Château La Croix du Casse 2018

Seductive aromas of oak and berries; juicy; rather slender yet with good density, with a slightly bitter finish that adds freshness.

Steeped black currant, fig paste and cherry reduction flavors have a rich and caressing feel, while black tea and incense add range and intrigue on the finish. Merlot and Cabernet Franc. Best from 2022 through 2030. 4,000 cases made.

This is one to look out for – a lovely early drinker with deep ruby concentration and toffee-edged aromatics alongside sweet, gentle red fruit, brambled as it gathers weight across the palate. This is the result of extremely gentle vinification, with low temperatures of 26 °C instead of the usual 28 °C, and from sandy clay terroir near to Taillefer. A yield of 35 hl/ha.

Aromas of dried currants, blackberries, violets, licorice and chocolate orange. Some vanilla, too. It’s full-bodied with firm, powdery tannins. Fantastic concentration and depth of fruit. Try from 2025.

Kunz barrel sample 19: (94% Merlot, 6% Cabernet Franc, 14.9% vol. alcohol) Fresh, silky, fragrant bouquet, raspberry, chocolate, smoke. Velvety, medium-bodied palate with delicate fruit, sweet aromatics, slender structure, light finish. Can still improve.

(94% Merlot, 6% Cabernet Franc, 14.9% vol. alcohol) Fresh, silky, fragrant bouquet, raspberry, chocolate, smoke. Velvety, medium-bodied palate with delicate fruit, sweet aromatics, a slender structure, and a light finish. Can still improve. 16/20 2023 - 2038

2018 is already very seductive, with a creamy, juicy palate. It will evolve beautifully.

Logo on the cork: PK Very beautiful, deep, uniform red. Slightly evolved. An aromatic nose with very ripe fruit that still manages to stay fresh and even delicate. On the palate, this is a wine whose execution is very interesting to observe. It starts off supple, in line with the vintage, then gains body even though the terroir isn’t the best positioned to deliver it. So far, the whole is very caressing and flows beautifully. After these first hedonistic, charming seconds, the winemaker has introduced, between the mid‑palate and the finish, a tannic framework with a fresh, precise flavor that puts some snap back into the initial hedonistic softness. The wine then regains a kind of classicism in the precision of its tannic structure. This sip of wine pulls off several marriages in just a few seconds. The soil and the vintage are particularly well handled. Good length with a lovely aromatic return. Bravo! One to discover.

Soft, elegant, silky, with sweet red fruits and floral notes define the wine. There is good lift, energy, and refinement in the juicy, earthy red berries on the mid-palate and through the finish. The wine blends 93% Merlot with 7% Cabernet Franc.