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Les Cruzelles 2014

RegionBordeaux
Subregion France > Bordeaux > Right Bank > Lalande Pomerol
ColourRed
TypeStill
Grape VarietyMerlot/Cabernet Franc

View all vintages of this wine | View all wines by Vignobles Denis Durantou

Label

Tasting Notes

The blueberry, chocolate and walnut aromas are compelling. Medium to full body, ripe and silky tannins and a flavorful finish. Better in 2020 but already a joy to taste and even drink.

92
James Suckling, JamesSuckling.com, February 2017

Deep in colour with a spicy, layered nose of dense black cherry, plum and savoury toasted spices, this is powerfully aromatic and primary at this stage. Juicy and rounded in texture thanks to the weight of black fruit at the core, the fine but firm tannins frame the palate but are coated by soft, ripe fruit and lifted floral violet tones. Through the mid palate there are layers of spicy, smoky flavour that add complexity and a touch of sweetness from balancing oak flavour. Long, youthful and spicy, this wine is approachable now with a light decant for 30 minutes and thanks to the firm-textured tannin and pure fruit length will have a superb life ahead of it. Outstanding value for money.

94+
Farr Vintners, Farr Tasting, March 2017

Very suave, with creamy plum sauce and blackberry confiture notes inlaid with ganache and anise details, all flowing through the toasty yet integrated and refined finish. Wins on mouthfeel and fruit, but there's a fine mineral edge as well. Drink now through 2022. 2,135 cases made.

90
James Molesworth, WineSpectator.com, February 2017

A wine that's very marked by its comparatively small percentage of Cabernet Franc, this is always one of the Gironde's greatest bargains. Grassy, elegant and leafy with dark berry and fennel notes that build on the palate, complemented by stylish, aromatic oak. Typically impressive winemaking.

93
Tim Atkin MW, timatkin.com, April 2015
Read more tasting notes...

The 2014 Les Cruzelles is a blend of 90% Merlot and 10% Cabernet Franc picked between 24-29 September. It has a little more ripeness on the nose compared to the La Chenade, very perfumed with subtle violet and iris aromas, later a hint of orange blossom. The palate is medium-bodied with fine tannin with ample blackberry and bilberry; grainy in texture with a pleasurable marine/oyster shell element lending personality on the finish. This is very fine. Drink date 2018 - 2030

91
Neal Martin, Wine Advocate (Interim En), April 2017

The Château Les Cruzelles 2014 is a blend of 90% Merlot and 10% Cabernet Franc picked from 24 to 29 September and 17 to 21 October and aged in 50% new oak. The nose is ripe and generous with wild strawberry and dark plum aromas, the oak nicely integrated. The palate is medium-bodied with supple and fine tannin. It is not a complex Lalande-de-Pomerol but is (as usual) extremely well balanced with a fine degree of tension and finesse on the broody finish. Give this a couple of years in bottle and it should give several years of pleasure, probably more. Drink: 2017 - 2027.

89/91
Neal Martin, Wine Advocate (218), April 2015

A fine and silky red with blackberries, walnuts and spices. Medium to full body, fine tannins and juicy finish.

87/88
James Suckling, JamesSuckling.com, March 2015
Please note that these tasting notes/scores are not intended to be exhaustive and in some cases they may not be the most recently published figures. However, we always do our best to add latest scores and reviews when these come to our attention. We advise customers who wish to purchase wines based simply on critical reviews to carry out further research into the latest reports.