"As I mentioned last year, the Amirault family’s la Mine bottling of Saint Nicolas de Bourgueil has a bit of the cuvée raised in amphorae these days, with most of the wine still seeing its elevage in older, four hundred liter puncheons. The 2021 la Mine is a full point lower than the 2019 version I reviewed last year, coming in at 12.5 percent octane. The bouquet is deep and beautiful, showing more early generosity than the Côte 50 in its aromatic constellation of sweet cassis and blackberries, coffee bean, dark soil tones, cigar smoke, a touch of brown spice tones and a topnote of violets. On the palate the wine is bright, full-bodied, focused and complex, with a sappy core of fruit, excellent soil signature and grip, ripe, buried tannins and a long, tangy and impeccably balanced finish. This is excellent juice in 2021! 2028-2055+."