Les Cruzelles 2010

The Les Cruzelles is a blend of 90% Merlot and 10% Cabernet Franc, the former picked a little earlier than the La Chenade with 50% new oak. The nose is more extroverted, a little more flamboyant than the La Chenade with a tangible floral aspect and fine delineation. The palate is medium-bodied with fine, slightly grainy tannins. It is more linear than the La Chenade, slightly more peppery at the moment but still with great freshness towards the finish. It will need a little bottle age to come round. Recommended. Tasted November 2012.

Chocolate, vanilla and blueberries. Some raspberry and cherry blossom with spicy white pepper. Full and dense on the palate with lovely fruit and velvet tannins. Juicy and round with a nice fruit-focused finish. Lots of ripe fruit under the chewy tannins. Drink from 2015.

One of the least well known of Denis Durantou's wines, this is a really good buy for the price-conscious claret lover in 2010. It's a big, statement wine, but beneath the oak, there's plenty of texture, flavours of sweet blackberry and liquorice and a spicy, refreshing finish. A mini Eglise-Clinet? 10+ years.

From the proprietor of the well-known Pomerol estate of L'Eglise Clinet, the 2010 Les Cruzelles, a sleeper of the vintage, is an amazingly constituted effort that transcends its humble appellation. Aromas of black raspberries, licorice, truffles and camphor are followed by a sweet, round, opulent, generous wine that should be consumed over the next decade

A wine now in full flight, the 2010 Cruzelles has been brilliant since we first tasted it from barrel. A deep ruby-garnet colour, it has a seductive nose of brambly fruit, liquorice and dark chocolate. The palate has the chalkiness of the vintage but this is metling into the same succulent dark fruit from the nose. Spicy, moreish, powerful and always balanced, this wine delivers so much quality at an excellent price point. There are lightly savoury tones of cigar leaf and game on the back end, but this still delivers so much fruit. There was a little debate about whether this wine will continue to improve in bottle or will simply become more savoury and evolve. I expect it will be delicious in bottle for another decade or more, but frankly it is so good now, there is little reason to wait.

This 11 hectare property in Lalande de Pomerol is situated 1 km from the famous plateau of Pomerol, and is visible from the back door of Eglise Clinet. The Château was purchased in 2000 by Denis Durantou who ages the crop in 50% new oak and relegates fruit from the younger vines to his La Chenade label. Often better than many Pomerols and Saint Emilions that we taste, yet moderately priced thanks to the appellation. 90% Merlot, 10% Cabernet Franc. Grapes are selected from the best terroirs of the vineyard - clay soils similar to those on the plateau of Pomerol. A gorgeous nose of smoky , vanilla oak and plumy fruit. Creamy and silky with a voluptuous mouth-feel, this is nevertheless soft and elegrant with an almost Pinot Noir like character. A simply gorgeous wine that tastes like a top Pomerol. Bravo!

Sweet black plum and cherry give richness on the nose and a good weight of flavour on the palate. The tannins are rounded adding suppleness and then towards the back red fruits cherry and raspberry come through lifting the flavours on the finish.

Ripe, savoury, generous and more firmly structured than the '09. Attractive Burgundian red fruit aroma. Long. Gives the lighter Pomerol's a run for their money. Drink 2015-2022.