Bond St. Eden 2021 750ML

So much graphite, blueberries and orange blossoms. Full-bodied with creamy tannins and a juicy finish. Compact and racy with a very, very persistent finish. Big boned. A cylinder of tannins going through it. A fantastic young wine. Start drinking after 2030.

Richly scented black cherry fruit lifts out of this glass, nuanced by alluring cedarwood spices and walnut husk. It is medium-bodied with intricate tannins that are super pronounced and have a chocolaty tinge. The wine resolves with blood orange acidity and a long ironstone mineral finish. The style of this wine is incredibly consistent from year to year. In 2021, it boasts super expressive acidity with a long, linear finish. The Cabernet Sauvignon grapes come from a 4.4ha site on a knoll of the valley floor in Oakville with iron-rich fractured volcanic soils.

The 2021 St. Eden boasts gorgeous freshness and energy to play off its customary richness. Crushed rocks, savory herbs, lavender, menthol and plum race across the palate. The 2021 is a serious, exceptionally poised St. Eden that needs time to be at its very best. I admire its precision and tension. Over the last decade or so, the style of St. Eden has moved to an approach that favors more tension than in the early days. The results are in the glass. What a wine!

Red and black currants, spicy, smoky oak, and hints of graphite all define the 2021 St. Eden, another gorgeous 2021 that has a pure, layered, medium to full-bodied style as well as the vintage's structured, focused profile.