bodied and shows plenty of ripe fruit with generous plum and blackberry. The tannins are unbelievably fine, bringing an effortless, structural detail and depth to the wine, firming up on the finish. This wine will give pleasure over the next 20 years. Aged in 80% new oak. Blend: 80% Cabernet Franc, 20% Merlot
Critic scores
Average Score
William Kelley, Wine Advocate
James Suckling
More reviews and scores
Tasted blind. Tough and unyielding. It may get there eventually but there’s one heck of a lot of tannin compared with the fruit. (JR)
Plump fruits set alongside grilled sandalwood and incense, two of the signature flavours of Le Dôme, along with cocoa-dipped violet flowers, savoury blueberry fruit, fragrant aniseed, fennel, pot pourri and crushed rose petals. This is good quality, delivers pleasure in an up-and-down vintage, showcasing well handled, skilful winemaking. Neil Whyte winemaker, Jonathan Maltus owner. 80% new oak for ageing, malolactic in new oak. First year in the new €14 million new winery, designed by Sir Norman Foster. No chaptilisation, very late harvest into 3rd week of October.
A normal blend of 80% Cabernet Franc and 20% Merlot that spent 18 months in 80% new, the 2021 Le Dome is a ripe, powerful 2021 with red and black currants, mulled cherry, chocolate, smoked tobacco, and ample crushed stone-like minerality. Medium to full-bodied on the palate, it's a beautifully textured, seamless Cabernet Franc offering fine tannins and a gorgeous finish. It's one of the more textured, opulent 2021s, yet it nevertheless stays firmly planted in the fresher, crisp style of the vintage.
About the producer
The man behind highly regarded Saint-Émilion wine Le Dôme is a Nigerian-born Brit who sold his engineering firm in 1992 to move to Cahors and restore a pile of ruins. After meeting a local vineyard owner at a dinner party, he ended up selling his production to Oddbins and was caught by the wine bug.